Right Start by Stellan Eoin Builders

Meet Our Founder, John Hochstetler: Crafting Custom Homes with Vision and Integrity

• Stellan Eoin Builders

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Join us on a captivating journey with John Hochstetler, the visionary mind behind Stellan Eoin Builders, as he shares the roots of his passion for construction, deeply embedded in his Amish upbringing. John’s story takes us back to his childhood, where he first began mixing mortar at the tender age of six. With a natural aptitude for building, John has transformed Stellan Owen Builders into a powerhouse known for precision in complex residential and commercial projects. We explore his relentless pursuit of excellence, his penchant for embracing challenging projects, and the core values that define success in crafting beautiful, custom homes.

Our conversation also delves into the entrepreneurial path, as we recount the hurdles and misconceptions that accompany starting a business. John opens up about his evolution from a subcontractor to the founder of Stellan Eoin, a company named in honor of his children's middle names. We discuss the foundational values of treating people well and maintaining unrivaled quality, as well as our commitment to understanding the clients’ "why" in every project. With reflections from our co-host, this episode promises insightful revelations on how ethical standards and quality are at the heart of every decision we make, ensuring we always do the right thing, no matter the challenge.

Speaker 1:

Well, hey, everyone. Welcome to Right Start, the podcast that helps turn your home building dreams into reality. I'm Drew Powell, the Chief Marketing Officer at Stellan Owen Builders.

Speaker 2:

And I'm Josh Hendrick, chief Operating Officer. Together, we're here to guide you through an exciting journey of building or remodeling your home. Each episode will bring you expert insights, practical advice and the latest trends to ensure your project starts right and finishes strong.

Speaker 1:

So, whether you're laying the first foundation block or putting on the final touches, we've got you covered. So let's dive into today's topic and make sure your project gets off to the right start.

Speaker 2:

So how have you been Drew?

Speaker 1:

We're back. We are back. We brought the boss with us this time.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, booster seat and all.

Speaker 1:

This guy, he's relentless man.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so full disclosure. In the last episode I was all excited because I was like, hey, you know he won't be on the next episode, but it's okay, when we do have you, we'll have the booster seat and all.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, he shots fired at you already. I told him I wasn't comfortable enough to make those jokes.

Speaker 2:

He's, yeah, his job security is safer than mine, so but we, uh, we talked about it and there's, like you know what is a founder's episode? Basically, you know what is an episode about the founder? Or like who stellen owen is without the actual founder. So yeah we are pleased to introduce our guest, John Hostetler. He is the founder and CEO and the brains and the beauty and everything else behind Stellanon Builders. Thank you.

Speaker 1:

Now he's kissing up the makeup for his last comment.

Speaker 2:

There's some ebbs and flows.

Speaker 1:

The spectrum is pretty wide there. I know my left and right limits. We didn't think we were going to be able to get them. I mean, you guys are both super busy. You got a lot going on. So even after our first episode, we're like we'll have them on at some point and like it's huge to be able to get you to be on our very second episode. So well. I'm happy to be here, has our video. You always jump at those opportunities, yeah, your favorite thing.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, but I will say we're one episode in already. Right, this is our second episode and I'm already been proven wrong, because I said the last episode he wasn't coming.

Speaker 1:

I know so big deal to have him here that's why we're gonna have experts for everything, because, uh, you know, we don't know everything well, and the truth is, and you know, I've been with the company several months now and we said in the first, first episode and John, I won't talk like you're not here you really are the expert when it comes to the building stuff. There's very little that we would do in our company that you aren't an authority on, expert on. I think part of what makes Delano great and I can say this about both of you guys is the attention to detail, the know-how. I've seen you with clients be in a place. Look at a hard situation. I'm thinking about it. Was it Chapman's borough? What was the home you built out there?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, yeah, it's right off of highway 12 near Ashland city.

Speaker 1:

Beautiful custom home. You built it so nice that it was a realtor, that that they actually decided to live there instead of sell it immediately because it was beautiful. But the attention that you put into every detail of a project there's no project too difficult. You love figuring out ways to say yes, you know, and so I think it's only fitting that we we have them on early in the podcast to talk about just the why behind this company and what you believe in and why you do what you do.

