Home building is a family affair for Elk Rapids' Gribi brothers, Roger, Kevin and Brad, but they never suspected while growing up that they'd end up building custom homes for a living - much less doing it together. They pursued entirely different interests in school, and it took some happy twists of fate to reunite them in the company know as Gribi builders. Granted, it wasn't sheer chance. Carpentry is an honored tradition in the family, and Gribis have been craftsmen and farmers since before they emigrated from Switzerland to Michigan in the 1860s. Roger, Kevin and Brad's dad, Richard, was a carpenter, and their Uncle Ken built custom homes in the Lansing area for more than 30 years. The brothers just naturally began learning the trade from the time they were old enough to swing a hammer.

There were hints early on of their future company's motto "A Tradition of Excellence." All three graduated at the top of their respective classes from Elk Rapids High School. When Roger, the eldest, graduated from the University of Michigan School of Business in 1971, he went into marketing, with the hope of someday having a business of his own.