THE FOUNDATION OF A GREAT COMPANY
LEADERSHIP
JD Hanson is a 3rd generation home builder at Hanson Builders. He grew up working with both his dad and grandpa (Ken) from the time he was old enough to carry a hammer. As the President of Hanson Builders JD has focused on building the best Home Building Team in the industry. JD has a strong knowledge in all aspects of home building with a strong background in carpentry. This knowledge helps him work with his design Team to develop award winning homes and his construction Team to execute building the best homes in the industry. JD lives in Andover with his wife Jamila and their two children, Hunter and Maddy.
B.S. Math/Physics, University of Minnesota
Dean started this all with his dad, Ken, building homes in in 1979. Today, with over forty-two years of experience, Dean has helped to lead Hanson Builders to become a company of excellence. Dean knows people want more than a gorgeous home; they want a home-building company with a solid reputation for excellent quality and integrity. They want a company that has stands the test of time and has never changed their name to evade responsibility. As the most awarded builder in the Twin Cities, we stand behind our homes taking pride in what we build. Dean enjoys traveling, flying his plane and spending time with his family of five kids, daughter in-law, son in-law, and grandchildren.
Tim came to Hanson Builders with over 24 years in new home sales experience and has worked in several different markets throughout the U.S. His leadership in all facets of home building operations including division leadership and management. Tim enjoys the outdoors and spending time with his wife and two kids.
Mike came to Hanson Builders with many years of custom home building experience. His knowledge and careful attention to the building process show in every home he supervises. Mike has a great personality – pleasant, friendly, thorough, and tough when needed.
Mike enjoys spending time with his wife and three children, but in the fall you can find him either pheasant or deer hunting.
B.A. North Park College
Mark is THE energy in our office. With over 40 years of Experience at Hanson Builders, Mark turns out new designs with amazing speed and has an uncanny knack to solve flow and space relationship challenges like nobody else. He is the creative genius behind our homes. Clients quickly discover how much fun it is to have meetings with Mark, and then are regularly blown away at the next meeting at what he has dreamed up for them.
Mark is constantly designing better and even more exciting new designs. He will work with you to customize whatever you desire in a new home. Nationally recognized in home design, Mark provides a broad perspective to the Hanson Builders Design team. In his career he has rubbed shoulders with names like Susanka, Lander, Cudd, Bloodgood and more. He is friendly and enthusiastic about his work. Mark and his wife Jane live on the East side and have three adult children. Mark loves team sports including football, hockey, and baseball, is active in his church and enjoys spending time with his family.
BA Bethel University
Barry comes to Hanson Builders as a CPA with broad experience in Public Accounting, tax, manufacturing, and years of residential home building experience. At Hanson, he keeps his eyes on finance and accounting with supervision of the finance team. He manages the banking relationships that fund our building activities while keeping a sharp eye on budgets as well as Human Resources.
Barry enjoys his four grown children, spouses, and 13 grandchildren. In season the family enjoys sailing, their lake home and spending much time together
SALES & MARKETING
Tim came to Hanson Builders with over 24 years in new home sales experience and has worked in several different markets throughout the U.S. His leadership in all facets of home building operations including division leadership and management. Tim enjoys the outdoors and spending time with his wife and two kids.
Liz is the face of Hanson Builders to our custom clients during the entire build process. If she does not know the answer, she will aggressively grab the ear of as many of us as she needs to find a solution and serve our clients. She is multi-dimensional and has a wide background in various business environments. Liz enjoys spending time with her family, she has three children – one left at home, four grandchildren, and lives in Ham Lake with her husband Dan.
NEW HOME SALE CONSULTANTS
Brandon is a local Realtor in the Twin Cities area that specializes in buying and selling real estate. He went to school for Business and Communication. While in school, he had the opportunity to study international business abroad in Germany and graduated from St. Cloud State University. Brandon’s family has been in the industry since he was a young age. Growing up, Brandon knew he always wanted to be a Realtor. Soon after graduating from college, he decided to pursue his dream of becoming a Realtor. After completing his license courses at Kaplan University, he joined Coldwell Banker Realty where he helps a lot of his clients buy one of their biggest investments in life.
Brandon in his free time likes to spend playing tennis and golf, cook something on the Traeger, and spend some quality time with family and friends.
Having a lifetime of customer experience, Kris has spent the last 10 years in the new home construction industry, with her focus on satisfying and delighting new homeowners. Kris has been married to her high school sweetheart, Kory, for over 27 years, and they have two grown children. During their free time, in the warmers months, they enjoy touring the countryside on their motorcycle.
