A Brief History
At a very young age, Jim Melehan, along with his brother began building custom homes in Naperville, Downers Grove, and Lisle, Illinois. Doing all their own carpentry work, what they lacked in experience they made up for with persistence and long hours. The first few homes sold quickly and things were looking good.
Unfortunately, the prime interest rate hit 20+ percent in the early 80s and with mortgage interest rates soaring, homebuyers became a rare commodity.
At that point, Jim went on his own and with wife Linda answering phones and doing the books, they began building room additions and completing remodeling projects throughout the western suburbs.
On Linda’s suggestion, they flipped Jim’s middle and first name, because it “sounded better” to her, and the company Patrick James Builders was formed. Through the years, working with their own in-house carpenters and becoming computer literate for estimating and design, they succeeded in building a “practice”.
Clients continued to come back for additional work and referred us to their friends and relatives. When Brian and Rory, two of Jim and Linda’s three sons decided to join them, Patrick James Builders became a “family business.”