Why We Do It
Our Foundation is Our “Why”
Determined To Provide Excellent Customer Experiences
Why Amber Valley Construction?
It comes down to the “Why”.
There are no shortages of Grand Rapids remodeling companies. All of them can swing a hammer and pound a nail. All of them can put a shingle on a roof. Siding Contractors, Roofing Contractors, the list goes on. Amber Valley Construction is not different in our “what”. We swing hammers, pound nails, put shingles on your roof, or siding on your walls. We are different in our Why.
What is our Why? Our Why is the homeowner who has frustrating experiences with hiring a contractor. Our Why is the lack of clarity that so many homeowners enter into with contractors and end up getting something less than what they expected. Our Why is the homeowners whose project drags on and on with no end in sight.
We are committed to providing excellent customer experiences so much, that if the day comes that we no longer believe that we can provide this to our customers, we will shut things down.
Construction often feels like a race to the bottom. Whoever gets the cheapest bid in wins. Whoever can cut the most corners without the homeowner noticing wins. There are so many negative stereotypes surrounding our industry. Every few weeks there is a story on the local news about how a “local contractor” took advantage of a family by not finishing a job or by never even showing up. It takes a lot of energy and effort to rise above. This is what we are determined to do.
We believe in challenging the status quo of what is like to work with a contractor. We also believe that everyone should love their home. So, we get out of bed every morning and work hard to provide solutions to our clients to either improve or restore their quality of life through their home. We call it “Client-Driven Solutions”
Origins
What is in a name?
Ok, this is actually a funny story. The name “Amber Valley” actually came from a dictionary search in a college dorm room in the early 2000s. Derek, while earning his degree in Residential Construction Management, was assigned an assignment to put together a mock company. Derek didn’t want to call it “Anderson’s Construction” or anything along those lines simply because he was looking to build a company that was bigger than himself that would serve customers even if he wasn’t around any more. Back then, people still used these things called “Phone Books” and companies were listed alphabetically. So, the name literally came from searching through the “A” words until Derek found something he liked. After he landed on Amber, “Valley” seemed like it would work well with “Amber” and whammo: Amber Valley was born. But what is in a name?
Fast-forward to 2012
About this time, Derek obtained his Residential Builder’s license and started the LLC that is now Amber Valley Construction. Shortly thereafter, he started working as a project coordinator for a small building and remodeling company. Things were going well until, in January of 2015, that company suddenly shuttered the building and remodeling portion of its company. With only three day’s notice that he was being laid off at the start of winter, Derek used the cash reserves he had acquired through some side hustle to go full time with Amber Valley. Derek hired two of the men who had worked along side of him under the previous company (both of whom had also been laid off), and made a go with it.
A lot of work has gone into Amber Valley, but as was the goal from the beginning, Amber Valley is much bigger than one man. Each team member puts in an enormous amount of effort into making your experience through your remodeling or repair project a success. Our goal is to provide you, our customer with an amazing customer experience and very team member plays a key part in that process. Depending on the size of your project, we may have as few as 10 touches with you or hundreds. Every one of those touches is important to us, and so every team member is vital to the mission of Amber Valley: Address your fears so that you can get back to loving your home.
Our Team
Derek Anderson
Owner
Derek is the owner of Amber Valley Construction. Derek was roofing when he was 10, siding when he was 12, was a concrete foreman at age 14, and was building houses at age 16. At 18, Derek started college working towards his Bachelors degree in Residential Construction Management then started Amber Valley a few years after completing his degree.
Carla Watt
Office Manager
Long ago, there was a prophecy that someone would come along to bring balance to the Amber Valley force. Because of her background in social work, she is uniquely qualified to keep all of us on track and bring sanity to the office.
Marc Dudley
Project Manager
Once your project with Amber Valley is underway, Marc is your partner through the production side of things. You are going to ENJOY working with him! He brings a smile and a positive attitude while working tirelessly to make sure we hit your schedule and produce a great product for you.
Accountant and Controller
Barb Hendrickson
The Rock Star of all rock stars, Barb is the most talented numbers person this side of the Mississippi. Between her MBA in Accounting from Davenport, and her extensive experience in corporate and small business accounting, there is nary a penny that escapes her notice. Any of your finance or numbers questions will be answered with precision and detail.
Estimator
Ryan Anderson
Ryan received his degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech and started his career as a hydraulics engineer in Wisconsin before moving back to Michigan to be closer to family. Growing up around construction, Ryan integrates his technical engineering experience into construction to ensure the details of your project are accounted for.
Project Manager
Adam Cowen
Details and communication are two of the most necessary aspects of Project Management, and both of these are where Adam excels. Add to that his calm demeanor, and Adam will guide you through the ups and downs of your project with skill and knowledge.
Let's Discuss Your Project
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Amber Valley Construction
5060 Broadmoor Ave SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49512
(616) 965-1759
info@ambervalleyconstruction.com
