Who We Are
The Company
Two passions have driven Dexter Builders from the beginning; one is building with “tools in hand”; the other passion is knowing that we have improved our customers life and the value of their home.
Any of our partners would tell a similar story of how, from childhood on, they have constantly helped friends, neighbors, family members, and sometimes strangers build or fix their homes, cottages, barns, sheds, and even tree houses. Officially Dexter Builders incorporated January 2000. However, we’ve all been honing our skills and chasing our dreams for more decades than most of us would like to admit.
We have character and we’re earned it. Dexter Builders has never operated in “good times”, the events of 911 and the subsequent downturn in the economy are just a couple circumstances that have shaped the way we run our business on a day to day basis. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Many other construction companies not as diligent and determined have folded up and gone away. We learned to be lean and mean from the start, to listen to our customers’ needs and concerns, and to make it happen with what is on our plate.
Jeff Brown
Our President and mostly fearless leader has watched Dexter Builders grow from a small deck project into a thriving nationally recognized enterprize. Originally from Battle Creek, Jeff earned a MS in geology from Western Michigan University, which he put to use with Chester Engineers and The Traverse Group of nearly 15 years. Jeff grew up in a family owned trucking/distribution business, and it seemed just a matter of time before he started his own business. Unknowingly, Jeff took the advice of Mark Twain, “make your vocation your vacation” and started building projects on weekends and evenings. In a matter of a couple years his service and reputation had built enough additional projects up to make the jump to full time small business owner. In his spare time, Jeff is an active member of the Dexter Rotary Club, a founding member of CBA (Core Business Advisors), participates in golf and hockey leagues, does watercolor paintings, and gives priceless advice to his son, Josh.
Pam Kent
The pleasant voice of Dexter Builders is our secret weapon. As our office manager since 2006, Pam handles our administrative, scheduling, and accounting responsibilities with charm and expertise. She works very hard to keep everyone and everything at Dexter Builders running smoothly. Before joining Dexter Builders, she held similar positions at 3M and Gelman Sciences for almost twenty years. Originally from Chelsea, she knows this area well and enjoys working with so many homeowners. When she’s not juggling so many balls at the office, she likes to spend her time with her young grandson, her husband, and her fat dog (in that order).
Rachel Hill
A customer favorite, Rachel specializes in Design and Project Management of kitchens and bathrooms. She is awesome at listening to the dreams and ideas of her customers and then working through each step until the finishing touches are complete. She prides herself on keeping jobs on schedule and work areas clean. Rachel is from Manchester, she worked for Bridgewater Lumber for nearly twenty years before joining us in 2008. When she’s not working, Rachel likes to spend time with her teenage son and daughter, and with her extended large family (6 brothers and sisters), exercising, and completing projects around the house (on schedule and clean).
Vince Peters
Vince is a lifelong construction addict and a recovering engineer. Dexter Builders is not ashamed to admit that we have taken advantage of these character flaws. Vince has developed and fine tuned many of our innovative management and organizational programs. He also acts as Project Manager on our larger addition and remodel projects where our clients know him to be extremely thoughtful and aware of their needs and concerns. An Ann Arbor native, Vince earned a degree in Civil Engineering from Michigan State University. He worked more than 20 years for Chester Engineers and The Traverse Group as a Professional Engineer (PE) before joining Dexter Builders in 2003. He has served on the Board of Directors, Treasurer, and as President of the Southeast Michigan Chapter of NARI (National Association of the Remodeling Industry) where he made many significant improvements. In the few hours during a week that he isn’t working, Vince tries to keep up with his wife and five sons and loves skyping with his two young grandchildren in California.
Tony Push
Tony became a Partner in 2004 when he rolled his own successful construction company into Dexter Builders. The addition of Tony to Dexter Builders was very important in our development as the successful company that we are today. Tony leads our Marketing efforts and has developed integral relationships with many of our suppliers and contractors. Along with the marketing responsibilities Tony runs many of our important projects on a day to day basis. Tony grew up in Chelsea and now lives in a house he built on the west side of Ann Arbor. When not working, he coaches many of his teenage son’s sports teams, and regularly sends tuition checks to Central Michigan University for his daughter, his family loves camping, boating and enjoying all the Michigan seasons, and he is “casual” University of Michigan sports fan.
