Spencer Homes Opens New Design Center in Glen Carbon

GLEN CARBON - Spencer Homes is celebrating its 18th year in business with the opening of a new design center in Glen Carbon.

Spencer Homes completes both new construction and remodeling projects with a specialization in accessible designs. The design center will serve as an office space and a gallery of products, with several samples of countertops, cabinetry and more for customers to see firsthand as they design their homes.

“It’s the culmination of 18 years of a lot of hard work on behalf of our staff, our trade partners and our suppliers,” said Mike Rathgeb, the founder and president of Spencer Homes. “We’re able to offer customers not just the services but the product, and also we can offer them a 3D rendering so they can see their project before it’s done. And a real specialty that we started ten years ago was accessibility, so we design and build with longterm accessibility and mobility in mind for our clients.”

The company has grown a lot in the past year, with a new location in Swansea as well as the Glen Carbon design center. They are on schedule to complete 50 projects this year throughout the Metro East area.

“It’s been neat to watch the company grow the way we have,” project manager Dustin Radick said. “One of the things that I enjoy most about working for Spencer Homes is seeing a lot of the customers moving into the homes and then visiting them afterwards.”

This personal touch stands out to these customers, especially because Spencer Homes often goes the extra mile to help people stay in their homes as their mobility needs change. As a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist — a designation from the National Association of Homebuilders — Rathgeb and his company have a long history of designing accessible homes and modifying houses to accommodate residents’ needs.

“We’ve actually seen where the way we design and build, especially with accessibility in mind, the way we design and build has been life-changing for some people,” Rathgeb said. “We not only have been able to build traditional homes over the years and do traditional remodeling, but we’ve been able to change people’s lives and the way that they’ve been able to live and enjoy their homes…It’s incredibly fulfilling also, not only as a company but just as individuals, to see that this type of work that we do has such a positive impact on people in their day-to-day lives.”

The new design center can show customers these features firsthand, as well as other products and designs that might appeal to them. Spencer Homes works with many trade partners to give their customers a variety of options.

Valerie Adkins, who owns Kitchens by Valerie and partners with Spencer Homes, noted that this working relationship has been “amazing.” Her products are featured at the design center, an exciting step for both companies.

“Very easy to work with,” Adkins said of Spencer Homes. “Quality, quality people. They do a great job. They have fantastic carpenters. They have fantastic design people. So we all work together extremely well and [I’m] looking forward to the new venture that we’re embarking on.”

The new design center is only part of this next era for Spencer Homes. As the company prepares to enter its 19th year, Rathgeb hopes to reach more people through the construction and remodeling projects they’re completing throughout the area. He teases that the company is off to a great start, with an exciting future ahead.

“We have expanded our company in terms of not only locations, but also in terms of services and personnel. A year ago, we had half as many employees as we do today. And we can’t do this without our wonderful employees, without our trade partners and our suppliers, none of this happens without those team members,” Rathgeb added. “We’re just getting started.”

To learn more about Spencer Homes or to start your next project, visit their official website at SpencerHomesLLC.com or stop by their new Glen Carbon design center at 6616 Center Grove Road.

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