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Leading women in Business: Jenny Zuern in Milwaukee
This woman-led, family-owned building supplies company also offers design and décor to make each client’s house into a home.
Jennifer Zuern loves the heart of homes: the spaces people live in, the surfaces they touch, the shelving and cabinetry that hold personal treasures. For decades her cabinetry design team at Zuern Building Products has been helping people do just that, whether designers are enhancing and updating a home through a remodel or maximizing space in new construction. “Each client is very different, so we design to their lifestyle,” Zuern says. “Are you a retired couple? Do you have children? Are you living in a condo in the city? We go through a lot of questions with clients and spend a lot of time with them so we can figure out their lifestyle and make something that really fits their wants and needs.”
Zuern is one of the third generation of leaders at Zuern Building Products, which started serving the metro Milwaukee area 65 years ago. While the company started as a lumberyard—and still serves that purpose—it’s grown and evolved. “It makes sense,” Zuern says. “When you’re working with a home plan from the start, you should be able to do the entire process with the customer, starting with the framing of the home to the windows and doors and millwork. Cabinetry is a natural fit.”
CUSTOMIZED SERVICE
Each of the company’s four locations is staffed with cabinetry designers who work with clients to create livable kitchens, bathrooms, pantries, offices, and, really, any space that needs storage. Each of the locations also offers a showroom for clients to visit, allowing them to see and touch finishes in person. And, the design services branch of Zuern is growing. The company’s Franklin location will , in 2019 , undergo a remodel and reopen with a brand-new showroom that will focus on décor—including cabinetry, countertops, and lighting. “We are more than a lumberyard,” Zuern says. “There is a softer side, a finesse to our designs and products. Every client has their own unique needs to turn their living spaces into somewhere they’re excited to call a home.”
Working with Zuern Building Products is like working with family. Unlike walking into a big-box store, the service is personalized. Clients are greeted when they walk in the door, offered a cup of coffee, and then tended to by professionals who know the work. “It’s experience-driven, and that’s what keeps people coming back,” Zuern says. “We try to be a resource for people, not just a place to shop.”
