Two Loves

  Jairo Alvarez stumbled upon his two greatest loves quite by accident. The first, his wife Anita, he met on the way to pick up a date for the evening.  His younger brother convinced Jairo to drop him off at a nearby party.  Jairo agreed.  When the two arrived, his younger brother persuaded him to come inside for a few minutes.  By some act of fate, Jairo met his beautiful bride-to-be, stayed at the party for the remainder of the evening and never went to pick up his date.  Even today, his family jokes, "Who knows, maybe she's still waiting for you to pick her up."  Jairo laughs, but you can sense a tinge of guilt; he prides himself as a man of his word.

   Jairo's second love came as a knock on his front door.  He had just completed building a new home for himself and Anita.  Early in the building process, he had grown dissatisfied with the quality of the builder and the architect's work, let the whole crew go and finished the job himself.

   The stranger at the door, an angel in disguise, had stopped to admire Jairo's skill, his craftsmanship and his attention to detail, and offered to buy the house, paying double Jairo's costs.   Jairo saw his fated moment as an opportunity to upgrade and build a larger home in a better neighborhood.  Although the couple had only been in their new home for one week, the strangers offer was too good to refuse.  The only condition - the man wanted to surprise his wife for their anniversary and needed them out in eight days.  Jairo and Anita moved out and began building again.

   Before the couple had a chance to move into their second home, it too sold to admirers - again for a substantial profit.  These events changed Jairo's life.  During the second time around, Jairo recognized his own skill, his own marked enthusiasm for the work and his natural talents as a builder.  He had found his life's work - his second true love.

  An American Story . . . Confidence, Faith and a Determined Spirit

   Not everything Jairo has accomplished over the years has come so effortlessly.  He is a deliberate man of intense determination and hard work, of self-confidence and faith.  His background is a testament of his stick-to-it attitude.  Even as an immigrant, when the odds seemed stacked against him, he had faith in himself.  Today, when Jairo walks into a room, he carries himself like a colonel, demanding respect by his very presence, but at the same time, you sense his kindness and compassion.  He is genuinely interested in you.   You believe what he tells you, you listen to his words because you know that he believes what he is saying.  His company, Alvarez Construction Co., Inc. of Baton Rouge, is respected in this same way.  First founded in Colombia, South America, in 1976, the business took root and evolved into the American marketplace and is now firmly planted in the South Louisiana construction market. 

A Pearl of Great Value

   Like many American immigrant stories, Jairo's is born out of the struggle for a better life.  While in Colombia, he obtained a visa from the American Embassy, and at 24 years old set out for new dreams and opportunities.  Before that, he was a first lieutenant in the Colombian Army, and a member of the Presidential Guard, a tiny island of integrity in a terribly corrupt environment.  Here, he was able to observe firsthand the delicate balance between the best and the worst his country had to offer.  During the next few years he would become painfully aware of the fact that his native land, personal, financial and social progress was, for the general population, a sheer illusion and virtually nonexistent.

   He now fixed his eyes on a new start, and better life. "I had the good fortune to be born into a family with a father who understood and emphasized to his children the importance of a good education.  In an environment where much was lacking, it pointed us in the right direction, and shaped the future of my life," reflects Jairo.  Eventually, upon reaching college age, his brother made the journey to America as a student.  With eight long years of his life invested in his military service and the Presidential Guard, Jairo decided to resign his prestigious position and follow his brother's footsteps.  At the time, his brother attended Albany Business College in New York and Jairo could hardly wait to make a new start himself.  Like the biblical account, Jairo sold all that he had for the price of a pearl.  His army friends agreed to help him, paying him $100 for his only valuables: a jacket, sunglasses and a typewriter.  They promised to contact him as soon as they found a flight to the States.

   In the middle of the night, Jairo got the call he'd been waiting for, and scant hours later, hopped a cargo plane at two in the morning.  He remembers sitting on top of the shifting cargo of heavy equipment and the immense heat from the plane's engine, the very real danger that he'd be crushed, hanging on desperately every time the plane banked.  When he finally landed, he found himself in the middle of a huge open field.  'Where do I go?" he asked the pilot, who pointed him in the direction of a formidable-looking building on the military base.  When he reached the building, he picked a door at random and stepped inside.  Before he knew what happened, alarms sounded and security guards flew toward him.  Police were alerted, and appeared from nowhere with unnerving swiftness.

