It’s the spring of 1972, and Tony Andrews has just graduated from Telstar High School. He looks out over the newly constructed school and reflects. There, he was a star track athlete and a budding musician. Now, he was about to enter the workforce as a builder's apprentice. The rock star aspirations would have to wait. For now, anyway.
“It was nothing pretty for the first 3 or 4 years.” Tony recalls. "I carried stuff, cut boards, shoveled . . . it was a big deal when we got our first chop saw." Long days on the the build site lead into long nights practicing the guitar. After a few years of learning the basics of a homebuilder, Tony turned his attention to music. He moved to Lewiston and played in a few bands, all the while working at the local sulky factory to make ends meet.
For the uninitiated, sulky's are the two-wheeled carts that are pulled by horses during harness races. Simple as they are, these machines require a great deal of care and craftsmanship. One missed detail could mean the difference between life and death. It was here where Tony honed his skills. He was a builder with an artisan's touch. Or an artisan with a builder’s skillset, depending on how you want to frame it.
A few years later, he bought the business for himself. While the sulky’s held up well on the race track, fire proved to be a more formidable challenger. The factory burned to the ground in 1985. Shortly thereafter, Tony returned to the Bethel area to start his own contracting company.
Quickly, he developed a reputation as one of the premier builders in the area. Not only for his craftsmanship, but for his ability to put homeowners and builders on the same page. Requests for projects were pouring in, and Tony was amassing an extensive library of home designs. What he needed now was a partner to take those designs to the next level.
When Tony Met Cheri
Cheri began her career in real estate in the late eighties. By the time she started dating Tony in 2004, her reputation as a client-focused broker was already well-established. She knew what the area’s homeowners truly valued, and that a beautiful home could set the foundation for a beautiful life.
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As they worked together, Cheri’s insights helped Tony cater his designs to client needs with even more acuity. He was beloved by homeowners for his designs, and respected by builders for his clear and straightforward communication. Combined, this helped to ensure that the building process flow as smoothly as possible.
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In 2018, Tony stepped away from building to focus exclusively on home design. Now, he is hoping that this website will provide a tool for homeowners to find build-ready floor plans for beautiful homes, so they can begin the the construction process with clarity and confidence.