Sarah grew up dreaming of homes, even designing her own dream home as a teenager. She brings that same passion to every client she meets. She enjoys the entire journey with her clients, from the initial meeting to the day of closing and beyond. For Sarah, making a personal connection with her clients is one of her favorite parts of her day. With over 20 years of experience, all in new home construction sales, she brings knowledge and confidence to each person she meets.
Outside of her office, you will find her at her cabin, enjoying quality time with family, friends and their two golden retrievers, Murphy and Gus.
Katie’s love for new home construction and almost 20 years of experience in all facets of the industry, makes her an invaluable resource for home buyers. Along with the Hanson team, her knowledge and understanding ensures you the peace of mind that every client deserves! When Katie is not at the model home you can find her laughing with her two children or chasing her dog in the woods.
Lesa grew up in Wisconsin, spent 20 years in California selling real estate, and now is happy to be back with her family in the Midwest. She started with Hanson Builders in 2000 and has sold in Andover, Blaine, North Oaks, and Maple Grove, and now in Plymouth. Professionalism, humor, and friendliness all help Lesa win customers’ confidence quickly.
Lesa lives in a Hanson Builders-built home. An animal lover, her focus is with her husband Rusty and their three kids Travis, Brandon, and Chloe. Heading toward the empty nest…
Jenna grew up in the Twin Cities in a Hanson Builders home, has a degree in Marketing from the University of Saint Thomas and started her post-college career immediately in real estate. She has learned from the best, by working closely alongside of Luke Hanson since 2016. Jenna enjoys traveling, golfing and spending quality time with loved ones! She is organized, responsive, and always willing to help!
Andy moved to the Twin Cities in 2013 with his wife, Abby, and two kids, Gretta & Casey. He loves playing hockey, cycling & spending family time on the lake. Andy is passionate about truly understanding the dreams and goals of his clients; as a Realtor, he employs enthusiasm and knowledge to create a seamless, personalized experience for each client.
Born and raised in Minnesota, Jeremy has always had both an entrepreneurial spirit and passion for helping others. These two magnetic pulls led him to begin selling real estate in 2005. A graduate of the University of Minnesota, and a big sports fan, Jeremy currently lives in Mound with his wife, two children, and their yellow lab named Goldie. He loves getting to know new people and takes pride in providing an exceptional experience for our customers.
As a Realtor, Luke closely follows local trends in the Real Estate Market. He specializes in new-home construction, and although he may look young, Luke has been involved with building homes for over 15 years. Early on his jobs included digging drain tile, landscaping, sweeping and scraping, carpentry, and most other tasks necessary along the way to a finished home.
Luke has a degree in Finance from Florida Gulf Coast University.
He works with families looking to build a new home, and helps to guide them through the design/build process and market their existing home if needed.
INTERIOR DESIGN
Erica comes to us with experience in both Design and Sales – in fact, we first met Erica as our rep at CAP Carpet almost 17 years ago! Luckily the stars aligned for Hanson Builders in 2017 and we were able to bring Erica onto our Interior Design team.
Erica says the fun and collaborative design process here at Hanson Builders makes this job a dream come true! She enjoys working with homeowners and getting inspired to help customize their own personal dream homes. No two are ever alike!
When she’s not here at her dream job, Erica and her husband (who was born and raised in England!) are busy with their two kids and all of their sports and activities. She’s also passionate about updating and remodeling her own home, enjoying as many vacations with her family as she can possibly get, exploring new boutiques around the cities, and of course reading up on the trends in home design, color, and style. We are proud to have her on the team and you are going to love working with her to make your dream home come true!
A.A.S. Interior Design, Alexandria Technical College
Nancy has been involved with Hanson Builders’ design process for over 20 years. A few years as a subcontractor, then hired internally in 2004. Her knowledge and design talent leads our amazing team of interior designers. Nancy thoroughly enjoys meeting with our custom home buyers. She assists them in selecting the perfect products and colors for each homeowner’s unique style. Nancy also coordinates the color selections and staging designs for our award-winning model homes. In her spare time, Nancy and her husband, Mike, enjoy relaxing at the cabin with their three children or cheering them along in youth sporting events. Life is busy and so very rewarding.
B.A. Education, University of Minnesota
Although not involved in the day to day operations of HBI, Catherine often provides a female perspective to the design and function of our homes. As a member of the design team, she gives input on what women might want in a new home. Catherine is also involved in the merchandising of our award winning models and does the selecting and shopping for all the furnishings. When not working she enjoys time with friends, family and her five grandchildren.
B.S. Interior Design, Art Institutes International Minnesota
Emily has been a part of our interior design team since 2013. She is a true creative at heart who has the ability to imagine a client’s dream space and bring it to life. Her perspective and working style adds immense value to our client experience during the design process. From the exterior shingle color to the perfect shade of grout, Emily will support homeowners in selecting beautiful finishes for their new home that are not only aesthetically beautiful, but also functional. Positive, uplifting, and a can-do attitude is what you can expect when you work with Emily. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and chasing after their two young children. Emily also loves spending time outdoors in the summertime, bonfires with family and friends, and heading up north for a long, relaxing weekend.
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
B.A. North Park College
Mark is THE energy in our office. With over 40 years of Experience at Hanson Builders, Mark turns out new designs with amazing speed and has an uncanny knack to solve flow and space relationship challenges like nobody else. He is the creative genius behind our homes. Clients quickly discover how much fun it is to have meetings with Mark, and then are regularly blown away at the next meeting at what he has dreamed up for them.
Mark is constantly designing better and even more exciting new designs. He will work with you to customize whatever you desire in a new home. Nationally recognized in home design, Mark provides a broad perspective to the Hanson Builders Design team. In his career he has rubbed shoulders with names like Susanka, Lander, Cudd, Bloodgood and more. He is friendly and enthusiastic about his work. Mark and his wife Jane live on the East side and have three adult children. Mark loves team sports including football, hockey, and baseball, is active in his church and enjoys spending time with his family.
A.A. Architectural Drafting, Anoka Technical College
There is little Garrison can’t do. He has an eye for design, as well as careful attention to detail. Garrison is driven and passionate about his work. He is our ‘Traffic Manager’ shepherding over 100 plan sets through our design, drafting, and permitting processes.
When not working he enjoys spending time with his family and loved ones. While going to school Garrison found a passion for photography, and loves to get out and take some pictures whenever he has a chance. Coming from a car family, it is in his blood to love cars, owning three himself.
B.S. Business Management, Bethel University
A.A. Architectural Drafting at Anoka Technical College – 2017
Zach has an educational background in business management and architectural drafting. He enjoys doing cad work on our floorplans where he can help bring to life our clients dream home. His attention to detail and work ethic make him a great fit to our drafting team. Zach has a passion for football and played for 12 years at Osseo and Bethel University.
Kelly joined our drafting team at the beginning of 2020. She has been in the building industry since 2000. She attended Carpentry College at Alexandria Tech and worked as a carpenter while attending college. She then went on to the Architectural Construction Technology program at SCTC where she learned more about drafting and estimating while still working as a carpenter. Since graduating she has worked as a drafter and Product Development Manager for National Builders in the Twin Cities area as well as one of the largest labor companies. In addition, she has been flipping houses on the side since 2009 with her Dad and brings her history of experience to the table.
FIELD OPERATIONS
Mike came to Hanson Builders with many years of custom home building experience. His knowledge and careful attention to the building process show in every home he supervises. Mike has a great personality – pleasant, friendly, thorough, and tough when needed.
Mike enjoys spending time with his wife and three children, but in the fall you can find him either pheasant or deer hunting.
Danny grew up in a family of carpenters and hence has learned building from the ground up. New to Hanson Builders in 2017, we are glad to have him on our growing team. Home is in Andover, with wife Cacey and two young toddlers.
Ryan has been with Hanson since 2004. An old carpenter at heart, his skills and construction experience are reasons why Hanson maintains it’s industry-leading craftsmanship. Like his father, David Hansen, there is not much he cannot fix. He also has his father’s sense of humor and great work ethic. He lives in Ham Lake with his wife and 2 children.
Minnesota born and raised; Darien has spent his life in the construction service. He started out working in general contracting before becoming a Jobsite Supervisor. Darien loves woodworking and all things carpentry – he even built his own house! He’s been married for over 10 years now and is the father of three young boys. They are his world, and you can usually find him doing outdoor activities with them.
Darien is a big sports fan: hockey, golf, and baseball are his favorites. Played College golf for Central College in Pella Iowa.
Adages he is drawn to are “keep it simple”, “small things make big differences”, “anything worth doing is worth overdoing”, and “nothing great ever happens on the bank of the river… it happens in learning how to swim in the water”.
Mike is a 3rd generation carpenter. He started helping his dad with projects when he was very young. When Mike graduated from high school he started remodeling homes full time and realized then that he loves watching a pile of lumber transform into someone’s dream home. Since then he has learned many different areas of construction and still loves watching the transformation. Mike lives in Princeton with his wife Kathy and three active boys, Sam, Max, and Joey. In the summers you will find Mike and his family at the local baseball fields or at the lake.
Jeff began working in the new home construction business at a young age. In fact, a new home project manager is the only job he has ever held. Jeff prides himself on building solid relationships with homeowners and subcontractors. He loves the product we build, and is proud to be part of the team. Outside of work you can find Jeff on the golf course or with his family at the cabin.
Brandon has many years running a variety of heavy equipment. In his free time he enjoys camping, motocross, snowmobiling, and spending time with his two boys.
