Our team is like family and we love to track milestones like kids’ heights on a kitchen threshold. From our start as J & T Contracting to the Sylvestre Remodeling & Design you’ve come to know and trust, see our milestones on and off the job site below.

 

1972

Sylvestre Construction begins as J & T Contracting with high school buddy Tom Ziegler doing basements, decks and kitchens
“Pong” introduces the video game craze

1972-1973

John Sylvestre attends Vocational Technical School and studies carpentry
U.S. Supreme Court rules on Roe vs. Wade

1974

John re-enrolls at the University of MN and is accepted into the School of Architecture
Nixon resigns his presidency

1976

John graduates from the University of MN with a Bachelors degree with a major in Architecture; continues his studies in architecture
Concorde makes its first commercial flight

1978

Purchase of first company pickup truck, a green Chevy
John graduates from the University of Minnesota School of Architecture with a Bachelor of Architecture degree
Space invaders video game developed by Taito in Japan

1980

Develop Blue Sheet, the basis of our current estimating system
CNN is launched

1981

Sylvestre Construction is incorporated
First launch of Space Shuttle
Prince Charles and Princess Diana marry

1983

First Apple computer is purchased at Sylvestre
Les Anderson joins Sylvestre Construction
Created first computer-generated contract – used the typewriter as a printer
The compact disk makes its debut; vinyl records around the world mourn

1984

Purchased 1st IBM computer
Apple introduces the Macintosh personal computer

1988

Bill Hoeppner is hired as Salesperson SCI moves to current offices
Received our 1st CotY Award
CD’s outsell vinyl records for the first time

1989

John becomes National Rep for MN NARI
Bryce Alexander is hired as a carpenter and hire “out of level” Larry
Build a house on a lot on the south side of Lake Calhoun
Berlin Wall falls after 28 years

1991

John becomes President of MN NARI

1993

Kate Irmiter-Post is hired as Production Manager
Craig Windle is hired as a lead carpenter
Clinton is elected President

1994

Judy Kurtz and Gerald Mastel are hired
Tom Hanks wins his 2nd consecutive Oscar for Best Actor in Forrest Gump

1996

Carpenters Rick Mikkelson & Dan Bishop join the crew
Dolly, the world’s first cloned sheep is born

1998

John, Bill & Judy receive their CKD designations (Certified Kitchen Designer)

1999

Mark Barton is hired as a lead carpenter
The number of worldwide internet users reaches 150 million

2000

Gregg Hanson & Wendy Nortunen join the Sylvestrons

2001

The contract is signed for largest job to date: $1.1 million
John sends his first e-mail
The U.S. is attacked by terrorists on September 11th

2002

Carpenter Bill Cibik joins Sylvestre
Robot vacuum introduced by iRobot

2003

Celebrated Les’s 20th Anniversary with Sylvestre Construction
Don Ellingson hired as a new carpenter, Peter Sylvestre works part-time
Sadaam Hussein is captured

2004

Tanya Hess, Josh Colvin & Joyce Heeter join Sylvestre
The 2nd Dynasty of Anderson begins as Les’s son Cole joins the SCI ranks

2005

Donella Olson and Heidi Lehrke join the Sylvestre team
Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans with 80% of the city under 20 feet of water

2006

New housing hits skids (again)
Remodeling continues to be quite an investment
Twins win AL division title

2007

Anna Sylvestre marries Don Bellefeille

2008

September start to a large project that leads into 2009

2009

Mortgage crisis stuns remodeling industry

2010

The worst year in Sylvestre history, the volume is 25% of 2006 level

2011

First Quarter 2011 NARI MN ACE Award: First Quarter 2011 ACE Award Winners (Achievement in Consumer Excellence) announced by NARI of Minnesota (National Association of the Remodeling Industry).

2013

Judy Kurtz celebrates 20 years of working with John
Marc Sylvestre gets married
Craig’s son Tom is drafted by the Dodgers as a left-handed pitcher

2014

John gives up his pager
Minnesota Wild reach playoffs

2015

Develop and implement a new website
Kate’s daughter heads off to college

2016

Les welcomes Grandchild #3

John welcomes grandchildren #1, #2 and #3- All within 6 months
Our original Lotus estimating system is upgraded to Excel- We are not into the 21st Century!

Sylvestre wins another  COTY award for a Universal Bathroom and Elevator

2017

3 Past clients sell their single-family homes and move into condos – That we remodel.

It has been 7 years since the great depression of 2010 and we are still in business – our 45th year.

2018

John begins the assault on the final punch list on his cabin in northwest Wisconsin which he started remodeling in 2007 in the hopes of developing the plans for his Sauna/Boatshed.
Minnesota Wild miss the playoffs

Kate’s daughter graduates from college with a degree in Construction Management and found a job, with health insurance, as an estimator in a commercial construction company.

2019

Work begins on remodeling the remodeled website

# 17 Gopher football team beats #5 Penn State and go 9-0 for the season.
One of the busiest years in company history.

The tree for the totem pole is taken down and moved from St Paul to the cabin in NW Wisconsin.