Brad Anderson Construction, Inc.
A century ago, in 1906, a stonemason from Scotland named John Anderson, stepped off the boat at Ellis Island to begin his American Dream &emdash; working in construction, a trade that has been handed down in the Anderson family for five generations. Today, on the other side of the continent, his great-grandson, Brad Anderson, and his son, Ian, are maintaining the family tradition under the name Brad Anderson Construction, Inc., based in Arroyo Grande.

Peter Novak Construction
When Peter Novak was a young boy growing up in Chicago he was not afraid to dream. Brought up in a neighborhood of primarily Czechoslovakian immigrants, he learned from his grandfather, a skilled railroad tool and die maker, the joy of working with one's hands to create things of beauty. When Peter's dreams took him to Berkeley, California, in 1970, he used this skill to help build a communal bakery, pizzeria and restaurant interiors.

Classic Installation Company
Teamwork may seem like a given in the construction world, but Don Barber, owner of Classic Installation Company, has given teamwork a new emphasis. As a remodeling contractor, Don focuses on customer satisfaction and feels the best way to achieve that goal is to impact the client's time as little as possible when doing remodeling jobs. Don takes the entire Classic installation team to most remodeling projects and completes in two or three days what normally would take one or two men two or three weeks to finish.

S & S Homes
Thirteen seems to be a good number for Warren Sanders, owner of S&S Homes, Grover Beach. He successfully ran a motorcycle dealership and operated a nursery for 13 years each and for the past 13 years has taken S&S Homes from a fledging one-house-at-a-time company to a firm that now builds entire subdivisions, as well as distinctive custom homes, and is also dabbling in research park/light industrial construction and development. It's his "strong financial and business sense," as his daughter, Janet Axelsen puts it, that has taken the company to its present state. But Warren gives the credit to his daughter and son, Steve Sanders, as "the movers and shakers in the business."

D. D. Ford Construction, Inc.
When Douglas Ford initially planned a career in construction, he focused on the traditional three Rs and received a teaching certificate in Industrial Arts in woodworking and metal working. Today, as one of the principal high-end custom residential builders on the South/Central Coast, Doug again keeps his focus on the construction industry's three Rs -- referrals, references, and reputation -- and credits his success to those factors. As president of D.D. Ford Construction, Inc., based in Santa Barbara, Doug has a long list of clients that refer the company as well as act as its references and all of this continues to build the firm's reputation.

Midland Pacific Building Corporation
While some builders focus on individual custom homes and remodeling, Dennis Moresco and Midland Pacific Building Corporation have set their sights on creating neighborhoods and communities. In the past five years, the development arm of Midland Pacific Building Corporation has been responsible for eleven neighborhoods on the South/Central Coast and in Central California.

Berto vanVeen Construction
It could be reasoned that if one wants fine, finished carpentry work that reflects custom Old World charm, one must hire a refined, gentleman carpenter trained in Europe. Such reasoning, no doubt, has made Berto VanVeen one of the most sought-after general contractors for custom homes on the South/Central Coast. He insists on doing all the finish carpentry work himself and the finished product has such quality that he has never lacked for work.

Frank Schipper Construction
If there is one thing that might make Frank "Skip" Schipper stand out from his peers - besides being this year's Builder of the Year with the Santa Barbara Contractors' Association - is his constant desire to seek out challenges and to achieve seemingly impossible deadlines in the construction industry. And he makes all of this happen while maintaining the company slogan, "Quality without Compromise."

Mid-Coast Builders
If there is one thing in which Bob O'Keefe believes strongly, it's to always go the extra mile. This is not just when doing the little things that make each custom home unique. It includes a major effort to bring excellent quality and expert craftsmanship, as well as individuality to each home by performing his own framing and finish carpentry and creating much of the finish woodwork and molding on site to add to the distinctiveness of the dream homes he builds.