About Us
Jean Yves Couture - Founder
Jean-Yves Couture, founder of Superior Builder, Inc., and native of Canada, moved to the States in 1971 to begin his long, successful career in construction and become one of the most respected builders in the Greater Hartford area.
In the early 1970s, Jean-Yves began working in construction by laying foundations, and as the story goes, there was only one way for him to go from there, and that was up - literally. In the mid-70s, he changed his career path and began framing and soon became a foreman for a couple of respected companies in the area. In 1981, he co-founded his first company, C.C.L. Construction, with his brother Jean-Guy in which each one was accountable for heading a construction crew. Gaining knowledge of a couple of General Contracting jobs, Jean felt comfortable dealing with the subcontractors that he came into contact with enough to found Superior Builder Co. in 1984. Superior Builder became incorporated in 1987. At that time, Jean-Guy headed up the framing crews while he concentrated on establishing the General Contracting company.
All the while, Jean-Yves was known by all as a "perfectionist" who was well respected by all of his subcontractors and suppliers - some of whom are still with us today. His clients loved his warm personality, patience, love of life, and his eye for perfection. His numerous accomplishments include a 10,000 SQ. FT. home in Glastonbury, which won a Certificate of Merit for its technological and environmental innovation and its contribution to the preservation of natural resources.
Jean passed away on July 20, 2000, after a long battle with cancer. It has since been our mission to maintain the level of quality that was so important to him and which was the foundation on which Superior Builder was built.
Charger - Superior's mascot and faithful companion
Little Charger came to us at the cute young age of just 2 months. He was full of energy and spunk and the cutest thing we had ever seen. As you can imagine, he was never left alone for long and often found himself in the passenger seat of Peter's truck as he went off to the job site. He grew up as Peter's sidekick and was usually always roaming around the job site and, for the most part, staying out of trouble! Homeowners were quick to find out that he was President of our "work site welcoming committee" and often was the first to greet them as they arrived to either check on their home's progression or to attend an on-site progress meeting with us. Subcontractors, well, they were quick to find out that Charger also held title to the "after-lunch cleanup crew," and the tail end of their ham sandwich never went to waste. Charger passed on January 3, 2014, at the ripe old age of 13, and he is dearly missed.
Suzy Couture - President, Director of Sales & Customer Service
She has been surrounded by the business all her life, with her mom having pictures of her on the job site as early as 2 years old. "Solid, hardworking values were instilled in us at a very young age, and I remember making a few bucks on Saturdays picking up the job site. My father always said that a clean job site was one of the most important things." Throughout high school and college, she helped out with Accounts Payables and familiarized herself with the customer's decision-making timeline, and often helped the buyers through their decision-making process. While pursuing her bachelor’s in Marketing, she then took on a more directive role and established an inside sales division. There, her responsibilities included creative ad design, scheduling and hosting Open Houses, and managing customer selections and inquiries during the construction process.
Many of the home plans we've built at Superior have been chosen by Suzy. She loves to work hand in hand with our suppliers researching the latest styles and trends for homes and clients to try and find ways to create a place that reflects their personal style. She has helped facilitate the building process with over 60 couples, and with each new Buyer, she learns something new that improves the selection process for future clients. She has also had to make critical design decisions when it's come to our model homes, and therefore she understands intimately how challenging making interior selections can be!
With our Re-hab to Re-Fab homes, Suzy works with Real Estate Professionals and handpicks homes based on their character, livability, and proximity. "There are SO MANY homes on the market these days for Home Buyers to choose from, and I know this. Having walked through hundreds of homes that are in need of repair, I make sure to buy homes that cater to the flexibility desired by today's Buyers and are in areas that represent good value. When I walk into an original home and can see its true potential, I know that our end buyers will walk in and fall in love."
