We sat down and spoke with one of Bielinski Homes co-founders, Frank Bielinski, to learn about how it all started.
My mother had seven children and she wanted to get us out of the house. So, as kids, my brother, Harry, and I started working for my grandfather and father building spec homes in New Berlin. We didn’t do a lot. We picked up scrap. We tried to nail-off decks and roofs as my father followed along behind us to finish pounding the nails in. We probably learned more from them than we learned anywhere else. After Harry and I graduated from high school, we both started working for my dad full-time.
Eventually, Harry asked me to join him and start our own company. We wanted to be carpenter contractors. So, in 1960 we started a carpenter contracting business. We worked for most of the big builders in Milwaukee at that time. Just the carpentry work, rough and finished carpentry for other builders.
We were carpenter contractors from 1960 to 1965. We built both garages and new homes. By 1965, we had 60 carpenters working for us. I told Harry, “I think that we could become builders ourselves.” And just like you turn on a switch, we were builders. It was that quick. We rented a one-room office, and we already had people who saw our trucks in Waukesha starting to call us. It was immediate. We thought that maybe we’d like to eventually build one home a month. Twelve homes a year, that was our goal. That was our initial goal.
So in 1965, we incorporated as Bielinski Bros. Builders, Inc., which is known as Bielinski Homes today. By 1970, we were the largest builder around, and we’re still the largest single-family home builder in Southeastern Wisconsin today.
Since the beginning, all we’ve strived to do is a better job every year. It may not be building more homes. It’s better quality, better control, and happier customers. That’s what we do today. I’ve never not wanted to come to work, because it doesn’t feel like work. We have a passion for the business. We love what we do.
We have a unique family. We all seem to get along, even though we may be different we seem to blend. We just have a respect for each other. I can trust them. We’re here together.
To see exactly what Frank means when he says better quality, click here, and learn more about the history Bielinski Homes here.