Kindness . . . and a Beginning

   With only a few English words written on a scrap of paper in his pocket, Jairo showed his visa, and struggled to explain his story to the officers, and later, to immigration.  Surprisingly, they took up his cause, and helped him catch another cargo flight to his destination in New York, this time sharing the cargo hold with mountains of the Miami Herald, as they delivered the newspapers up and down the eastern seaboard.

   When Jairo arrived in Albany, penniless and weary from his long journey, he eventually managed to reunite with his brother.  He quickly found a job at a local hospital cleaning surgical bundles in the facility basement, a grueling and vastly unpleasant job, but one he accepted with gratitude.  He was so poor he lived in a tiny room, with a diet consisting of three basic staples: boiled potatoes, carrots and occasionally, an egg.

   His next job came as unusual offer from an elderly woman who lived nearby.  She felt compassion for Jairo, noticing how hard he worked and how skinny he seemed.  The old woman told him about a place where he could work hard but eat all the food he wanted.  She gave him a small, sealed envelope, paid for a taxi and told the driver where to bring Jairo.  He arrived at the front door of a hotel and found the person whose name graced the mysterious envelope.  When the manager read the letter from the elderly woman, he hired Jairo on the spot.  "When do you want to start working?' the manager asked.  "Now," Jairo replied.  Again he worked in a basement, this time washing huge cooking vats, pots and pans and doing odd jobs for the hotel's catering division. 

Progress...an American Education

   As he worked, Jairo managed to save a little money.  He managed to get a used bike, saving bus fare, a pittance, but money he could now put to better use.  He bought books and tapes and a small, used tape recorder, studying the English language with great intensity and perseverance.  He would ride his bike to a nearby park and practice speaking English with a statue of Moses.  People passed, staring at Jairo as if he were a madman.  Being rejected only a month earlier because of his poor pronunciation, he went back to the Dean of Albany Business College and asked to be admitted.  The Dean still questioned his language skills but admired his determination and decided to give him a chance.

   Four years later, Jairo graduated with honors, obtained a job by mail at a Colombian textile company and returned to his homeland.  Jairo recalls the story with a hint of disbelief; he has come so far.  He says, "Only in America can you start with $100 and turn into a million.  That is the beauty of this country."  He makes no mention of the unyielding dedication and work ethic he personally adds to the equation. 

Returning to America-Renewing the Dream

   During his time back in Colombia, Jairo dreamed of returning to the United Estates. In the '80s, he vacationed in Baton Rouge to visit relatives.  He knew he'd found a place where he could immerse his family in the culture and language of the United States.  He also saw the slow and sad deterioration of his country's political, social and economic climate.  In America, he could give his children the opportunity to flourish in a new and healthy environment.  Jairo returned with his family to the United States in 1984, after waiting two years for a visa.  He came at a height of the recession, at a time when home building was almost at a standstill.  Realizing it was not a good time to start his building business, he opened his own restaurant, and soon gained national recognition for innovative marketing.

   Years later, in 1990, a regular customer, builder/developer Bob Richardson, came into his restaurant and told him about a new subdivision.  Jairo jumped at the opportunity to buy.  Richardson took a personal interest, supplying Jairo some excellent house plans and a list of dependable supplies, and took Jairo under his wing as an associate and a friend.  Richardson would often come to the building site offering his advise and comments.  Jairo is grateful for the friendship of Richardson, who helped him get back to the business he so loved.

Professionalism... a Family's Touch

   A highly professional organization, Alvarez Construction Company is a family -owned and operated business.  Its solid foundation is based on the close-knit family dynamic.  Everyone in the family plays a meaningful role in the day-to-day operations of the business.  His wife Anita handles administrative duties, tracks important issues, keeps the organization on top of paperwork and provides background support to the other family members.

   His eldest son Carlos, an energetic, intelligent and articulate businessman, is in charge of building and selling.  He graduated from Louisiana State University in business administration and has played an integral role in the company's success to date.  One of his greatest personal assets is his ability to multi-task, a necessary skill in the building industry. 