In addition to her role here at Superior Builder, she has also, over the years, been able to pursue her love of the outdoors. In 1998, she was one of twenty people selected by the only Nationally Accredited Outdoor Leadership Program in the Northeast to attend their one-year intense training. During that year, she acquired her Instructor Certifications in Flat-water and moving-water canoeing, cross-country skiing, top-rope rock climbing, backcountry medicine and management, and both high and low ropes course management. She has since been able to continue with this by leading outdoor excursions with youth all over the Northeast and Southwest and also Canada. "I feel very fortunate to have been able to manage both over the years." She has also traveled all over the world, with some of her favorite destinations being Thailand, Australia (where she met her husband), Cinque Terre in Italy, and Central America.
Peter Couture - Vice President, Field & Scheduling Manager
Peter has been working in his father's business since he was seven. He's been active in all the on-site pieces of the business at one time or another and is currently the Field & Scheduling Supervisor. One of Peter's notable qualities is his continual desire to learn more about every aspect of the industry. He is our "Peter of all trades" and can often be seen in the trenches with the guys on the job, helping them do whatever is needed and gaining further clarity as to every phase that goes into your home. His insight into the big picture is a fundamental part of having everything stay on schedule, and his approachable style is soothing to homeowners who stop in to say hello.
With all of our Re-habs to Re-fabs, Peter's role takes on a new meaning as he faces the many challenges that go into renovating established homes. The expertise that he has cultivated over the years in new home construction has definitely paid off. Perfection is still key to Peter in these renovated homes, and the "proof is in the pudding" as potential homeowners and Realtors walk through and are amazed at the craftsmanship of the finished product and how quickly the homes have turned around.
Peter CoutureIn his spare time, Peter likes to race his 1970 Challenger, which he bought and started re-building with his dad, and now runs a 10-second quarter mile. During the winter, snowmobiling is his passion, and he has completed several 1000-mile treks into the Canadian wilderness.
Guy Couture - Co-Founder and Master Carpenter
Guy came to the States back in 1972 from a small town in Canada. His brother, Jean-Yves, had been living here for a couple of years and had told him that the opportunities were endless. So, he decided to take the chance and join him in Connecticut.
He started out as a carpenter's aide and, by 1978, was married and managing his own framing crew. In 1981, with 20 years of experience between his brother Jean-Yves and himself, they decided to branch out and start their own framing company. By then, they had an extensive network in the field, and it wasn't long before they found themselves with two framing crews and work up to 9 months in advance. Their focus was residential framing and they framed for a number of prominent builders in the towns of Avon, Farmington, and South Windsor and were even recruited to frame out several multi-million-dollar homes in Winchester County, New York. With everyone they worked with, they learned from the best in the business, adopting the practices that worked and making a name for themselves.
In 1984, they branched out and alongside their framing company, started their own general contracting company — Superior Builder, Inc. which became Incorporated in 1987. With Guy heading up the framing company, and his brother Jean-Yves heading up the GC business, they appreciated the boom of the 80s and plowed through the recession of the 90s.
But in 2000, tragedy struck the family when they lost Jean-Yves to his battle with cancer. Since then, a smooth transition took place with Jean-Yves’s daughter Suzy as Sales & Marketing Manager, his son Peter as Field & Scheduling Manager, and Guy fully involved in the design and custom framing of their homes.
As you can see, Guy's impressive history in the construction and home building industry includes a well-rounded experience with the entire home building process. He is known for his discipline, organization, and attention to the most intricate detail. With the efficiency of his work and the appreciation he has for providing a streamlined building experience for Superior Builder's customers, it's no wonder that he's been known to get hugs from people we built with years ago.
With all of our new construction, Guy is fully involved in the design and custom framing of all of our homes. He loves taking what is on paper and "creating" it. He often makes changes on-site as he gets a "feel" for how the home lives. With our Re-habs to Re-Fabs, Guy's seen popping in new windows or doors and taking care of our general carpentry needs.
In his spare time, Guy has a fondness for classic cars and enjoys going for a nice country drive in one of his own from his collection. He also appreciates a good adrenaline-pumping quarter-mile race with his 1966 Plymouth Satellite, and he's been clocked at 12.08 seconds. Along with racing, Guy has several extended snowmobiling trips under his belt with his favorite being a 1200-mile trip around Lac St. Jean in Northern Quebec.