Speaker 3:

You know yeah, well, I mean, when it comes to construction and especially in the custom world, you know there's, there's uh, you get a chance to kind of do a. I'm still learning, but you know we've had a an opportunity to work in a lot of different projects, whether it's residential or commercial.

Speaker 1:

But I'm curious, and I don't know where you want to start with this, josh, but my, my curious is when did you so I'm the least handy guy at this table by a long shot, right? So, like I don't, you don't want me building anything for you? When did you first discover that you had a gift for building? Like, were you a kid? Putting stuff together, taking stuff apart? Like, what was your evolution to this point?

Speaker 3:

wow so okay, you're going way back there. Were you a Legos guy and putting Legos.

Speaker 2:

No, I didn't think they allowed anything plastic.

Speaker 3:

So I would say, I mean, obviously we did have Legos, okay, but as an Amish kid I've been working in construction since I was very young. I was mixing uh uh mortar for laying block when I was six years old and you know, with a hoe and a wheelbarrow, um, so, having grown up doing that pretty much, starting and being around construction my entire life, um, and being around construction my entire life, at nine I was building, you know, portable storage buildings by myself and I would say it just kind of progressed from there. So, whether it was building post frame or you know heavy timber construction or footings complex, you know projects, that that's been my life. So that's cool. Yeah, it's like it comes naturally. Like you think you'd, you'd think you'd know, um, uh, like that anyone would know some of the things that I've been doing, but probably because I've been doing it my entire life, just second nature for you, yeah, yeah so we'll we'll go on.

Speaker 2:

Like you know, you're basically raised in construction right right, I mean, that's just the nature of it. You know, born um one of 12 siblings, so um, wow yeah, where are you in the lineup again?

Speaker 1:

you told me I forgot. I'm the third yeah, towards the top. So I would say he is the top, but I'm biased.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, um, so he uh. So you went through Amish left in. Was it 2010?

Speaker 3:

Mm-hmm.

Speaker 2:

After 2010,. You went to Central America, continue building, continue kind of like that construction life plus the other myriad of businesses that you've owned in your life. So take us kind of back to okay, you moved back into America. Okay, you moved back into america. Uh, take us back to, like handyman john, like in your first initial like entry into owning stalin own builders, like what was stalin own builders in its infancy so when I first came back, I'll go back a little further.

Speaker 3:

So when I first came back from central america, where we actually, you know, it was actually a really great experience, even in in in the building industry, because I got to experience more European style, you know construction plasters and you know more masonry and you know a lot of fun, fun stuff like that Venetian plasters and more tile like roof tile there's different things that you know made it a unique experience, even architecturally speaking. So when I came back from Central America and settled in the middle Tennessee area, I worked for a few contractors until I got on my feet few contractors until I got on my feet. And you know we did a lot of commercial, commercial roofing, residential roofing, a lot of metal roofing across the board, post frame construction, hay sheds, commercial buildings you know a lot of post frame, red iron, kind of miscellaneous. And then when I met my wife, I decided I wanted to start my own company and run my own hours, which I should have known better as an entrepreneur. When you have your own company, you don't get to run your own hours.

Speaker 2:

In fact, well, every hour is your own hour. You just work them all.

Speaker 3:

That's right, I worked all my hours.

Speaker 1:

I love it when people get into like early entrepreneurship. I just want to be my own boss. I'm like every client you have is your boss. You just traded one for multiple bosses you know could not have said it better.

Speaker 3:

So all of a sudden you've got a hundred bosses, um, but early on yes, it was more of a, you know I was a sub. A lot I, you know, was able to work on, you know, larger projects, but as a sub. So until I had my full you know, bc contractor's license, you know I did a lot of handyman work, a lot of sub-projects, whether they were larger projects or smaller projects. I kind of had to take a wide range. So I think in its infancy I did a very wide range of projects ranging from very small to larger, but always as a sub until I had my license.

Speaker 1:

Tell me about the name, we'll get into the business. But the name Stellanoa where did that come from?

Speaker 3:

So my dream for the construction company was independence for my family and also just a really good, ethical company that not only I could feel good to support and to build, but also where people can come and employees can actually feel like they're part of a company that does things right and is more geared towards treating people well, going the second mile and just really a strong focus on, first of all, treating people well and so kind of in light of that, we wanted it to focus on the family aspect of it, knowing that every employee it's not a family company but it's a. It's a company that is focused on doing well by the families of of the employees as well so that this has to work for not only the employee but also his family.