   Jairo's daughter, Ana Marcela, graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University with a concentration in foreign languages.  She works full-time as the company's administrative manager in charge of accounting, bookkeeping and staff.  Jairo considers the administrative aspect a strong and important side of his business.  Through the use of the computerized software tools, and under Jairo's expert direction, Ana Marcela keeps meticulous accounting records and taxes for the different corporations we own.

   Sebastian, Jairo's youngest son, is a graduate from Louisiana State University in landscape architecture. He is in charge of planning and development. His job is to oversee land development and subdivision infrastructure, including street building, electrical work, sewerage, etc. He hires architects and engineers and works closely with them in the planning process.

Work Ethic

   It is obvious that Jairo's family is his most valued and precious asset- a wisdom that extends to his awareness of his clients' needs as well.  Working with his company, it is easy to see how broadly his respect for families benefits the families for whom he builds.  Without the contribution of each family member, his life and business would not be as full and successful as it is now.  As a father, Jairo expects the most out of each of his children, an expectation that has gone unanswered.  Today, as adults, his children credit him as the consummate father and role model, and are quite vocal about it.  Jairo not only graduated with honors as an undergraduate, but later went to obtain his master's degree in finance.  During our interview, he emphasized how his father instilled the importance of a good education in him and how he has passed that down to his own children

   The family is proud of their achievements in business, as a family and in education.  In a brown cardboard box, Jairo keeps a stack of letters written by satisfied customers.  "We didn't ask for these," he points out.  Not that he's surprised by satisfied clients, but he is touched that they have taken the time write.  Each letter is a testament to his family's dedication.

   "I was impressed with your professionalism, with the pride in your work and with the honesty and sincerity you displayed in that first meeting.  After living in the house four months now, we have no regrets in our choice of builders." -John S. of Oak Hills Park

   "Your guidance, ideas and professionalism made our home come out exactly as we had planned.  You answered all our questions and concerns quickly and at any time of the day or night."-Bobby and S. J. of Rolling Meadows Subdivision

    "We've had a chance to have a couple of parties and all of our guests have raved about the house..."-Jim L. of Baton Rouge

    "When buying and building a new house, there was a lot of anxiety and decision-making to make our new home a special place.  It was very comforting to have a builder that took so much pride in his work and put his name behind his work.  Such things are rare these days."-Joseph & Lisa T. of Hickory Ridge Subdivision

Community

   Jairo explains, "I like to live in the neighborhoods I help to create, to become an active part in that community.  Clients are comforted by the fact their builder is living right next door or around the block.  If problems arise, customers know I'm here to resolve them; and their builder can be a valued neighbor, as well."   

Giving Back

   Since 1999, Alvarez Construction has been  involved in another well-known, important community based project benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital  St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is nationally renowned for cancer research and treatment and its benevolent policy of treating all children, rich or poor, for all types of cancer.  The Alvarez family has agreed to spearhead the project, donating their time and building expertise in conjunction with many other area vendors, to create the St. Jude Dream Home.  Jairo feels honored to be awarded the opportunity to build the St. Jude Project not just this year, but for years to come.

Professional Involvement, Ideas

   To stay abreast of trends in the market, Jairo Alvarez is an active member of the Capitol Region Builders Association, the Louisiana Home Builders Association and the National Association of Home Builders.  He attributes much of his company's success to his awareness of the economy and local business trends, efficient cost controls and elimination of waste.  He points out that in countries like Colombia, everything is valued; there is no room for waste.  His good habits not only fit well into his personal ideas, they save clients money and enable him to build more house for the money.

   Jairo's basic overriding philosophy is simple and pervasive: "You must always have two winners.  If you have a loser and winner - you are in trouble."

   Alvarez homes generally fall some where between $200,000 and $500,00, with concentration in the $200,000 to $300,000 price range.  Jairo rarely sticks to one set of plans, and his plans evolve.  To his thinking, there is always room for improvement and imagination and imagination.  This can be seen in his distinctive roof line, his use of innovative products and in the specialty kitchens and bathrooms he creates.

   His first house in Baton Rouge sold right away and he's never looked back, except maybe to offer his thanks to those who have helped him along the way.  These he looks back on with deep appreciation and pride.

   Builder/Architect takes pleasure in bringing you this inspiring story of Baton Rouge home builder Jairo Alvarez and his wonderful family and team.