Posts in category: Community

This year marks McBride Remodeling’s 40^th year in business, and we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than to participate in 40 acts of kindness for the Petoskey community. While each of these acts has held special meaning to us, rebuilding the Harbor Gazebo will stay at the forefront of our minds for a long time to come. 

The Doorway to Harbor Springs

The Harbor Gazebo in Marina Park is beloved by many. Each year, the “Gazebo Guys” stand inside and greet close to 1,000 visitors, answering any questions they may have and guiding them to various attractions and events. Overlooking Little Traverse Bay and surrounded by a brick walkway, this charming structure is the perfect adornment to the beautiful park and makes everyone feel welcome and happy. 

After many years of service, the structure began to show wear and needed a refresh. The McBride team saw this as a perfect opportunity — not only to give back to the community, but also to strengthen our company bond. 

Restorations & Improvements 

Using quality, composite materials, we refurbished the gazebo, gave it a fresh coat of paint, and made sure we reinstalled the air conditioner to keep the Gazebo Guys  comfortable. The new building will be low-maintenance and guaranteed to look great for years to come. 

In addition to the repairs, the McBride team joined other community members in raising funds for the restoration by purchasing bricks. While many of the bricks are laid, like those purchased by McBride Remodeling, additional brick will be added in the fall as part of the final stages of the project. We were honored to do this work and are excited to show everyone all the improvements we’ve made. Don’t miss the official unveiling of the new Harbor Gazebo on Tuesday, June 28^th at 3:00 PM! 

If you would like to contribute to the Harbor Gazebo’s restoration, bricks are still available for purchase. You or your loved one’s name can be engraved on a brick and become part of the Marina Park legacy by going to harborspringschamber.com/events/details/gazebo-brick-sales-2022-11403.

McBride Remodeling celebrates its 40^th year in business this year. From day one, our core values of professionalism, relationships, integrity, dedication, and excellence have been the heart of everything we do. Here’s a look back to how it all began, and how these values got us where we are today:

Humble Beginnings 

Dave McBride celebrated his graduation from Michigan Technological University in 1982, only to be welcomed into the “real world” by an unforgiving economy. Undeterred, he moved back in with his mom and started a small business called McBride Builders.

He worked for neighbors and friends on tasks such as painting, cleaning gutters, and small fix-it projects. Dave found the neighbors on his mom’s street to be incredibly supportive; he developed his remodeling and business skills through these early neighborhood experiences. 

The Path to Success 

After a few years of early successes, Dave joined The Little Traverse Home Builders Association where he was a highly active member.  Dave served as the association President, The Remodelers council Chairman as well as the State Remodelers Council Chairman. This association and its events were pivotal in the business’s growth. He learned from fellow members about the business of building and remodeling. Dave takes great pride in developing long lasting relationships with clients and even has one family that the McBride Remodeling team is working with the family’s 4^th generation.

With Mike Stolt by his side as the company’s first real employee and Dave’s brother Jim helping in the summers, McBride Builders — eventually renamed McBride Construction — was taking off. Moving well beyond their fix-it jobs, the McBride team early on focused on new house construction then focused primarily on renovation projects. 

Dave eventually moved out of his mom’s house into a small 1-bedroom garage apartment that also served as his office. In 1991 he renovated a small home on M-119 into the office space that has been the company headquarters ever since.

Once Dave and his team were operating out of the newly renovated office, they realized they needed an office manager to help run their growing business. Kitty Sowles was the woman for the job and solidified her place as the backbone of the business for many years to come.

McBride Today

40 years later, McBride Remodeling is Northern Michigan’s premier choice for quality home remodeling and maintenance. Our services have evolved to meet the needs of our clients — from winter home care to architectural design work. Our office has been completely renovated and now includes even more features, products, and technology that help us stay current and successful. 

While it’s fun to reminisce about the past, we’re also excited about our future. We look forward to our continued growth and serving our loyal base of clients — in both this generation and the next. After all, we don’t just renovate homes; McBride builds relationships. We’re also honored to increase our service to the community as we partner with organizations like Petoskey High’s Cheetos Club, the Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate School District, Manna Food Project, the Harbor Springs Chamber of Commerce and so many more. These special connections keep us successful and serve as the foundation of everything we do. 

Thank you to all our clients, team members, and trade partners for your part in McBride’s history. You are what made these last 40 years possible, and we’re so fortunate to have each of you as an important part of the McBride Story.

Along with building quality homes, McBride Remodeling also prides itself on helping to build a stronger community. Recently, McBride was honored to sponsor the Dick Crawford Award, presented at the 50^th annual awards dinner for the Home Builders Association (HBA) of Northern Michigan. 

Dick Crawford was a trained and educated architect who helped many local builders navigate the permit process and construction details. He was a true leader in the industry, working tirelessly on local and state levels to streamline the permit and code review process as an Emmet County Building Official. 

The HBA of Northern Michigan presents the Dick Crawford Award to a builder, associate, or affiliate member in recognition of extraordinary dedication of time and talent in service to the community. Dedicated to supporting service activities, this association has made great strides toward making an impact at local, state, and national levels. This year, the Dick Crawford Award was presented to the Harbor Brenn Insurance Agency. Lee Holbrook, pictured here with Dave McBride, accepted the award on behalf of the company. 

Recognizing those who make a difference in the community is important in encouraging more people and organizations to give back. Together, we can all make a significant impact in our world to make it a better place. Relentless work ethic is hard to find and does not go unnoticed. Thank you, Harbor Brenn, for going above and beyond for the HBA of Northern Michigan. 

McBride Remodeling team members may start as employees, but they quickly become family. We pride ourselves on hiring fantastic people and providing them great growth opportunities, so they stay with us for the long term. After all, we like to say we build more than houses — we build lives. 

This was certainly true for McBride’s first official employee, a loyal and talented lead carpenter named Mike Stolt. Mike retired in 2007 after twenty-two years with us. We celebrated his decades with us at Julienne Tomatoes — a wonderful local Petoskey restaurant. Mike was presented with a set of golf clubs to enjoy during his much-deserved free time. Dave McBride, his brother Jim, and Mike made use of the new clubs right away at a golf outing shortly after. 

On October 15th, the McBride team donated and planted an apple tree in Mike’s honor. The tree was planted at the Stolt family farm with help from Richard Hoffman Landscaping. Pictured below is Dave McBride with Mike’s daughter, Brenda. 

It was a beautiful day, and we’re so happy to have paid tribute to Mike in this way. As one of our founding employees, we owe much of our early and ongoing success to him. 

This memorial was an important time to pause, reflect, and have gratitude for all the wonderful people who helped get us to where we are today. We’ve created so many bonds through the years. We spend time getting to know each of the clients who trust us with their home, and we’re happy to say that many have become true friends. Our team members go above and beyond because they’re not just putting in a day’s work — they know they’re part of our greater mission of changing lives by improving spaces. 

Thank you for being part of the McBride family.