Chamber Member of the Week: Payne Construction and Remodeling
Payne Construction and Remodeling has played a pivotal role in the Owensboro building community for more than 17 years. Payne Construction epitomizes the concept of a family-owned business, as several generations of Paynes contribute to the company’s success.
John Payne worked for his father, Joe, who owned and operated a construction company named LRW before branching out and forming Payne Construction in 2005. Payne’s brother Perry serves as the lead construction officer for the company specializing in custom remodeling and home construction.
“I worked for my dad for many years before going out on my own,” Payne said. “This truly is a family business. My son Dalton and nephews Noah and Andrew play a significant role on our construction team, and my sister-in-law Shelly is our secretary.”
Payne said his team could do anything from fully-customized homes to kitchen and bathroom remodels. They’ve even had their efforts featured in many national publications in the industry.
“We specialize in custom work, and we can do a little bit of everything,” he said. “We’ve worked all over the place, but we try to stay in western Kentucky and southern Indiana. We’ve been featured in several national magazines like Farmhouse Magazine.”
Payne’s most substantial obstacle right now is his team’s efficiency. Because of his family-oriented approach, the labor shortage hasn’t affected him like it has many of his sub-contractors.
“We work really fast, and some of our subs, unfortunately, don’t have the help they need,” he said. “We’re looking for smaller jobs to keep our guys busy while waiting on subs for some of our larger projects. It’s a good problem to have.”
Payne added that the demand for homes and additions is presently at an all-time high. That, paired with an increased cost of materials, has presented some challenges to the industry.
He said prices are going up at record rates, but their ability to work with homeowners and customize the home to their liking offsets some of those burdens. Their goal is always to help the customer achieve dreams within the confines of their budget.
Payne also attributed much of their success to the Owensboro and Daviess County communities.
“Owensboro and Daviess County has been great to us,” he said. “I remember when I left for 5 years for the Marine Corps and couldn’t wait to return. This community has been good to us, and we always want to give back and support the community as much as possible.”
Payne and his team are currently tasked with renovating a 138-year-old home. They’ve taken it down to the studs and aim to preserve the house’s architectural history and character while adding a modernized effect and updated electric, HVAC, and more.
Payne Construction celebrated its busiest year to date in 2021 and is on pace to exceed those numbers this year. Payne has served as the local Home Builders Association president and remains an active member.
“Twenty years ago, there were a lot of builders; now, there are a select few,” he said. “I’m good friends with many of the builders in town, and many are busy right now. The trade schools at the high school are growing, and that’s great, but we need to get more adults involved.”
To learn more about Payne Construction or inquire about some of their services, visit them on Facebook here.
By John Kirkpatrick The Owensboro Times