2020 – A YEAR LIKE NO OTHER by Jim Karlovec
If ever there was a time when living in the moment was crucially important,
that time is now. The importance of family, friends and community has
never been more obvious than during the pandemic of 2020. COVID-19
has brought a renewed focus on the strengths of our relationships; it has
also allowed many homeowners to take a closer look at their homes.
The elements that make Shaker Heights such
an amazing, diverse community are
innumerable, but ultimately, the key to it all
is our people. Each of us has decided to call
Shaker home and frequently for dramatically
different reasons, though a recurring theme is
the quality of our historic housing stock. What
drives the Karlovec & Company mission is the
need to maintain and modernize the individual houses that make up
our neighborhoods. After all, we are truly caretakers, not just owners.
As caretakers the challenge on every project is to figure out how to meld
“People – Process – Place” into a cohesive whole. One of our top goals is
to design and renovate houses so they evolve into homes that serve their
owners well, now and for decades to come.
A pleasant consequence of the pandemic has been renewed interest in
Place and that serves Shaker well. The already strong renovation market
has continued to grow and with that comes the need to think long term,
LIVING IN THE MOMENT
The elements that make Shaker Heights such
an amazing, diverse community are innumerable,
but ultimately, the key to it all is our people. “
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
As our team looks back on the successes, failures,
and recoveries that 25 years in business has brought,
it is clear to us that the People component of our
Process has been key to us making
the most of Place. One person
that has repeatedly risen to the
occasion over the last 15 years
is Bob Humbert, Lead Carpenter
& Project Manager.
Bob’s 40+ years in the trades,
30+ of which have been focused
almost exclusively on renovating
Heights homes, is a large part of
our success. Through boom times,
and challenging times, Bob has
– Jim Karlovec”
not just how to scratch an immediate itch.
These homes require deep analysis to
support thoughtful design, planning and
remodeling. When done well, renovating
for today sets the stage for timeless form
and function. With an eye on the future
the Karlovec & Company team looks
forward to helping people make
renovation decisions that are right for
them, their homes, and our community.
used his unusually diverse skillset to fill many
roles. His efforts have contributed greatly to our
ability to produce increasingly complex work while
simultaneously building a reputation based on
integrity. We are a firm that knows how to redesign
and renovate historic homes while consistently
growing strong client
relationships. As we
look to the future, Bob’s
mentoring of the next
generation is part
of our continuous
improvement plan,
as well as our plan
for measured
company growth.
Bob Humbert – Lead Carpenter & Project Manager
Karlovec & Company Established 1995