Paul Saarman and his sons, Jeff and Steve, incorporated Saarman Construction, Ltd. in 1982. What began as a small family business in 1978 has grown into an over 200 person strong, well-known and highly respected firm. All the while maintaining focus on the basics: integrity, quality, and the highest levels of workmanship. Our dedicated employees offer decades of experience in all aspects of the services we offer, from planning and communication to estimating and construction. This allows for a richly detailed process and no-nonsense approach to revitalizing your unique environment.
Saarman Construction, Ltd. is now widely acknowledged as the Bay Area’s premier contractor for the rehabilitation of existing communities. We are uniquely equipped to offer buildings a second chance to age with grace. Each client and each job is an opportunity to prove ourselves, leveraging our decades of construction experience, sensitivity to client needs, precision quality-control procedures, and our enthusiasm for tackling challenges head-on. We empower our employees, through training and education, and provide them with the support and respect they deserve to deliver on their potential.
The benefit of many years in business, and concern for our employees both as professionals and members of the Saarman family, has been our ability to attract and retain some of the most talented, committed experts in the construction industry. The diverse backgrounds and complementary personalities of our staff lend creativity, vitality and skill to every Saarman job. Our field crews account for a large part of our “wealth of experience”. Most of our field team members have been with the firm an average of more than 12 years, well above the industry average. This means not only high-quality workmanship, but consistent results and meaningful input toward reaching and surpassing the goals of every project.
Steve Saarman – President
As a well-known and respected member of both the construction industry and the business world at large, Steve is a frequent speaker and contributing writer for Common Interest Developments and The Apartment Association industries. Presently, he is serving his fourth term on the Board of Directors of the Better Business Bureau, Steve was named “Volunteer of the Year” by the Executive Council of Home Owners (ECHO). Steve spends a great deal of time in the field as well as taking the reins in the company’s estimating and marketing efforts. Steve brings a positive approach, enthusiastic leadership and abundant optimism to his role as company president. Above all, Steve inspires Saarman employees to respectfully do what is right and honorable, with top quality and service.
“Our work is our reputation.” – Steven Saarman
Paul Saarman – General Manager
Paul Saarman brings fiftyfive years of construction experience to our team. He was educated in Europe with classical training, making Paul the ultimate problem solver. From power plants in North Slope Alaska, to high-rise medical buildings at UCSF, to wood decks at Shorebirds in Redwood Shores, to testifying in courtrooms, Paul is able to draw on the breadth and quality of his impressive work experience. Paul established Saarman Construction with his two sons and continues to be a vibrant participant and a valuable resource.
Jeffrey Saarman – Chief Financial Officer
Jeffrey has seen it all, and from several vantage points: plumber, painter, carpenter, project manager, administrator, president and now Chief Financial Officer. His leadership on key environmental initiatives has kept Saarman on the forefront of the green building movement. It began when Jeffrey set up a program in 1994 to recycle scrapped wood from a siding replacement project. Before incentives were even in place, he introduced hybrid vehicles into the Saarman fleet for commuting to the job site. He also moved Saarman’s fleet toward biofuel through early vegetable oil recycling programs. Today Jeffrey’s commitment to offsetting the company’s impact on the environment is stronger than ever.
Michael Lunny – Senior Vice President
Michael’s sharp eye for spotting opportunities has served him well as Senior Vice President. Michael was our first employee. He has fulfilled roles as varied as carpenter, foreman, superintendent, project manager, Vice President of Operations and now, as the partner overseeing development. His experience allows him to mentor others, passing on the lessons he has learned over the years. This allows him a flexibility and a willingness to shift roles on a daily basis to get the job done. This includes training project managers, field management, managing subcontractors and dynamic problem solving. But, first and foremost, he believes in keeping the team and the client fully informed and involved in decision making.
Jim Sappington – Partner, Estimating and Litigation Support
Jim is known for his ability to trade jokes with the best of them, but his expertise in project management and estimating is no laughing matter. In fact, he has been called as an expert witness in construction cost estimating on cases in four different counties and served for two years as the President of the Western Construction Consultants Association. Jim has spent almost half of his career at Saarman, where he has become crucial to our bidding process, overseeing a team of five estimators. In his role as Chief Estimator, Jim brings over thirty years of experience in sales, project management and purchasing to bear on both conceptual and hard-bid estimates. Jim sums up his focus, attention to detail and flexibility with a simple phrase: “Plan the work, work the plan.” Jim is a trusted and respected member of the Saarman team.
