Construct Your TruNORTH
Jeff Sawyer is a Connecticut native who discovered his passion for construction early on. He prides himself on his eye for detail and lends his precision to a background in architecture. He is known for prioritizing relationships above all else and has made community giving an integral part of his approach to business. When he is not on-site he can be found hiking with his lab Sammy, enjoying a quiet afternoon with a good book in tow, or traveling the world.
Q. Can you both share your respective career trajectories which led you to the success in the construction industry that you see today.
A: I started out playing with legos and Lincoln Logs as a kid. That’s really where my passion for the construction and renovation industry began. I was always building, playing with my father’s tools, and envisioning what space could become. As I grew older, I took on summer jobs within the siding and roofing arenas and from there, I decided to pursue a degree in architecture.
After graduation, I accepted a position with a homebuilder in Atlanta, GA. I ran the architecture departments for a few home builders before eventually being selected to construct our new corporate headquarters. I was pulled out of the department and stumbled into a true passion for building. I never looked back and never returned to the architecture side of the business again.
I stayed in land development for about 5 years before gathering the courage to venture out onto my own. I started a small development company that focused on building office condominiums but once the market slowed down, I joined forces with my current partner, Matt Powers, and started TruNORTH Construction in 2017. Today, we focus on remodeling within both the residential and commercial sectors.
I would attribute our success to the ambition we both demonstrated early on. The discipline became the foundation of our professional endeavors as well as our personal projects. I think we were both lucky in that we discovered our passions at a young age and learned how to monetize those interests, eventually turning them into the business we care about so much today
Q. What are the cornerstones of a successful business in the construction industry?
A: In my opinion, it really all comes down to relationships. Whether it is with your clients, your employees, sub-contractors, suppliers, designers, marketing team, etc. – cultivating those connections is a critical component to generating positive energy, mutually beneficial collaborations, respect, and ultimately, a business’ sustainability.
We are only as impactful as the reputation we create and the work we put out into the world. Opportunities do not come to fruition unless the right people are in your corner. We’ve been extremely fortunate in that way.
Q. What do you know now, whether in business or your career that you wish you knew at the outset of your journey?
A: In retrospect, I would tell my younger self that the overarching goal isn’t perfection. It’s doing the right things for the right reasons – everything else will fall into place as long as your intentions are pure. I have always followed my heart when it comes to business and my career but I have only just recently learned to take pause, enjoy the moment and take inventory. Celebrating the journey is just as important as reaching your destination, wherever that may be.
Q. Can you share your advice and time-tested principles to constantly delivering value to your clients?
A: Communication is key. Don’t run from the dialogue. People appreciate transparency, even if the message isn’t always what they want to hear. Whether it’s a delay in materials, an increase related to cost, or an unexpected roadblock, as long as you treat people as your equal, provide them as much information as possible, and keep the lines of communication open, they’ll remember how you made them feel as opposed to thinking back on the challenges you may have encountered.
We update our clients at every phase of a respective project. They have access to files, timelines, and updates. We work very hard to make them feel like our #1 priority and I think that is really at the root of our success and our reputation. Every member of our team is trained in that way – no surprises, no guesswork, simply a mutual respect that benefits both sides of the working relationship.
Q. What are you most excited about in the next few years as TruNORTH Construction continues to grow?
A: I’m excited to take our crew along for the ride. TruNORTH has already exceeded my expectations but these days, the reward is in seeing how close our team has become and just how much we’ve all grown – personally and professionally. One of the most rewarding experiences to date was seeing one of our guys become the third partner. This was the result of years of hard work, finessing his skills, and learning the ins and outs of the business. He invested because we invested in him and there’s a lot of pride in that. We’ve seen mentees turn into tenured employees and the people who have been with us longest turn into confidants. I want us all to gather around at a holiday party in 5-10 years and reflect on the journey we’ve taken together and the successes that were yielded as a result of our combined passion and hard work.
Q. What words of advice would you give to someone who is considering going off on their own?
A: If you love it, if it’s the first thing you think about when you wake up in the morning and the last thing on your mind before hitting the pillow at night – make the jump. You’ll make the money, you’ll work to ensure that those ends meet but if you don’t pursue it, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life. Learn everything you can, absorb it all but remember – the safest bet you can ever make is on yourself.
Q. What do you think makes for a successful partnership?
A: Trust. Matt and I are friends at the core but when it comes to running a successful business, you have to be able to trust your counterpart. Our relationship is one that has withstood the test of time, the trials and errors, the highs, the lows but that has been possible because we know that we have each other’s best interest at the forefront.