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HISTORY In 1972, Bruce Pennings who lived in Kalamazoo. asked his dad, Wilbur Pennings, of Midland Park, New Jersey if he would be interested in going into business together. At that time, Wilbur was working for a construction company called Braunius Brothers Inc in NJ. The dream didn’t become a reality until 1974 after Wilbur and his wife Margaret moved to Kalamazoo. Bruce and Wilbur joined to become Wilbur Pennings, Builder. In the beginning, father and son worked as a framing subcontractor. Wilbur’s wife Margaret, who had worked as a bookkeeper in NJ naturally took on the bookkeeper role for the new family business. In 1976, son Brad joined his dad and brother and the business became W. Pennings and Sons, Inc. The youngest son Brian followed suit in 1977. |
In the early days, “it was tough to get going in a new place where no one knew you and the type of work that you did,” says Margaret. However word and reputation of the newly renamed W. Pennings and Sons, Inc got around and business steadily increased. Providing carpentry labor for other contractors remained a staple of the company through the late 1980’s. As the company matured, a specialization in custom designed homes and remodels emerged. Wilbur soon discovered that his boys had more of a “business mind” than he did and happily turned the business aspects over to them. He was content and fulfilled just working alongside his sons, and using his God given talents. Wilbur’s quiet unshakable faith and tenacity for working in all types of weather set the tone for the company for years to come. |
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