ABOUT US
WOODLAND CUSTOM HOMES
“OWNER”
Jon Nissen
Jon Nissen was born and raised in Toledo and graduated from Start High School. He grew up playing baseball and spent many summers working as a first mate on “Easy Catch Charter Boat.” In Jon’s free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Cheryl, their two daughters, Hunter and Ashland, and their dogs. He is a dedicated fan of the Detroit Lions and Detroit Tigers and loves watching Michigan Football. Jon has been in the construction business for over 20 years.
He started his career as a salesman with a national lumber company. This allowed him to learn all aspects of building and work hands-on with many Toledo-area builders. Jon decided to leave sales to pursue his dream of building homes. He has apprenticed under the best carpenters, framers, window installers, roofers, and general contractors. Jon effortlessly combines his knowledge of quality construction with your desire for a unique & custom home. He takes pride in his craftsmanship and the contractor’s on-site work as a team to ensure every detail is exactly as you envisioned.
Contact Jon to discuss your building needs at Jon@WoodlandCustomHomes.com. Also, be sure to follow us on Facebook @woodlandcustomhomebuilders to keep up with current and upcoming projects!
“PROJECT SUPERINTENDENT”
Joe Tafelski
Joe Tafelski was born and raised in Toledo and is an alumnus of St John’s Jesuit Titans. He continued his education at Ohio University and the University of Toledo. He has spent the last 28 years in the construction industry; 25 of those years, he was a master carpenter and the previous three years as a project manager for Woodland Custom Home Builders. His passions include golfing, hunting, and fishing; he also enjoys making people happy! Working for Woodland has helped him achieve the latter of his passions by working with each customer directly throughout the home-building process. You will hear Joe say often, “Nothing beats the sense of happiness from helping people” He loves to assist in helping someone realize their biggest goal in life of building a high-quality house, no matter what the price range. Contact Joe Tafelski at Joe@WoodlandCustomHomes.com
“PROJECT SUPERINTENDENT”
Tim Swiergosz
Tim Swiergosz is a native of Toledo, a graduate of Libbey high school, he also attended the University of Toledo. He started his career in the home building business as customer service with the Cavalear Corporation located in Sylvania, Ohio and worked his way up to Vice President of Construction. He has a background in land development along with building several area subdivisions in his 15-year career with Cavalear. Tim was also Vice president of Prestancia Building Company for 12 years and was also a licensed builder in the State of Michigan. Tim has been married to his wife Kim for 39 years where they reside in Waterville. Together they have raised two beautiful daughters, Stacey and Lindsay and have three grandchildren William, Lucas, and Wrenlee. Tim has two dogs named Eddie and Archie and he enjoys spending his time with his family and grandchildren.
“OFFICE MANAGER”
Andrea Christian
Andrea Christian is a native of Jerry City, OH and graduated from Elmwood High School. Her husband, Kacy Christian graduated from Cardinal Stritch and was involved in Football, Basketball and Baseball. He continued his career with baseball into college and is currently the Asst Varsity Baseball Coach at Anthony Wayne General. Andrea and Kacy have been married for 8 years and have 4 children, Allyie, Kashton, Knox, and Haizleigh.
Andrea brings over 22 years of knowledge in the real estate industry. She started her career back in 2000 as a mortgage processor & loan originator at a local mortgage company and then continued into the title business for 8 years. Her extensive background is very helpful in the daily routines of the construction business. She is the custom designer of our homes and manages Woodland Custom Home Builders office. She continues to strive for excellence with the customers and establishes great customer service and building relations with everyone she meets. Contact Andrea Christian at Andrea@WoodlandCustomHomes.com
“PROJECT COORDINATOR”
Tracey Sehnert
He is a native of Waterville, Ohio and a proud graduate of Anthony Wayne High School. After graduating, he furthered his education at Bowling Green State University majoring in Business Management. Upon completing college, he worked for a large national building material supplier for 20 years as an outside salesman. He has learned from some of the top builders in the Toledo area. After leaving the sales sector, he continued his work experience in the construction industry with a large homebuilder and learned the residential building side of the business. Tracey joined our team as a coordinator, he was excited because the opportunity to work for Jon was too good to pass up as he knows the type of quality individual he is as well as the quality of product that Woodland builds. Tracy is the proud father of his 2 children and 2 step children. His daughter, Abbey is attending Grad school at BGSU and his son, Keegan is currently working in the trades as a finish carpenter. His step children, Austin is currently working in the electrical internship & Erika just graduated BG and will be attending UT. In his free time he enjoys playing golf, hanging out with his wife, Heidi as they enjoy other many outdoor activities.
Contact Tracey Sehnert at Tracey@woodlandcustomhomes.com
“HOME WARRANTY COORDINATOR”
Jim Overmyer
Jim Overmyer was born in Whitehouse, Ohio raised on a small farm in Neapolis, Ohio. He attended High School in Grand Rapids and studied Mechanical Engineering for two years at Toledo University. Jim was drafted in 1968 by the U.S. Army, serving one year as Viet Nam MOS machinist operator. After returning home, he married the love of his life, Brenda, and they raised four children, two boys, and two girls, and now have 11 grandchildren. He started working in the carpenter trade at 12 years old by his dad’s side as an apprentice, better known as a “gofer.” He has been the owner and operator of a small construction business for the past 18 years building commercial and residential structures. He has now joined Woodland Custom Homes and enjoys working with his hands in helping homeowners in achieving their dream homes to raise their families.
