About Forward Construction:

FCI is a family-owned and operated custom home building business. We are fully insured and have a NC unlimited building license.  The owners, Jim and Sue Forward, started the business in 1972, and have since been enjoying and learning every day. Jim's brother, Mike, is an integral part of the company. He is the main "saw man", completes  much of the trim work, and is arguably one of the best painters in the country. Jim and Sue's son, Kris, has essentially grown up on the jobsite and now, at thirty, is a key member of the team. Nicknamed "The Professor", Kris has designed such innovations as a micro hydro installation and a rainwater collection cistern with solar irrigation system. He assists in the coordinatation of the sub-contractors in addition to facilitating all phases of the building process, he loves building original and inspired staircases and railings , and does much of the detail oriented touches in our homes. He also is an accomplished coppersmith, and installs our copper gutters and installs metal roofing. Sue spearheads the interior design effort, working in close conjunction with the customer throughout the duration of the building process on everything from color palette and cabinetry to floor coverings and lighting fixtures. In addition, she completely manages the office function for FCI.

Jim has been a truly "hands-on" builder for more than 35 years. He began his career as an apprentice to a historic home renovation expert in Virginia, and subsequently started his own business with Sue in 1972, in Culpeper, Virginia. They relocated their family and business to Asheville in 1982 where the only real "native" in their family was born their daughter, Kelly. Kelly is now living in Charleston, SC after having graduated from the College of Charleston. She is working on her Master's degree at the Citadel, and will hopefully join the F C I team full time one day. For now, she helps with much of their word processing needs and has designed computer templates for Jim's estimating programs, using her extensive literary and computer skills. Oldest son Tom has a successful remodeling business in the Tryon, SC area. Jim has had many years of experience in all phases of construction, including cabinetwork, and truly enjoys being involved on a daily basis with each home they build. He takes part in all aspects of building your home, including positioning the homes on the lot, digging footings, raking gravel and installing vapor/radon barriers for slab or crawlspace preparation, framing, hanging drywall, installing interior doors (not prehung), building and installing cabinets and built-ins, as well as directing all phases of each project.

FCI only undertakes one project at a time, thereby ensuring the quality and attention to detail that FCI has become known for. The team (Jim, Sue, Mike, and Kris, and usually one additional person) do the majority of work involved in building a home ourselves - besides sawing and recycling the trees to clear the lot, we dig and pour the footings, we level and prep the slabs, we frame, we hang the drywall, we trim the house, we install the windows and doors, we do the cabinets and built-ins, we install the siding, we install the hardwood flooring, we do the painting, we install the gutters, etc.We do as much as we feasibly can ourselves - because we know how to do it right, we want to do it right, and we enjoy doing it right. We are fortunate to have close working relationships with superlative sub-contractors to help us with the few things we cannot do ourselves.

One of Jim's favorite sayings is "A craftsman is someone who works with his head, his hands, and his heart". We strive to only let real craftsmen turn your dreams of a new home into reality. Our main goal is to make something as perfect as we can while supporting ourselves and our families. We truly enjoy helping you turn your dreams into reality.