Michael Zimmerman is a born and raised Golden local who followed his passion for building, from high school shop class, to a successful Custom home building company.
How did it all get started?
I began a carpentry apprenticeship in 2000, then in 2008 the bottom fell out of the construction industry and I was laid off, so I started my own company. Doing small renos, decks . A a year or so in I had more than I could handle myself so I hired some help and we just kept growing from there.
What’s your trick to keeping good employees around?
We’re very crew focused. After all, enjoying work is as much about the people you work with as the work you’re doing. We hire for personality, fit and a passion for building, then we treat our employees well! We provide benefits and are flexible so our crews can have a career, raise families and meet all the other ‘adult responsibilities’.
Turnover is expensive and is a soft cost that is more than many businesses realize. The guys who know where every tool in the shop are and can finish my sentences are the heart and soul of our business. This keeps me motivated to find ways to keep our crew happy. I read lots of books about team management and leadership in my spare time. No business is perfect and we don't pretend to be, but it's critical that we get a little bit better every year...
What are your favourite reads?
Anything by Jim Collins, he always has great business advice. On the management side, I'm a big fan of Simon Sinek’s ‘Start With Why" and Leaders Eat Last...
What makes Zimmerman Construction unique?
We build a lot of energy efficient homes and stay up to date on all the latest technologies and solutions. Our homes make up almost a third of our energy consumption so if we can build energy efficient homes it saves our clients money in the long run and is good for our planet. We source as many local products as possible, this keeps the carbon footprint low and contributes to our local economy. We happen to be blessed with some of the finest Douglas Fir around.
What Keeps You going?
Happy clients! There is nothing better than handing a happy client the keys to their new home...
The building process can be overwhelming, stressful and expensive. I strive to make it fun and stress free for our clients, by communicating often, providing lots of pictures and a high level of craftsmanship. We spend the time on planning the details and of our clients' homes, so they can settle into their dream home that suits their lifestyle and design taste.
Why Golden?
Well I grew up here, everything I like to do and the people I love are here.
It’s also an incredible community, the other trades in town are fabulous and always lovely to work with. People here support each other both in business and around town, it’s something that makes me grateful everyday.