Speaker 3:

So we give special consideration to people and the name came from kind of that concept. The name is the middle names of two of my oldest kids and the thought behind it was this is about family, this is about individuals and how we can serve everyone that's involved in the company.

Speaker 2:

He's just speaking so well into the creation and everything. And you know, the only sad part for me is I didn't get to be there during those early days, but John and I, you know he said he subbed for a lot of contractors and we actually met at Lowe's. He was buying 50 bags of thinset and I just walked up and said, hey, who are you? Cause when you're I? I was doing large commercial jobs at the time and, you know, always looking for vendors, and then we just met off the most random conversation you could ever imagine, and so I got to see him a little more developed than those early days. You know he had already had his company had, um, you know, had a pretty good staff. Uh, they were doing some amazing projects. So, um, luckily, you know, he uh, he asked me to come work for him and stayed after me for about six months and so, uh, but you know, when it comes to the founding, I I love hearing the story about, you know, his two boys and his oldest boys, ethan and Evan, like that's the, that's it Right, like we're all, we're all about just health and company values and stuff like that.

Speaker 2:

So I guess that leads me into, you know we have four values in our company, right, or I guess two values and two statements. And these, these four statements, are like our DNA of how we operate. The first two values are core values, so treat people well first, and then quality. And then we have a statement that's out to the public, which is we build around your why. That's how we do our projects, that's our focus. But we also have a founder statement that we make sure that everyone in our company really knows. And our founder statement is we do the right thing. And that founder statement is a hundred percent came from John and just like how he operates, how he lives his life. You know he's not different at home and then different at work. He is his own man, a hundred percent of the time. So I'd love to like kind of go into and expand more on your founder statement. Why is that statement? Why does that encompass what you want to tell everyone in the company?

Speaker 3:

Partly how I need to live, you know, just from like my own value system is always doing the right thing. I think one of the reasons it means a lot to me is because doing the right thing is often not the easy thing to do, but it's the right thing to do. So, whether it's you know, whether it's like fixing a mistake you made or whether it's keeping a commitment, like there's always a challenge. It seems like to do the right thing even when it's difficult to, not just when it's easy to. What is the most important thing for a company to do?

Speaker 3:

Keeping starting a project, ending a project, um. Enforcing quality, uh. Doing your quality control, um. Using quality materials, uh. Making sure your vendors get paid get paid, you know, on time and also making sure that the the project meets the quality standards that we commit to. And just across the board, doing what is right is a very important concept, to kind of the intermediary position that a contractor holds, because he's basically the liaison between your vendors and your homeowner. So that concept comes up a lot, because you're always needing to ensure quality from your vendors and then also making sure that the vendors can get paid.

Speaker 1:

Well, sometimes doing the right thing is not always the most cost-efficient thing, right? I mean, especially in the building world. I mean, a lot of times you're making it a I believe, long-term it is the most cost-efficient thing. But I think sometimes you're making those judgment decisions all the time about okay, we have to fix an issue or we're going to take care of this client in certain ways I think builders specifically, but I think this is for all fields that operate with that kind of integrity. It's. It's just, it's an important way to do business right, cause it's like there's just so many little things in a building project that could go wrong or whatever. You want to make sure you have someone you mentioned quality course but also someone you trust. That's like, hey, I'm going to make sure this is done right, it's under your standards, it's going to be done with integrity. Um, you know, I think that's huge in this industry well, I mean one of your good friends, matt warren.

Speaker 2:

He does a lot of consulting and coaching with us. Um, a lot of respect for that gentleman. Uh, he did a um strat op that was called strat up. Yeah, so he did a strat up with us last year and he's known us for a long time now. Um, he's walked through, uh, some hard times with us and like just kind of he's been a really good voice in the room and something that he continually said over and over again is like what I see we as you?

Speaker 2:

Um, we almost had this as our little sticky statement, but he he told us what I see is that you guys have integrity behind the drywall and that is what's so important to us. That that's part of that founder statement of we do it right. You know, once that drywall goes up, um, you know that hides a lot of evil and that's. That's just not something we can live with. We want to make sure everything is done right, every inspection is done, and because that right there is going to carry so much more long term than anything else, you're going to do right. That integrity behind the draw, that doing it right and just having that as a true DNA, dna statement, like I keep saying that, but you know it's having a true way that a whole company operates right. We have a director of construction and we tell him all the time, like we're not a company that ever cuts corners, and he loves it. He loves the fact that he knows what the standard is, because our standard is, or better, so yeah, shortcuts can be, can?