Jim also serves in his hometown in Jerry City as Zoning Commissioner and board trustee member at PHC in Portage, OH. His passion for the outdoors includes bow hunting, fishing, and riding his Harley Davidson with the wind in his face. He has 28 years of mentoring boys in the Royal Ranger Ministry at his Church, which involves teaching them survival skills, tool-craft, rope-craft, and cooking skills to prepare them for life’s adventure.
“CONSTRUCTION”
Josh Maynard
Josh Maynard was raised in Temperance, Michigan where he graduated from Bedford Senior High School. He then attended The University of Northwestern Ohio where he received two associates degrees in Applied Sciences of Diesel Technology and Applied Sciences of Agricultural Technology. Josh had worked for Jon during the summer and gained interest in the construction industry; he has begun his career in construction with Woodland Custom Homes. Josh has a passion for cars and enjoys working on his RC cars in his spare time. Josh is engaged to his high school sweetheart, Ashland; they share two dogs together, Josie and Chase. Josh spends his free time camping with his fiance and their dogs. Josh loves learning and always has a new hobby.
“FIELD COORDINATOR”
Ashland Gilkerson
Ashland Gilkerson was born in Toledo, Ohio, and was raised in Temperance, Michigan. She attended and graduated from Bedford Senior High School; she then attended Bowling Green State University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in 2019. Ashland began working for Woodland Custom Homes in college, doing all the final cleans. Her position has since grown; she now closes out all of our homes and runs the service department. Ashland has learned many skills working alongside the men and women she works with daily. She has always had a love for homes and takes great pride in the work we do. Ashland is engaged to her high school sweetheart, Josh; they share two dogs, Josie and Chase. Ashland spends her free time with her family, crafting, and baking.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
TESTIMONIALS
My husband and I are so happy we decided to build with Woodland Custom Homes. The finishing’s and quality of craftsmanship are a step above the rest. Jon and his staff worked with us to help design our dream home. We are so pleased with the final product, and we can’t wait to spend many years here with our family.
My wife and I could not be happier with our new home! The purchase process and support by the team at Woodland made the experience enjoyable and easy. We fell in love with the unique custom features of our home that really stood out against the numerous styles on the market today. I would recommend Woodland to anyone looking to have a great home building experience.
My experience with Woodland has been nothing short of excellence. My home is beautiful and well thought out. All of my guests that have come through the front door have all said “WOW….this is absolutely beautiful”. The open floor plan and stunning kitchen accented by beautiful lighting has truly pleased everyone. The color schematics, flooring, and finish work are outstanding. I absolutely love my new home. The follow-up experience after my purchase has been excellent as well. Clear and fast communication resolving any unforeseen issues is their standard. Extremely happy overall.
My wife and I had the pleasure of building our home with Jon Nissen in 2016. Jon made the process extremely enjoyable and exciting. He was always available to speak with and attentive to every detail along the way. Jon made sure each request and desire was outlined carefully ahead of time. At each point along the way he checked in to make sure we were happy with every outcome. My wife had quite a few requests with regard to her kitchen and Jon made sure her dreams came true!
Jon and his crew provide intricacies in the design of a home that most builders would consider “extras”. However, in all of Jon’s homes, these features seem to be his standard! We constantly receive compliments from friends and families on the “extras” throughout the house.
If I could describe Jon in one word it would be genuine. From the moment you meet him, you will completely understand. What you see is what you get. He displays integrity, reliability, and honesty, all of the characteristics you would want in a builder. My wife and I now consider Jon and his wife our friends. If we ever decide we have outgrown our beautiful home, we will definitely be building with him again. We highly endorse and recommend Jon when it comes to choosing a builder!”
Jon Nissen and Woodland Custom Homes were phenomenal! He’s very easy to work with and truly cares about your vision. The fact that he gives you time with an Interior Decorator, included in his home building process, is amazing. Jon and his supervisors are constantly in touch with you and giving you updates on the home’s progress. I have nothing but great things to say about him and his product.
Another great thing about Jon is his relationship with The Warren Group of Danberry Realtors. My wife and I stumbled across one of Jon’s homes and met with Josh Junkins (Warren Group) during an open house. Josh’s ability to help guide you in the right direction, without being pushy, was a big relief in our home buying/building adventure.
One of the greatest things I’ve come to find out about Jon and the Warren Group, is that they treat your business personal. It is their mission to make sure you are completely happy at all times. They make themselves available at all times and respond in a quick manner. They treat you as family and I find that incredibly rare in business owners in the current world. For this reason alone, they’ve found a customer for life in me. If I’m ever in the market for another home I know it will be an easy process because I’ll call Josh, Jon and Kevin up again in a heartbeat. Thank you all so very much!
WOODLAND CUSTOM HOMES
