Welcome to Mathwig Builders

	Printed in Builder/Architect - Northeast Wisconsin Edition By Mary Schmutzler After home construction is completed, the relationship between the new homeowners and the builder can often be described as "strained." Sometimes, that relationship has deteriorated into what could be termed "hostile." So when homeowners throw a party for the builder and the subcontractors who helped build their new home, that's unusual, even remarkable. That's what has happened for Roger Mathwig Builders, Oshkosh, more than once during Roger's career as a home builder. The reason for this satisfaction is clear to Roger's wife, Sue: "Roger really cares about the people whose homes he's building or remodeling. He cares more about people than profit."

			Susan Canziani, whose home was built in the late 1980s, puts it this way: "We have a big house, and it wasn't an easy house to build. We all had different perceptions and expectations when we started building, but we worked things out, and we always had a sense of humor about it. "All of the crews were really neat," she continues. "We thought that many of them never really had a chance to see the end product, and their wives didn't either. So we decided, when our home was completed, that we'd bring in everybody who worked on the house, in all the different areas. Roger gave us a list of all of the people, and we threw a huge party for them at Christmas time. We had a fabulous time, and the wives especially appreciated seeing what their husbands had done on the house."
	Mrs. Canziani has high praise for the subcontractors who worked on their home. "Everybody was very honorable--they'd come back until everything was just right. They followed up right away. "The end result is that we have a lovely house, and a nice relationship with our builder afterwards," she says. Roger explains his approach to home building: "I've always enjoyed working with people, and seeing a project through from start to finish. I like knowing that after I'm done with a project, the homeowners are satisfied to the point that I can show their home to other people and use them as a reference. In all the projects we've done over the years, we can call back and our clients will usually allow us to show the home to other people. Sometimes, if they can't be at home, they'll leave the door open for us." Sue Mathwig adds, "We're not afraid to run into clients on the street." Roger agrees, "A lot of times, we end up being friends with our clients." Mathwig Builders-Roger constructs custom homes and additions, as well as doing remodeling and light commercial work, in Winnebago, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, and Green Lake counties. Homes built by the company range in size from ranch homes to multi-level, showcase homes on Lake Winnebago. Sue, who is in the real estate business, explains that Roger sometimes faces a misconception in the marketplace. "Over the years, Roger has gotten the reputation for building only large homes. That's because during the years interest rates were high, he built quite a few of the larger homes. But Roger would like to encourage people to call us for smaller projects as well. Mathwig Builders- Roger does build smaller homes, and Roger also does additions and remodeling," she explains. Roger says he enjoys the challenge of building additions and doing remodeling. "There's uncertainty about what you'll find when doing remodeling," he says. "You're not sure what's there until you actually tackle the job. Plus, when you're working with historical buildings, you need to make sure that all of the work meets today's codes." With such custom projects, Roger works with architects and home designers. "Working with professionals, we can accommodate our clients' particular needs. In one project, we added a room over a garage after the garage had already been built with trusses. The trusses had to be modified in order to build the room. In another home, we designed a 12-foot deep basement so the owner could hit golf balls there," he recalls. Roger serves as general contractor in Mathwig Builders-Roger, seeing the project through from start to finish and beyond. At various points during the last 20 years, he has done many of the jobs in home construction, often concentrating on framing and finishing. He still installs hardwood flooring when he has the time.
	In his role as general contractor, Roger relies on a loyal corps of subcontractors and suppliers. "I use the same subcontractors consistently," he says. "I try to find people who are not only good, but are loyal, so that when I need a project done, I can get it taken care of. It's important to have good subcontractors, because if you don't, you're always addressing problems. If it's done right the first time, you don't have to worry." He adds, "We're not out on the market looking for the lowest price on a home. We try to give our clients the most home for the dollar. So sometimes our bids may be higher, but, ultimately, the homeowner will get a better product." Sue adds, "Comparing apples to apples, he's probably less expensive than other builders, partly because of his low overhead." Mathwig Builders-Roger strives to incorporate high quality products into the homes the company builds. "We use tried-and-true products, and build quality and energy efficiency into our homes. We were one of the first builders in the area to use an air infiltration barrier on the exterior of our homes. And we use the latest in insulation technology," Roger says. Roger, who was born and raised in Oshkosh, first became involved in home construction when he helped with dry walling in Spokane, WA in the early '70s. When he returned to Oshkosh, he worked in a factory for a short time before working for a real estate/construction firm. "I started at the bottom, cleaning up job sites," he remembers. He progressed to painting and staining, and then worked in sales. During the six years he worked for the company, he gained experience in general contracting and acquired knowledge on job sites from subcontractors. In 1978, he went into business on his own. "My first project was a single family ranch home, which cost about $30,000 complete with lot," Roger says. "From then on, it was a matter of advertising and building spec homes to make the business grow." He worked on his own until 1982, when he formed a partnership with another builder. Roger worked with his partner until the early '90s, when he once again went on his own. The experience he's gained over the years has benefited Roger in his role as general contractor. Sue observes, "Roger's done everything on a home from finish work to roughing to roofing to painting." Roger is a past president of the Winnebago Home Builders Association, and recalls that during his time at the helm of the association, he enjoyed persuading members to work together on committees. In 1996, he was named the association's "Builder of the Year." He has served as chairman of the annual Parade of Homes, and has participated with homes in the last two parades. "Part of the reason for my involvement in the association," Roger explains, "is that I believe people in our trade need more education and training." The father of two adult children, Roger enjoys the active life, working outside in his garden and raising everything from chickens to geese to horses, goats and sheep. In her field of real estate, Sue Mathwig sees and deals with many home builders. "Roger's different-and I'm not saying that just because I'm married to him. He can't sleep at night if something doesn't go just right--I can honestly say that. He really cares."

Associations and Awards:
Builder of the year - 1996 Past President of Winnebago Association

Since 1978