Friends of Build Magazine

The Living Cost of Quality Craftsmanship with Nathan Marsala | Friends of Build Magazine #70

Episode Summary

Ted speaks with Nathan Marsala of The Bison Group Inc., who shares his personal journey from working in the trades, transitioning to commercial construction, and eventually taking over his father’s custom home building business. With the wisdom from working in multiple markets, Nathan provides insight into what his clients are most excited about seeing in their homes, and how he handles the tough conversations.

Episode Notes

Today Ted speaks with Nathan Marsala of The Bison Group Inc., a custom home building business based in Salt Lake City, Utah. From growing up on jobs sites, working the trades to support himself through college, and coming full circle to take over the family business, Nathan shares what he’s learned through it all.

As the economy continues to shift, Nathan talks about the difficult conversations he faces with clients pertaining to budget, soft-costs, and the value of true craftsmanship. Listen in as Ted delves into how we can encourage more young people to join the industry and why a true design build model is becoming more popular.

TOPICS DISCUSSED

• [1:30] Growing up in a builder family
• [3:30] Coming back to the family business
• [6:30] Striking out on his own again
• [9:30] Transition from commercial to residential
• [12:15] Weathering economic storms
• [17:00] Encouraging the next generation
• [21:00] What is the value in quality workmanship
• [25:25] Do you really need an interior designer?
• [35:45] Having the hard conversations with clients
• [40:15] There’s no such thing as a cost per square foot
• [45:00] What are clients looking for in their houses?
• [51:00] Difficulties in the Salt Lake City Market

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KEY QUOTES FROM EPISODE

• Somehow we conflated going to college and getting a college degree meant you were smart, successful and on the right path and working with your hands meant you couldn't hack it where everybody else could.
• What's the living cost of living in a home that performs well and looks beautiful? What's that experience of a comfortable, beautiful home.
• Do you ever walk into a space and it just feels right? Or you look through a magazine, something like your magazine, for example. And there's, you can sense the feeling and emotion in the room. Part of that is the quality materials. But a lot of it comes down to: you had an architect that understood the space, you have the interior designer that understood color, texture, palette, and how to create emotion with that. And then you had a talented builder that executed it, you need all three to have that X factor in a project when you're done.