Chronicle EditorErnest Gilbert knows that a kitchen or the bathroom remodel can help update any house and built his Bradenton-based business, Gilbert Design Build, on such remodels.
Gilbert, 48, started his full-service business in 2001 and has showrooms at 816 Manatee Ave E in the Central Plaza and at 4049 Clark Road in Sarasota.
“We are a design, build and remodeling company. We specialize in remodeling,” Gilbert said in his Bradenton showroom, accompanied by his son, Evan, who works in accounting and purchasing.
Gilbert Design Build is a licensed contractor with interior designers on staff, and the company recently was a finalist in the annual Manatee Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year awards in the category for firms with more than $1 million in annual revenue.
Ernest Gilbert got into the business at age 17. When he bought his first house, it was a 1920s-era fixer-upper located in the Wares Creek section of Bradenton.
“I had no money,” he said of the initial challenge of updating the house. “I learned how to do things and realized I enjoyed it.”
His wife Jessica encouraged him to pursue home remodelling as a career.
“We grew faster than most businesses should, and pretty soon I was in the office running things,” Ernest Gilbert said.
Like many during the Great Recession, the company had to downsize, but it has rebounded and now counts about 25 on its payroll. Among them is Evan Gilbert, who thought he might become an architect but gravitated to the family business by working in the office doing computer-assisted design and getting involved in the financial side of the operation.
The creative urge to improve a home is reflected in the Gilbert Design Build showroom, which showcases modern kitchen and bathroom designs while fostering a happy work atmosphere.
Founded in 2001, Gilbert Design Build was a finalist in the recent Manatee Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year awards.
“We want to create an environment where our team members like to come to work. We want an environment where they can be creative. We encourage creativity to improve our system,” Ernest Gilbert said.
That translates into a pleasant experience for the client.
“We are trying to operate with integrity and create a relationship with the client so they will want to come back to us,” Ernest Gilbert said.
Being in the remodeling business, Gilbert donates many serviceable fixtures taken from the homes he upgrades to Habitat for Humanity, giving them a second generation of use.
“Occasionally we will work on one of their builds,” he said. – Bradenton.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter