From Steel Mills to Custom Builds

Though Joe Garcia was born in Spain, he moved to the Hoosier state when he was just three weeks old.

“I like to tell people that I was made in the USA but born in Spain,” says Garcia, who grew up in northwest Indiana. He graduated from Purdue University, then worked for seven years at U.S. Steel in Gary, Indiana., before relocating to Indianapolis in 2001. He was working at Eli Lilly when he decided to build himself a house.

“My background is in engineering but I’ve always managed projects and people,” Garcia says. “At the steel mills, I was managing the mechanical and electrical guys, as well as production and maintenance. Building a house was no different. It was all about getting the right people to do the right thing at the right time.”

Joe was working at Lilly when he met his wife Mindy, a Realtor. In 2003, the pair launched G&G Custom Homes (her maiden name began with a G). The couple now has two sons: Christian (15) and Gabe (13).

“I love the sense of accomplishment I get knowing that I’m building a family’s dream home,” says Garcia, who builds 10-12 homes a year so as to never sacrifice quality workmanship or quality time with his family.

When he first started this company, Garcia asked friends to share their “building horror stories” so he knew what to avoid doing. The issues typically revolved around two things: 1) the homeowner being promised that the home would be finished by Date X and not delivering on that promise, and 2) getting hit during closing with a gigantic change order bill. To avoid such headaches, Garcia sets upfront expectations. “I start by asking people what they’re looking for,” Garcia says. “Then I price that all into the budget so there are no surprises.”

Buildertrend, our web-based communication tool, enables homeowners to track selections and spending online as well as access their schedule and budget. They can also review their portfolio throughout the building process. Even though we employ a superintendent and designer, Garcia remains the main point of contact for homeowners, offering his own brand of TLC.