Jarrett Construction traces its roots back to the mid-seventies. Ed Jarrett had recently graduated college and married the gal of his dreams when he was approached by a friend who asked if he’d be interested in building homes together. Ed had worked construction jobs throughout high school and college but had no idea what it took to plan, design, and build a house. An experienced carpenter took the two friends under his wing, teaching them how to manage the sequence of trades and acquisition of materials, and how to stay ahead of the process with detailed scheduling. It was an exciting and challenging new venture, and Ed’s love of building took root.
Their first project was a spec home on “Cowboy Hill” – “About all you could see out there was vacant land and the Dallas Cowboys practice facility,” Ed recalls. To their delight, their first spec home sold before it was even completed. Not only that, but the lot owner across the street was impressed with what he’d seen, and hired them to build his home. Before they knew it, Ed and his partner were immersed in the prosperous spec building business.
During the 1980’s, things were not just good, they were great. Mortgage rates were over 20% in the early 80’s as the nation came out of a recession, and the building industry was booming. Ed and his partner expanded their scope of work to include multi-family units near Southern Methodist University and the surrounding area.
By the mid 80’s, “we thought the sky would stay blue for the rest of our lives” says Ed. But little did they know that by 1986, the bottom would fall out of the real estate and mortgage businesses. By the time the crash hit, they were stuck with five lots in University Park and 45 condominiums near the Dallas Tollway and University Avenue. The seemingly unstoppable spec duo found themselves over-levereged, and by the late 80’s were forced to shut the door on their business. Though the end of such a successful and formative era was a great disappointment to Ed, a new and exciting opportunity was just around the corner…
Ed received a fateful call in 1991 – a friend of a friend was looking to remodel her kitchen and wanted to know if Ed would be interested. Thinking of himself as more of a spec builder than a remodeler, and still feeling the sting from the collapse of his last venture, Ed was hesitant. But his love of construction won out – he decided to take this step of faith and embark on a journey back into the building world, this time alone. After successfully completing this project, the phone started ringing and “The Ed Jarrett Company” was off to the races.
Ed found himself more invigorated by his work than ever before, and credits the personal relationships he developed with his clients as the reason for this change. Working with individuals and families to create beautiful, lasting environments for their loved ones added a new level of meaning and purpose to his business endeavors. Ed spent the remainder of the 90’s earning a reputation as a quality remodeling contractor.
As his remodeling business continued to grow, Ed’s eldest daughter joined the team and got tEJC optimized and organized. September 11th, 2001 brought uncertainty once again, but tEJC’s workflow stayed strong and with it came an increased amount of requests for new custom homes. Yet again, a new day was dawning for The Ed Jarrett Company. What had started out as skillful spec building had emerged from the fire as renovation renown, and was now blossoming into a reputation for fine custom homes, both renovated and brand new. The stage was set for the growth that was to come…
This is the decade Ed calls the most exciting of his career. John Jarrett, the younger of Ed’s two sons, joined The Ed Jarrett Company in 2010. John had graduated in 2006 with a degree in Construction Science and had built a successful career in commercial healthcare construction. By 2010 he was ready for a new challenge, and, like his father, was compelled by the opportunity for a more personal building experience. He was an outstanding project manager during his early years at tEJC and soon became the senior project manager over all construction and project management. He revamped tEJC’s systems, methods and practices, and set tEJC on a trajectory for new heights.
During this time, John and Ed assembled a team of not just incredibly skilled professionals, but of some of the kindest, friendliest people you will ever meet. They believe that the experience of building a home should extend beyond excellent construction, and that wonderful Project Managers and Site Superintendents make all the difference.
With a solid team in place and systems that kept everyone informed and organized, tEJC enjoyed a decade of successful projects and rewarding client relationships. tEJC experienced phenomenal growth and organizational change under John’s leadership, and by 2019, “The Ed Jarrett Company” became “Jarrett Construction” with John at the helm.
Despite the rise of a global pandemic and the unforeseen challenges that came along with it, Jarrett Construction has seen nothing but growth at the onset of this new decade. While in-person meetings have turned virtual, our client portal has become a valuable asset – utilizing the latest in builder communication software, it allows clients to view on-site progress photos, confirm selections, and track their project’s schedule and budget from wherever they are. We are constantly improving our systems, growing our team, and collecting feedback from current clients to make the process that much more seamless for future clients. Our projects range from sizable new builds to smaller renovations – we relish the challenge each new opportunity brings and hope to serve our clients well for another 50 years and beyond.
While John is flourishing in his role as President, Ed is still an integral part of Jarrett construction. He serves as a knowledgeable advisor to all JC team members and continues to work on business development from his client base of almost 50 years. He says his greatest delight is to see his son thrive in the business and continue the family legacy.