Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Fowler.
Hi Jason, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Let’s see – where I got started – some of my earliest memories are of spending time with my Grandpa Frank (my mother’s father). Mom always tells the story of when I was two years old and she walked into Grandpa’s workshop only to behold me sitting on the floor with a nail, block, and hammer. Grandpa’s response was “he has to learn sometime”. I spent many hours working with Grandpa in his shop, serving as an apprentice, learning the name of every tool in the shop, and watching the master mechanic, woodworker, and electrician hard at work completing projects from hand-building race boats to making small pieces of fine furniture. Whether it be the drill press, band saw, table saw, planer, or jigs, Grandpa taught me how to safely use them all at a young age. When we weren’t in the shop, we were on the dock fishing for brim, crappie, bass, and catfish or spending time at the hunt club putting in the countless hours that make the fruit of the labor so sweet. I went to Clemson University where I majored in Civil Engineering. I credit Grandpa and a strong understanding of physics for helping me get through along with several friends and study buddies. My father had a hotel management and development company. From the age of 12-17, I worked in hotels beginning with PCGM (Preventative Cleaning and General Maintenance) and working my way up to the front desk staff. It was here that I learned a great deal about managing a team and hospitality. This background translates well into the field of luxury home design and building. Dad started Sea Island Builders in 2004, the year I went to college. He and my cousin, Jeff Mathis, started the company together. My summers home from college were spent working with a demo and framing crew and occasionally doing some painting as well. I grew a great appreciation for how hard people work in the construction industry. I also gained a great understanding of knowing exactly what I did and didn’t want to do. Upon graduation in 2009, I began full-time with Sea Island Builders. I began with managing small projects – from there my focus shifted to process improvement and building a system that would allow SIB to grow and provide clients with amazing experiences. Over time, we were able to grow the planning side of the company and become the full-service design-build firm we are today. Sea Island Builders now has a full-time architect on staff along with four licensed residential builders and a realtor. I feel that no other team is as qualified or knowledgeable with all the steps involved in residential design-build from property acquisition and feasibility studies to surveying, engineering, design, permitting, and construction. We use detailed project schedules and budgets from early on in planning to help clients make fully informed decisions throughout the entire process.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road is never smooth but we learn from all the hardships – 2009 was a tough time to start in the industry – we are constantly striving to improve. Our goal is to provide clients with an Experience Unrivaled which means making no missteps along the way. This can be difficult to do but we strive for perfection – whenever we fall short in any aspect, we take full accountability and learn and grow from it. Some of the biggest struggles come from items out of our control – price fluctuations and large lead times due to Covid have made expectations all the harder to manage which makes even more important scheduling and planning to help alleviate delays and overruns.
We’ve been impressed with Sea Island Builders, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Sea Island Builders is a full-service, residential, design-build firm that specializes in managing projects from property acquisition through design, planning, and permitting to construction. We have an amazingly talented team including an architect, four licensed residential builders, and a realtor on staff. Our reputation is everything and our goal is to provide clients with an Experience Unrivaled – we strive to create memorable memories throughout the process and to make the process fun and enjoyable from start to finish. This may sound difficult, but we enjoy the challenge.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I think that timing is everything and that everything happens for a reason (whether we understand it or not). Sometimes hardships can be blessings in disguise.
Contact Info:
- Email: jason.fowler@seaislandbuilders.com
- Website: www.seaislandbuilders.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/seaislandbuilders
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seaislandbuild
