Construction Financing Staff
Joe Ewald
Construction Financing Department Manager
Joe Ewald joined Chelsea Lumber in 1986 as a construction financing representative.
For a few years in the 1990s, he worked elsewhere for a mortgage lending company,
then returned to us as our head of construction financing, with special emphasis
on mortgages. Joe is a Chelsea native, and he continues to reside here.
“Our job in construction financing is so varied and challenging. We go from being building experts to financial advisors. Building a home is one of the biggest projects of anyone’s life, and we’ve helped hundreds of people through the process. We understand what the customer is going through.”
Kevin Kunzelman
Construction Financing Representative
When Kevin Kunzelman joined Chelsea Lumber in 1988, he worked at our sales
counter, and quickly demonstrated his aptitude for relating to people and zeroing
in on their particular needs. Within a few years, Kevin moved to our construction
financing department, where he now helps people realize their dreams for building
new homes. Kevin lives in Chelsea. He was born and raised in nearby Stockbridge.
“My philosophy of customer service is simply this: Everyone is different. We may be serving a twenty-something couple just starting out in life, or it could be a 50-year-old auto executive, or a retired farmer. The key is to learn first exactly who the customer is – what makes them tick. Then we can figure out how to best meet their needs.”
Case McCalla
Construction Financing Representative
Case McCalla got his first taste of working for Chelsea Lumber in 1990, while
on summer break from Chelsea High School. He continued to work summers for
us through his years of study at Hope College. After graduation, he worked
in banking for six years, then came to Chelsea Lumber full-time in construction
financing. He lives in Grass Lake, a few miles west of Chelsea.
“Customers will often come in feeling uncertain about how they’ll finance their new home. They may be first-time builders. My goal is to make them feel comfortablewith building a new home. Our ultimate goal is a delighted customer. We know we’re doing our job when customers leave with smiles on their faces.”
