In the spring of 2008, I sat down to lunch with Michael Stark, a man whom I looked up to and respected deeply. Michael may have been my friend’s father; but to me he was like a second father, mentor, and confidant. He also happened to be an extraordinary home builder – a profession that fascinated me.
Over lunch that day, Michael and I discussed our short-term goals of building a house for my wife and me, and we also discussed what it would look like for him to teach me the process. He offered to use my house as a quasi-apprenticeship. Needless to say, few times in my life have I been so excited about the future.
On January 20, 2009, all of those plans came crashing to a halt when Michael passed away in a tragic car accident. As life slowly went on, it did so with little consideration to the conversations Michael and I had over lunch the previous spring. I went on to hold several jobs and positions, but I never forgot Michael’s offer to take me under his wing.
By the spring of 2016, the remembrance of that conversation had grown into an unexplainable desire to start building houses. It did not make sense at the time – and I could not imagine how I would actually achieve that dream – but it was something I just couldn’t shake. After a handful of unsuccessful attempts to live vicariously through other people’s projects, it was time to do what I knew I was supposed to do.
My employer at the time was very supportive of my heart for building homes and worked diligently to create a path for me strike out on my own. In January 2017, when the time was finally right, Shelton Homes was born. We worked quickly and diligently to break ground on the first of what will be many Shelton Homes on February 23, 2017.
For me, Shelton Homes is more than just a construction company – it’s a legacy. I, along with anyone who met him, thought the world of Michael Stark. That is why we do and always will operate with the same honor, peace, integrity, and excellence that he valued so much.
So with that, we welcome you to our story. It’s a story of desire, vision, and faith. It’s a story that is still being written, and it is one we hope will intersect with your story, too.
"By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established." -Proverbs 24:3