Long-Standing Builder Still Stands Tall 75 Years Later

Long-Standing Builder Still Stands Tall 75 Years Later Longevity is hard to come by in real estate these days. The market now isn't what it was even two years ago. But some companies have survived the test of time. These survivors are in a class by themselves. They are our heroes. Keeping a business alive for more than 7 decades is no easy feat. Through every economic down cycle, they emerge stronger, smarter and land on their feet time and time again. Good Karma? I don't think so. Perhaps it's just an honest, old school approach to business that these days is not easily pulled off. In the ever-more-complex and challenging world of home building, could an old timer be on to something new?

 

Enter the Jacobs family. With 75 years under our belt, we have much to celebrate. Since opening our doors for business in 1935, we have fiercely defended our reputation as a builder with vision and integrity. As one of the most richly experienced and respected developers, we have created a growing portfolio of impressive communities and private residences along Chicago's famed North Shore and beyond. 3,000 homes, 44 communities in 13 suburbs to be exact.

Albert S. Jacobs conceived this company at the start of his career during the great depression. No doubt, he was a man with great vision and courage. From his humble beginnings with his 2 sons, he built a company with a hands-on approach and a small, dedicated core of professionals. The results speak for themselves. Today, we continue his legacy building a solid foundation of value, an intimate level of customer service and an unrivaled degree of quality earning them the deserving recognition as a leader within the suburban home builder arena. The story is one worth telling.

In the late 40's, Albert Jacobs purchased a tract of land and proceeded to sell homes for $12,000. With his eldest son Marvin at his side, the Jacobs legacy was born. This father and son team began to seek out development opportunities representative of exceptionally high standards. At the time, there was only farmland west of Waukegan Road. Fellow builders thought we were out of our minds to build in a new suburb called Northbrook. But after a series of successful Northbrook developments, Albert's youngest son Joe, joined the family business and together, these working class men built a solid foundation for the future. For the next forty years, they continued to break new ground pioneering the many luxuries that today we take for granted. The Jacobs family was the first to offer customized floor plans, the first to offer air conditioning, the first to import materials to satisfy customer preferences as well as the first builder in Northbrook to use insulated sheathing and plaster walls in new home construction. Mind boggling!

Albert passed on his tradition of pride and service to his sons. That tradition continues in this new century with Keith Jacobs, Marvin's son, who joined the firm in 1983. Today, with an entrepreneurial spirit, Keith Jacobs serves as President and thoughtfully guides this family business into the future. His father, Marvin Jacobs now serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and at 86, still plays an active role building communities of distinction. Marvin has seen it all. Yet when asked what advice he has for today's new homeowners, he stands firm with conviction that "Now is the time to buy. With pricing, interest rates, builder and government incentives all working in the buyer's favor, what more do you need?" Setting new building trends, while maintaining the respect, honesty and integrity that their founding father instilled decades ago is the way The Jacobs family conducts its business today and the way they build each and every home. We should all take note.

Year after year, their reputation is still built into every home assuring that every project that bears their name is deserving. It's a tenuous process, but looking back, we wouldn't change a thing. Today, we are older and wiser with a new vision towards the future. In challenging economic times, the Jacobs trusted name is exactly what homeowners need...trust, confidence and integrity. In an ever changing world, we recognize that lifestyles and housing needs shift and now offer complete remodeling, maintenance and home repair services in addition to their custom home division, semi-custom communities, commercial construction, management consulting and bank REO's. Continued success isn't by chance or even luck, it is solely measured by the satisfaction of each and every homeowner. Let's face it, home is still where the heart is. It's where we raise our families, where all of our memories are housed, where we gather with friends, still. Long live the American dream.