Ian is our outdoor guy who tackles a wide variety of projects. His skill in a Bobcat is unmatched. If there were national Bobcat competitions we know our guy would be the champ. Stop and watch a real pro at work when you come across Ian installing a boulder wall at your new home. When not up in a dirt mover, Ian enjoys the outdoors and time with his family.
Chris has been with Hanson Builders for quite awhile now. You will find him helping fine tune homes for new owners, assisting Ryan & Mike in the field, moving furniture …… and about anything we ask him to do. He has a positive attitude each day and we appreciate him greatly.
Kyle is a man of many talents- he’s been in the construction industry for years and has plenty of framing experience. Loves the outdoors, in his free time Kyle likes to go fishing and pheasant hunting with his black lab, Leo. And family vacations are his favorite- he loves spending time with his wife and two daughters.
Warranty & Services
David’s broad background is a tremendous asset in his position as our Service Technician. He can diagnose just about anything, and often repairs it on the spot. A steady personality and a dry sense of humor make him a favorite with other team members and customers alike. David makes his home in Lindstrom and enjoys an active outdoor family life.
Service / Warranty Manager
As an experienced finish carpenter for over 20 years and a graduate of construction management degree, Brian Dircks has deeper knowledge in every detail of building a home. He landed a job in Hansons Builder with the motivation to experience building a home as enjoyable and as efficient as he is. He has a great character and is passionate about building a dream home. Outside of work, Brian gets his motivation from his wife and 2 girls. He loves bird hunting and any outdoor activities to keep his motivated life balanced. He and his wife Shari never forgets to give back to their community.
ADMINISTRATION
Scott started in the construction industry during high school as a finish carpenter. This hands on work taught him a lot about the details that go into building a home. After graduating with a construction management degree, Scott went on to work in purchasing for some large production builders as well as smaller custom homebuilders. That experience has landed him at Hanson and his focus is to make the building experience enjoyable and efficient. Outside of work, Scott has a wife and 2 girls that keep life busy. Bird hunting and any outdoor activities are a passion. Having a good work/life balance is what’s important.
Tricia is a native-born Missourian who embraces all about Minnesota. She started as a product savvy specialist and project manager and then she became a store manager and afterward the director of Project Development. She has a diverse background in residential construction, vast product knowledge, project management, project design, and customer service. With almost 20 years of experience, she is one of the most sought-after warranty techs in Hansons Builders. Her unique character will give the home buyer the utmost satisfaction with her passion and commitment to excellence. If you are also a hunter then you can join her, her husband Eric, and her faithful dog Reed as hunting is their favorite adventure. As for where does she hang out after work? She loves going out on adventures to microbrews, wineries, and gastro-pubs and spending some time with friends and family.
A.A. Anoka Ramsey Community College
Christine started at Hanson Builders in April 2014. After working in the photography world for 17 years she made a change and came to work for Hanson Builders as an Admin Assistant. She has three children and lives in Ramsey with her husband Mike.
FINANCE
BA Bethel University
Barry comes to Hanson Builders as a CPA with broad experience in Public Accounting, tax, manufacturing, and years of residential home building experience. At Hanson, he keeps his eyes on finance and accounting with supervision of the finance team. He manages the banking relationships that fund our building activities while keeping a sharp eye on budgets as well as Human Resources.
Barry enjoys his four grown children, spouses, and 13 grandchildren. In season the family enjoys sailing, their lake home and spending much time together
B.A.in Business, University of Minnesota
Cheryl’s 18 years of experience in construction bookkeeping and closing have given her the ability to help people achieve their dream house. Her involvement with Hanson Builders brings a calmness that is needed when dealing with such stressful situations, while also making sure every detail gets taken care of successfully! Cheryl and her husband, Dale, love being active outside on their 10-acre hobby farm. They have a dog, a cat, a llama, a couple of goats, and a few chickens. Cheryl enjoys her yard, where you can find her picking berries and apples, maple syruping, enjoying the hundreds of flowers that Dale tends to, or watching a fantastic sunset on their pond. Their adult daughter, Ariel, also works for Hanson Builders, out in the field. Their son, Jack, is currently serving in the US Army. She also enjoys boating, fishing, and hanging out with their grandchildren.
Claudia brings her experience in business, finance, project, & property administration, management & accounting to our Finance team. And, although she’s worked in commercial, residential real estate and construction industries, her passion is residential construction finance management. She enjoys the process of new home construction and seeing projects come to life turning & our client’s visions of their dream home into reality. Claudia spends her free time studying new home design trends and projects, gardening and spending time with friends and family. She and her husband Rick have renovated, and updated dozens of homes together. They currently live in White Bear Lake with their 3 dogs Ringo, Dillon & Benny.