A BUILDER’S CHALLENGE
The 1984 building downturn was a disaster for many homebuilders. For John Troike it turned out to be a godsend. That was the year John was married, lost his job and stumbled into a successful career.
John was born and raised in Akron, Ohio, the son of a structural engineer who recognized his son’s disinterest in school and suggested he pursue an apprenticeship as a carpenter. The deal was for John to also attend Akron University for four years. While in school he worked for other builders until that fateful year of 1984. As projects dried up, Troike was laid off. Almost immediately he began getting calls asking if he could do one thing or another. Soon he had the opportunity to build a high-end home and he hasn’t looked back since.
As his business grew, John made an invaluable contact with Swiss Woodcraft Inc. Soon they were doing most of his cabinetry work, especially in high-end homes where everything had to be absolutely perfect. “Our carpenters love working with Swiss Woodcraft because everything comes out straight and perfectly sanded.”
A builder’s business depends on both organization and quality and John leans heavily on his “super-organized” supervisor to finish projects in a timely fashion. He also depends on suppliers to do what they say they are going to do, when he needs it. “Lack of timeliness drives builders crazy,” reports John. He also reports that Swiss Woodcraft does a great job of living up to their commitments. “I especially appreciate the way they take care of any problems that crop up. They just do what has to be done and keep my projects on track.”
John only builds a few homes a year, but they are always high end. It’s a niche that has served him well and allowed him to build homes he is always proud to show off. He did not build the Johnson’s original house, but John and Alan golfed at the same club. This friendship, and the quality of his previous work, led the Johnson’s to give him a call when it came time to update their home. It was John, working with Mike Kline at Swiss Woodcraft, who found a way to tie the new kitchen’s updraft exhaust system into the old downdraft system. And it was Troike Building Corp. that shepherded the entire project from start to finish in only seven weeks.
