Cedaredge had a building boom in the early 2000s and lots of builders were building homes on speculation in an active market. Tate and his dad, went into the business of building houses but decided not to compete in the same price range. They put out a more refined product and it turned out that there were people looking for that. There’d be 6 homes going up in the area at any one time, but Tate and Bill’s were selling fast because they made them beautiful. Julie started working behind the scenes managing the business, setting up systems that their administrative team still uses today. Tate’s mom, Karen helped pick out interior finishes for the homes.
Tate says “My parents were always home buffs. The liked to put together a package that would sell. A lot of people pick out ugly stuff but my parents were good at coordinating beautiful interiors—that was my Mom. I still ask for her opinions. “
After the real estate crash in 2008, Tate looked for work wherever he could find it. He drove across the state in the winter to work. He says, “That’s what’s hard about the construction industry -- the ups and downs and not having any control over the market.” But Tate’s a big guy, he thinks big, he doesn’t ask for permission to do big things. And he is definitely the “builder”—each step building on the one that came before it.
Sadly, in 2010, Tate’s father passed away. The market was starting to rebound and Tate could build locally, but now he was really on his own. To honor his father and two generations of entrepreneurs on the Locke Family tree, in 2014 Tate and Julie renamed their business Cristee-Meade Building Company, the same business name that Tate’s father and grandfather had used decades before.
Of his crew – Tate says the crew is solid. It’s Cristee-Meade’s biggest asset. Today, everyone has been with Tate for 2 years or longer. Tate says that to keep his clients happy, the best way is to keep the crew happy. It makes for a well-oiled machine. The focus is on building the houses, but now the focus is also about providing a career for these guys. A job they don’t want to leave.
Julie is a different story and a different personality. She thrives on learning and uses her knowledge to create successful businesses. She’ll go through a whole training and get certified for a new career, then she’ll graduate and turn her knowledge into a business. Once she has conquered a challenge, then it’s off to the next thing! She doesn’t really have a choice. Everything in her being is pushing her in a different direction. But, she tends to integrate her jobs into her life, like the Montessori environment she has created in her home for her daughters, her yoga studio to create a supportive place for women and her clothing business to make people feel good. She still gets personal satisfaction out of giving a massage or teaching yoga. Tate calls her the butterfly to his ponderosa pine. She says he’s the solid one, while she’s the satellite swirling around in the air. Whichever metaphor applies, after 15 years of running their businesses and a growing family together, they’ve found a balance.
And of the potential? It’s here! Now that the market in Cedaredge is back, Tate is once again building beautiful homes that can be found at the golf course or on spectacular lots in the surround area. Tate and Julie are enjoying both the process and the success of building a business that they seem to be made for.
Tate says “My parents were always home buffs. The liked to put together a package that would sell. A lot of people pick out ugly stuff but my parents were good at coordinating beautiful interiors—that was my Mom. I still ask for her opinions. “
After the real estate crash in 2008, Tate looked for work wherever he could find it. He drove across the state in the winter to work. He says, “That’s what’s hard about the construction industry -- the ups and downs and not having any control over the market.” But Tate’s a big guy, he thinks big, he doesn’t ask for permission to do big things. And he is definitely the “builder”—each step building on the one that came before it.
Sadly, in 2010, Tate’s father passed away. The market was starting to rebound and Tate could build locally, but now he was really on his own. To honor his father and two generations of entrepreneurs on the Locke Family tree, in 2014 Tate and Julie renamed their business Cristee-Meade Building Company, the same business name that Tate’s father and grandfather had used decades before.
Of his crew – Tate says the crew is solid. It’s Cristee-Meade’s biggest asset. Today, everyone has been with Tate for 2 years or longer. Tate says that to keep his clients happy, the best way is to keep the crew happy. It makes for a well-oiled machine. The focus is on building the houses, but now the focus is also about providing a career for these guys. A job they don’t want to leave.
Julie is a different story and a different personality. She thrives on learning and uses her knowledge to create successful businesses. She’ll go through a whole training and get certified for a new career, then she’ll graduate and turn her knowledge into a business. Once she has conquered a challenge, then it’s off to the next thing! She doesn’t really have a choice. Everything in her being is pushing her in a different direction. But, she tends to integrate her jobs into her life, like the Montessori environment she has created in her home for her daughters, her yoga studio to create a supportive place for women and her clothing business to make people feel good. She still gets personal satisfaction out of giving a massage or teaching yoga. Tate calls her the butterfly to his ponderosa pine. She says he’s the solid one, while she’s the satellite swirling around in the air. Whichever metaphor applies, after 15 years of running their businesses and a growing family together, they’ve found a balance.
And of the potential? It’s here! Now that the market in Cedaredge is back, Tate is once again building beautiful homes that can be found at the golf course or on spectacular lots in the surround area. Tate and Julie are enjoying both the process and the success of building a business that they seem to be made for.