Ben, Chih-Cheng, Tsai – Partner, Vice President of Operations
Ben is a licensed Civil Engineer, a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and holds Master degrees in both Structural Engineering and Construction Management from the University of Michigan. After starting at Saarman as a project manager, he rose steadly through the ranks to become a senior project manager and then Vice President of Operations. Along the way he played an integral part in developing Saarman’s Quality Control program, training both the project management team and our field superintendents. Ben also developed Saarman’s safety program, ensuring that our crews can always focus on the work without worries about their well-being. His past experience includes scheduling, building cost controls and tracking systems for construction and maintenance of multi-family residential buildings, and many public works projects such as the waterproofing of large tunnels and sewage disposal plants. He still finds time to appreciate the finer things, like classical piano.
Roman Katamay – Partner, Marketing / Testing and Maintenance
It’s fitting that Saarman’s resident infrared thermographer has a fire and a passion for his work. Roman has dedicated more than 35 years to construction and is a licensed California general and specialty contractor. He has extensive experience in the industry and has executed the role of carpenter, foreman, superintendent, project manager, and estimator. He brings an endearing personal style and a clever balance to his role in Marketing, Testing and Maintenance.
Houssein Moussavi – Partner, Vice President of Purchasing / General Superintendent
Houssein Moussavi was raised and educated abroad; adding his international construction experience to over thirty years working on the west coast. His professional experience and job perspective have been essential in creating dynamic construction teams responsible for the execution of consistently successful projects. He is known for always going the extra mile and has been a proud part of the Saarman team for over twenty years.
Ted Reiterman – Partner, General Superintendent
Ted Reiterman brings a contagiously positive outlook and a true love for the craft of construction to his position at Saarman. As General Superintendent He Saarman’s go-to guy for technology and equipment expertise – providing bi-monthly new and used product updates for our team of superintendents. From his beginnings as a carpenter’s apprentice and throughout his more than 30 years in the industry Ted has continually proven his ability to manage jobs of all sizes. His insistance on tight quality control, driven by meticulous planning has earned him the respect of work crews and clients alike. When he’s not on the job, he volunteers at the Brisbane Dog Park, where he is paid respects as “The Dogfather.”
Ray Serena – Partner, General Superintendent
Ray Serena brings dedication and proven results to the position of General Superintendent. During his tenure, he has developed the in-house stucco division and conducted field oversight for multiple projects. His health and safety credentials include a state and county certification in emergency medical treatment. He shows his love for the community through his service as commissioner of the City of Milpitas Parks, Recreation, and Historical Society, and has been a board member of the Milpitas Little League for over twenty years. Ray’s contributions to Saarman and his community are made possible by the strong foundation of over 28 years of marriage and being a proud parent of 4 children.
Venancio Luna – Partner, General Superintendent
Venancio’s tenacity and dedication to his work have seen him excel at every role he has filled during his more than 20 years at Saarman. He holds the distinction of being Saarman’s second employee, and has worked steadly to become a solid General Superintendent. He consistently delivers on multiple projects, of varying costs and scope, and brings each one to fruition with the good-natured, easy going demeanor for which he is known among colleagues and clients. No matter how tough the task, he brings understanding, attention to detail and a concern for the needs of the client. Ask anyone at Saarman and they will tell you that in Venancio’s world, “every day is a beautiful day.”
Henry Wong – Partner, Senior Estimator
Henry’s background in civil and geotechnical engineering, advanced degrees in construction engineering, management and estimating all bring a well rounded professionalism to his job as senior estimator at Saarman Construction. His unique set of skills serve him well when taking on the varied and complex tasks required of a good estimator, including project management and value engineering. We are proud to say of his more than 15 years in the construction industry, that the majority have been spent at Saarman.
Antony Mills – Partner, Senior Estimator
For more than twenty years in the construction industry Antony has overseen projects from a multitude of angles. Beginning his carreer with detail oriented engineering tasks like surveying and drafting, he has gone on to work as a skilled carpenter, superintendent and now as a well-informed estimator. This mix of roles has made him an ideal choice as a superviser of employees and subcontractors on many of our job sites. He has also been called to bring his estimating experience to bear as an expert witness in court disputes. Antony is responsible for inspection, quality control, safety, procurement and estimating, making him a key lynchpin in the Saarman team.
Jeff Lewis – Manager, Saarman Waterproofing Division
Jeff Lewis has spent more than half of his nearly 30-year career in the construction industry at Saarman, handling projects ranging from building track and custom homes to retrofitting buildings and correcting construction defects. Currently, he is the head of our Waterproofing and Restoration Departments. Jeff thrives on taking on the diverse roles of project management, estimating, quality control and marketing.
