Oakley Home Builders of Downers Grove Getting Noticed
BY DAVID SHAROS For The Sun Nov 15, 2010 4:36PM
Steve Sobkowiak and Ryan Dunham, co-owners of Oakley Home Builders, based in Downers Grove, have been discovered by more than happy homeowners who have enjoyed their custom built products. Now the world of glossy magazines has found them as well.
Luxe Interiors + Design magazine, based in Boca Raton, Fla., has published a feature about the company discussing Oakley’s journey into the world of custom building and profiling some of their work.
Sobkowiak said the magazine has a Chicago office that contacted him about a story.
“We were written up in a number of papers including The Downers Grove Sun and I think people there at Luxe kept some of the stories and decided to look into our company,” he said. “Overall, I’d say that Luxe presented a fair representation of what we are.”
Sobkowiak said one of the unique aspects of Oakley Builders that intrigued Luxe editors was the company’s ability to grow in what has been a trying market. Sobkowiak believes the company’s products are winning over buyers who have the resources.
“The fact is there are still people out there with money and are willing to buy something once they’re convinced they are going to get value and a quality product, which is this case is the custom home they’re looking for,” he said.
Dunham said that since the company’s inception in 2003, it has built just more than 50 custom homes with an average build cost of around $700,000 to about $1.1 million including the land. Recognition from anyone in the media, Dunham said, is welcome.
“The fact we have been featured is really exciting and we take a lot of pride given that this is something Steve and I started ourselves,” he said. “We’re fortunate that we’ve continued to grow despite the economy.”
Sobkowiak said calls have come from everywhere including previous clients, Realtors and current customers who have all seen the story. The inclusion of Oakley has placed the company, Sobkowiak said, along with other builders in the area he admires.
“There are others featured in the magazine and it’s nice to be placed alongside them as some of these guys are people we admired and looked up to when we first got into this business,” he said. “Many of the people in Luxe are some of the best designers and builders around, and to be associated with them is wonderful.”
