Timber Innovations builds reputation on integrity, relationships

Matthew Day

Staff

March 5, 2024

KIMBERLY — As president and owner of Timber Innovations, Paul Driessen said he wears a lot of proverbial hats.

“I do accounting, and I sweep the floor,” he said. “From one end to the other — what haven’t I done, right?”

This year, Driessen said his residential construction company celebrates more than 30 years of operation.

Though his first love is carpentry, he said his career has taken on many rewarding roles outside his immediate comfort zone.

“It’s all through forcing myself to do it, and then having the opportunity to work with other people,” he said. “One thing led to another.”

For Timber Innovations, Driessen said one award has led to another, too.

The company’s work, he said, has earned eight National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) awards — including the regional NARI award for Contractor of the Year for 2024, with a national winner yet to be determined.

Love for the craft
Though he appreciates the accolades, Driessen said he is driven by his passion for building and beautifying homes, and all the construction process entails.

“It’s the interaction with people and seeing the project progress (I enjoy the most),” he said. “You feel like you’re an engineer (and a) carpenter, putting all the pieces together. And then when it’s done, you think, ‘wow, this is amazing.'”

Driessen said he’s been hooked on woodworking projects his whole life.

“When I was young, I knew I wanted to be a carpenter, that this was my career,” he said. “I started in an office furniture factory, then helped a guy build a log house and always stayed involved in some aspect of carpentry, cabinet making and furniture making.”

Along the way, Driessen said he has soaked up as much knowledge and on-the-job training as possible.

“Everybody I’ve had the opportunity to associate with has contributed to my knowledge,” he said.

Formal training in residential construction, Driessen said, is common in Germany — therefore, an opportunity he had to work alongside several German carpenters on a prolonged project, he said, was particularly instructive.

“I bounced around a little bit,” he said. “I got into an architectural millwork shop as a production manager and supervisor, and I found my love for architectural work. The owners were talented, smart people and fun to be with, and they liked to push the boundaries. And from there, I never looked back. It’s been rewarding.”

Paul Driessen

When that company’s ownership was set to change, Driessen said he never considered finding another job.

Though he recognized he still had much to learn, Driessen said he knew it was time to start his own company.

“Yeah, I was young,” he said. “I’ve always been self-motivated. I liked the independence of being my own boss and the responsibilities and everything that goes with it.”

One of his earliest lessons, Driessen said, regarded the scope of a given project.

“I could make a vanity for $1,000, and then I realized I could remodel the whole bathroom for $8,000,” he said. “So, by default, I worked my way into (remodeling).”

Though Driessen said he was the company’s only employee for years, he opted to name it Timber Innovations as part of a longer-term consideration.

“I knew at some point it was going to be more than (me), so it’s not ‘Paul’s Cabinet Shop’ or ‘Paul’s Remodeling Company,'” he said. “Today, we have 12 people.”

Collaboration and connection
Driessen said under his vision, Timber Innovations grew its capabilities and workforce from remodeling portions of existing homes to building new ones entirely.

Timber Innovations, he said, continues to excel at new, high-end home construction — but said for several reasons, “our main focus is remodeling.”

“There are slightly better profit margins on remodeling, and it’s more challenging,” he said. “Not to minimize new construction — new construction can be difficult. But, I think remodeling has its challenges that take a little background to understand. You don’t know what’s behind that wall.”

Rising material costs and interest rate increases, Driessen said, have convinced many homeowners to remodel rather than build new homes.

“I think people are looking at the value and also the neighbors who they know they have (compared to) the neighbors they wouldn’t know if they moved,” he said.

Timber Innovations’ process
For remodeling and new construction, Driessen said all Timber Innovations projects start with a phone interview.

“(We) talk to (clients) about the project, make sure it’s a good fit for us and explain to them how our process goes moving forward,” he said.

Coua Xiong, executive operations associate at Timber Innovations, said this is called the “discovery phase.”

“We begin by engaging in detailed discussions with the customer to understand their requirements, preferences and any specific ideas they may have, even if they’re not fully formed,” Xiong said. “We ask probing questions to uncover underlying needs and aspirations for their project.”

Next, Driessen said clients either bring in their own designer or work with Timber Innovations’ in-house team, which includes Xiong.

Driessen and Xiong said there is constant collaboration between all involved.

“To help customers visualize different design possibilities, we may employ various techniques such as showing examples of previous projects, presenting material combinations or utilizing software to create mock-up designs,” Xiong said. “We emphasize an iterative approach where we gather feedback from the customer at each stage of the design process.”

Driessen said it’s fun because everyone brings something new to the table and has a different way of looking at it.

“The creativity is amazing,” he said.

Open communication throughout the process, Driessen said, is crucial — which includes Timber Innovations working with its subcontractors to provide as accurate cost and time estimates as possible.

Though Timber Innovations does high-end home construction, Owner Paul Driessen said the company’s main focus is remodeling. Photo Courtesy of Ryan Hainey Photography

“Clients get a breakdown to see what all those costs are,” he said. “It’s all upfront.”

The results of the collaboration and the construction itself, Driessen said, go beyond the finished remodeling projects and new homes.

“It’s not uncommon for me to see a past client, and we hug,” he said. “We’ve become friends. That happens often.”

Giving back
As much zest as he has for life outside of his career, Driessen said he loves his work and the connected relationships as much as ever.

“Oh yeah,” he said. “I hope to work ’til I’m 70.”

Driessen said he’s also able to channel two of his other passions — spending time outdoors and cooking — into giving back to the community.

This includes organizing charity bike rides and volunteering for Men Who Cook, a fundraiser for the Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services.

Visit TimberInnovations.com to learn more about the company and to view more of its work.