As a young kid, my parents ingrained a strong work ethic and desire to succeed within me. I first became fascinated with construction while helping my Dad perform a remodel and addition on our home in California as a 12-year old. Moving to Idaho as a teenager created more projects such as finishing the basement and installing the landscaping of our newly constructed home on 2 acres in Eagle. I began to work on the jobsites of local homebuilders and found construction brought me a great sense of achievement. During my college years, I purchased my first home and performed a full renovation inside and out. I paid for school by running a handyman business and performing a variety of construction trade work. My practical work experience was complimented by obtaining a degree in Construction Management.
After I graduated in the summer of 2009 during the housing crisis when there were zero construction jobs available, I created my own employment opportunity by starting a construction company in Boise, Idaho. The company initially performed remodeling work and I did a lot of the trade labor. As the economy improved, the focus shifted to building new homes by emphasizing organization and superior customer experience. Ten years later the company achieved over $50 million in sales revenue and triple-digit home closings with a staff of over 20 employees. The company’s accomplishments were due to hard work, organization, professionalism, and making the experience of customers the highest priority. I believe residential construction is a relationship-driven industry.
In early 2020, when an opportunity arose, I sold the company. I decided to create IronHaven Homes, which is a boutique style homebuilding firm focused on quality over quantity. My goal is to focus on the details of design and pre-construction planning while executing projects at a high level. Construction has brought me a great sense of achievement and I love to be innovative as I work to shape the emotional and visual impact of each project. IronHaven constructs an array of home types, sizes, and styles with an emphasis on cutting edge technology and innovation. We want progressive, eye-catching architecture to become the hallmark of the company and create superior value for our clients.
Russ Van Wagenen