Associates in Building + Design was founded by Bob Peterson more than 26 years ago after a unique set of circumstances. Bob and his wife were working for a design/build company in a neighboring town, but after going on a 10-day vacation, Bob and his wife showed up to work one morning and found that no one was there.

A sign on the door notified them that the business was now closed, as it had been seized by the Department of Labor’s Colorado Real Estate Commission. The Peterson’s found out the owner of the company wasn’t honest and had gotten caught for tax evasion because she wasn’t paying taxes on her employees, among other things.

After recovering from the shock, Bob and his wife returned home to discuss what their next steps in life would be. They soon realized they had the skills needed to do what they had already been doing, and that he could probably do it on his own.

At the time of the business being shut down, three remodels were underway, including a kitchen being stripped down to the bare bones, and it bothered him to leave it as it was. Bob knew he need to finish those projects for his own peace of mind.

He had a big decision to make. With three kids still at home, he had to be able to consistently pay the bills and put food on the table. Finally, decided to go for it!

Bob placed a call to the three projects still underway and explained the situation. Honestly, they were scared, as they had paid money to the company now closed and were out the money they’d deposited. He told those customers to not worry; he would put a plan together and take care of them.

After the phone calls, Bob wrote a 10-page business plan to get him through the next five years and began trying to find the most entrepreneurial-friendly bank. After meeting with a banker, he was loaned $40,000 just because he had a business plan in place.

He finished the three projects and didn’t make any money, but he had three of the most grateful clients you could ask for when starting a business. They quickly began sending him leads, and he was able to pay the business loan back within six months!

Bob incorporated Associates in Building + Design on June 1, 1990. Since then, the company has built a little over 220 new homes and averaged 40 to 50 remodels per year. Bob attributes ABD’s success to honesty, hard work and dedication to professionalism.

To learn more about ABD’s services, from remodeling projects to custom home building, visit www.ABD-Ltd.com.