Our Story

Kevin Doenier

Born and raised in Arcadia, Wisconsin, Kevin left his family’s large working dairy farm, moved to the Grand Rapids area in 1980, and started a family.

His first jobs were in construction: first framing houses, then pole barn construction, then reconstruction of burned houses, and finally finish trim work. He worked for Koetje Builders for 13 years, primarily as a member of the interior finish crew building custom cabinetry and trimming out entire homes, and for the last few years in customer service. His experience in all aspects of home construction led him to the field of historical restoration, allowing him to apply his expertise to his interest in the preservation of old homes. For the following decade, he worked with the team at Dan Zondervan Company, Inc., developing the finer points of historical restoration. In 2006, he co-founded Midtown Craftsmen LLC, where he manages building and renovation projects for the company’s residential customers.

John Leegwater

John was born in Blue Island, Illinois, to Dutch immigrant parents. They arrived in Grand Rapids in 1978 and made it their home. His career in construction was launched with summer jobs as he worked his way through Ferris State University to earn his degree in Applied Arts and Sciences (A.A.S.) in Building Construction Technology.

His work ethic and leadership skills made him a natural choice to head up commercial and residential crews accomplishing such projects as fabricating & installing solid surface counter tops, remodel Studio 28 Cinema to stadium seating, framing condo’s and finish carpentry. A six-year opportunity with Dan Zondervan Company, Inc. allowed him to concentrate on residential homes with an emphasis on historical restoration. His personal passion for the quality construction of craftsmen from decades past remains a catalyst for his work today, leading his own company, Midtown Craftsmen. John manages the day-to-day operation for Midtown, including sales, estimating, scheduling, and, of course, the craft he loves, carpentry.