Who We Are

Ivan Koetje

Ivan started Koetje Builders Inc with his brother John in 1965 and has worked in the construction and land development industry ever since. Ivan has stepped away from the custom home building business in the last few years allowing Randy and Julie to take over the custom home construction. Ivan remains active in the residential development of lots and apartment construction and management.

Ivan’s 40+ years in the construction industry, focus on quality, and desire to provide people with the best service and care in the industry has resulted in many happy customers over the years. Ivan says “I have always treated my rental tenants the same as what I would if they were an owner because it is their home whether they rent it or own it.” When Ivan develops a new piece of land, he always strives for maximum use of the resource and tries to keep the lot prices affordable.

When Ivan is not working, he and his wife Carolyn, enjoy doing things with their 4 children, 12 grandchildren, going back home to northern Michigan where they grew up, traveling, and various outdoor activities.

Randy Koetje

Randy grew up around the construction business doing job site cleanup and lawn maintenance at the apartments after school and has been a full time employee since 1996 and a partner in Koetje Builders Inc since 2000. The early years on the construction site as a frame in carpenter gave Randy a special understanding of how a house goes together and what is important for long lasting quality in a Koetje home. Randy now specializes in handling design, sales and construction management at Koetje Builders. When Randy designs a house for someone there are a few things he always tries to include. One of them is a lot of windows to take in natural light and maximize the views on the owner’s lot. Randy really enjoys drawing homes for challenging lots and the unique needs of customers. Randy says “a challenging lot can open up the possibilities to do unique things that just don’t work on all lots, I really like to include fun new ideas in the homes we build, it is something I am always thinking about."Outside of work, Randy and his wife Katie enjoy spending time doing outdoor activities, wildlife habitat enhancement projects, working with high school aged youth, and housing repair related service projects. Randy has really enjoyed going on weeklong service projects over the last few years, mostly with high school youth, repairing homes, building relationships, and trying to restore hope in people lives in economically distressed and storm damaged areas of the United States. Randy says “it is always fun to help people out and to show the youth the joy of helping others, introducing them to the construction industry, and giving them the confidence that they can do a lot of different things if they try.”

Julie Boetsma

Julie also worked in the family business throughout her teen years doing lawn maintenance at the apartments and staining cedar siding. After graduating from Davenport University with an associate's degree in business in 1987, she started working full time in the office and received her builder's license in 1989. In 1991, Julie became a partner when her Uncle John retired from the building company. She considers it a great blessing to have been able to work closely with many family members throughout the years.

Julie now manages the main office which handles the operations for the building company, development companies, and rental companies. She is also the interior designer for the company's model homes/spec homes and assists customers with their selections as well. Julie says, "I enjoy helping people turn their dreams and ideas into reality by finding the right products and colors for each area of their new home. It is very rewarding to meet up with customers 5-10 years after they have moved in and have them say how much they love their home."

Julie's "2nd job" is helping her husband Chris with their family farming business by selling flowers and produce at the local farm markets. Julie & Chris have 3 children and enjoy spending time together at sporting events, on family vacations, and at the Koetje family cottage. Julie also enjoys helping with
school projects/fundraisers and at her church.