Speaker 3:

uh, there are so many shortcuts you're you, you know, we catch vendors trying to make shortcuts, or we, you know, um, I think a lot of homeowners don't realize or understand what all a a gc does for them. Um, there's so many you know mistakes, so many issues that can get caught, and you know, and that's a lot, a lot better than having to resolve it later.

Speaker 2:

Well, and I I describe your GC is like your symphony conductor. You can have the best musicians in the world, but unless someone is there conducting them and telling them and like working through every element and every part of that piece, it's not going to go well, you're never going to get the music. Yeah, right, that's good. So with us, what we do is we bring in. You know, we actually have a sub list that is very specific to all the projects we want. We have a commercial sub list, we have a residential sub list and we only go off of that sub list. We do not go off of that, and that is helping us be able to guarantee a certain level of quality, a certain level of experience, right, and so. But I can give that sub list to most people and they couldn't pull off a project like we can. And the only difference is we have that experience.

Speaker 2:

We've worked through codes, we know each um, like each plumber, each electrician, like each company that we deal with, each sub that we deal with has its own little personality, right, and we've worked with them so much that we know how well they operate and what best, what's going to be the best project they operate within Um, and then we conduct them right where you know, we contract them to do this job, and then we're quality control. We're looking over everything you know. So very few people can actually do what we do to the level we do it, and it all boils down to like the creator of this company set this foundation, set this platform to where it's growing and we're doing the right thing.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I love that and I think too I know we want to talk a little bit about that in the next episode too. If you're willing to stick around, we can talk a little bit more about general contractor and what exactly that is and what they do, just so people are educated on that. And one thing I like to talk to visionary leaders about founders. When you look at Stellan Owen and you're kind of gazing out into the future, you climb up on the mountain and you're looking out over it.

Speaker 3:

What do you see for? And soul of our company and I think kind of the main concepts behind that will always be doing the right thing, always being like finding more ways to be even more transparent, always being like finding more ways to be even more transparent. We we may have one of the most transparent you know estimating and billing, uh approaches that I've ever seen with any construction company. So, just like your, just if we commit to something, we will. We will move every you know heaven and earth to try to to keep our word. Um, and then also just experience, like bringing people on the team that have a lot of experience.

Speaker 3:

I think there's a lot of difficulty in the residential renovation kind of niche of construction. It's especially challenging and a lot of homeowners don't understand that when you open those walls up, there can be a surprise, and a lot of homeowners don't understand that when you open those walls up there can be a surprise, right and just time. Commitments in those scenarios are very difficult. We're giving a lot of attention to to try to have our team really educate the client on the front end so that we're able to make commitments that we can keep and also avoiding making commitments that we can't keep. There's a lot of time can go into a renovation. Um, I like to say that you know, anyone can build in a a new build. But some of these custom renovations especially the more difficult historic overlays, 100-plus-year-old homes doing those well and managing the client's expectations with those projects can be a very, a very difficult task. But I feel like our vendor list right now is is really great and we have we've got people on on our team that do do that very well.

Speaker 2:

So yeah, and every day we're getting better and I think the goal yeah, that's our, that's our.

Speaker 3:

our. Our objective is to continue to develop and learn. Our company is a learning culture, so, regardless of how many years of experience you have, there's always a better method, there's always new technology, there's new products, and so we're trying to always stay on the forefront of that and keep doing things in a better way, using better products and better processes.

Speaker 2:

That's a wrap on today's episode of Right Start. We hope you've gained valuable insights that will empower you to make informed decisions on your building journey.

Speaker 1:

Don't forget to subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform so you never miss out on expert tips and stories. Favorite platform so you never miss out on expert tips and stories. And if you want to learn more about Stellan Owen Builders or need personalized advice, visit our website at stellanoencom.

Speaker 2:

We're here to help you build the home of your dreams. Thanks for tuning in and we look forward to bringing you more expert advice in your next visit.

Speaker 1:

Until next time, keep building smart and keep building right. You've been listening to the Right Start Podcast by Stellan Owen Builders.