The Team
Large enough to cope. Small enough to care. RIght here in Cincinnati.
Meet Craig Russell and our award-winning team of skilled building professionals, your guides as you transform your house into a home—our start from scratch with a new one. Don't you dare call us general contractors, either. Our in-house team includes the full range of home building and renovation crafts, all focused on completing your project to our impossibly high standards of workmanship and style, on time and on budget. Ready for something new? We pride ourselves in our attention to detail as custom home builders. Our remodeling specialties include luxury home improvement projects from kitchen and bathroom renovations, basement refinishing, outdoor rooms, home additions, and whole home remodels. We’re your partners throughout the process, with your vision as our blueprint and your satisfaction as our goal. Meet us and let's get started.
Certified by the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) and National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA).
Member of home builders association and Allied Member of AIA Cincinnati.
craig russell
Cincinnati-based, but decidedly English, Craig Russell is the powerhouse behind The English Contractor & Remodeling Services. He’s earned his "bulldog" nickname through his tenacity and strength. Passionate and decisive (what he describes as stubbornness, you’ll see as perseverance), with a stick-to-it-tiveness that maintains high standards for workmanship and detail throughout your project. There’s a reason why a significant percentage of our projects are from repeat customers. Craig leads a team of 36 professionals, with a good sense of humor and an eye for perfection, every step of the way.
Office & Management Staff
Jason Raines | Logistics & Materials Manager
Jennifer Fiorenza | Project Director
Jennifer Buchholz | Director of MArketing
August Busch | Project coordinator
Matt Sunderman | Director of accounting
On-Site Project Leads
Jeremy Spence
Jesse Morgan Project Lead
Daryl Ackley | Project lead
Our Crew
Our Process
You Talk. We Listen.
We could talk about custom home building and bespoke renovations all day long. But when it comes to your home, it’s time for us to listen. We’ll want to hear all about your hopes for your new space—whether it’s for building your dream home, creating a custom kitchen or expanding your home with a new addition. It’s about more than design, budget, and timeline. We take the time to get to know you and what you really want, down to the tiniest detail.
Of course, we have to mention that we play nicely with others. Plans in hand and ready to build a new home addition? Need a little guidance in your kitchen renovation process? Looking for décor advice for your bathroom makeover? We’ll meet you where you are. We can fit right in with your existing architecture or design teams, plus we’re happy to make a recommendation or two if you’re just starting the process.
.
Full Service, At Your Service.
We're a full service team, at your service. With a stickler for detail at our helm, there’s no wonder that we’re a team dedicated to your satisfaction, from demolition to the final touches. That’s why The English Contractor's in-house team includes electricians, plumbers, cabinet makers, and painters, making us a full service building firm right here in Cincinnati. While there’s nothing wrong with calling in a subcontractor every now and again, we’re able to focus on your building or renovation project, meet your budget, and exceed your expectations because of our full-service, full-time offering—from beginning to end. No waiting for an opening in a schedule. When it needs to get done, it will get done, thanks to our comprehensive in-house team.
We pair personal attention with around-the-clock collaboration. Sure, there’s an app for that. We offer a smartphone app that will keep us all on the same page from start to finish of your home building or renovation project. As much as automation keeps us all connected, it’s the personal touch that makes all the difference. You will receive assistance from your dedicated project manager every step of the way, so you’ll breathe easy through the biggest of construction projects. Our careful listening leads to precision building—that’s our commitment to you.
Creativity & Craftsmanship.
It’s not just skill. It’s more than just attention to detail. It’s looking at the uniqueness of every project and coming up with the best approach as an entire team—with the homeowner’s vision as our guide. Some projects are straightforward, while others need a little creative problem solving. Either way, there’s nothing cookie cutter about our process or the end product. Precision and craftsmanship meet function and style as we help turn your home into one of your dreams.
Some call it swinging a hammer. But we know there's more to it than that. What you might call a trade, we call an art form. And it shows in our final product. Our skill has been showcased in some of Cincinnati's most beautiful homes. We continue to hone our skill by keeping up with the latest trends and mastering new techniques and materials so that our final product is always state-of-the-art, from the studs to the custom touches.
What’s more, we’re leading the way in teaching and training the next generation of builders, tradespeople and renovation specialists. An industry this specialized only continues if you have a trained workforce at the ready. Our doors are always open to those wanting to learning a new trade and architecture and design students looking for some hands-on experience before graduation.
Testimonials
What people are saying!
“I had a wonderful experience with The English Contractor. From my initial phone call through the end of the project, the team was responsive and attentive. I had zero complaints during my remodel and all work was done to the highest quality. I have recommended them to friends and look forward to using The English Contractor again in the future!”
“The English Contractor recently completed our screened porch/bonus room renovation and we are so happy with it. The crews were great to work with and we learned a lot about the history of our older home from them throughout the construction. Craig is hands-on and responsive. The new space feels like it’s always been a part of our home , and the high quality of the crews’ work shines through in the end result. Thank you Craig and team!”
“We want to thank Craig, Jeremy and crew for all the hard work over the past year and a half. It was tough-going but the team’s flexibility and craftsmanship has been outstanding. We really appreciate it. We can’t go on enough about how great Jeremy has been, so I won’t even try. ”
“We hired Craig and the English Contractor Team to complete a major renovation and addition on our home in Hyde Park. The entire Team was polite and very professional. The work was completed ahead of schedule (originally a 7-8 month project) and the quality was first class. After working with the English Contractor, I won’t have anyone else work on my house in the future. ”
“This is our second project with The English Contractor. Having refinished our hardwood floors several years ago, I contacted him to build a large, elevated deck behind the house designed to support a Spa. Craig provided many ideas during the planning of the project to achieve a final deck that exceeded our expectations. His team is professional, take pride in their work and they deliver high quality workmanship. I highly recommend The English Contractor for your next project.”
CERTIFICATIONS & AWARDS
Our Expertise And Recognition
We may be home building experts, but our learning never stops. That’s why we’re proud of our continuing education within the building and remodeling industry. We’re always happy when our best work for our homeowners result in recognition by national home builder organizations.
MEdia
In The News
It’s not unusual to find Craig Russell, founder and CEO of The English Contractor, on a job site, swinging a hammer or using his eagle eye to make sure each and every detail meets his impossibly high standards. He leads his crew by example, not afraid to get his hands dirty. Craig’s a frequent resource for those looking for some DIY advice or how to tackle their next big home improvement project.