Shortly after World War II, young couples flocked to prefabricated housing as an inexpensive way to get homes for their quickly expanding families. During that time, in a small town in rural Pennsylvania, lived a man who had family plans of his own. Instead of simply plunking down his $500 life savings to buy something though, he grabbed a pencil and tool belt and began the process of designing and building his own home. Little did he know at that time he was beginning a tradition that would extend through three generations of Likvans - a tradition that continues to this day in Likvan Building Group, Inc.

Even on his shoe string budget, Mike Likvan, Sr., was true to a core set of beliefs: 1) never compromise your ideals 2) set your sights above your comfort zone 3) exceed peoples' expectations 4) create a product that is above the average 5) treat people like the tables were turned and 6) when goals are challenging, get more creative.

Almost 60 years later, Mike, now Chief Architectural Advisor of Likvan Building Group, continues his successful pursuit of excellence with the completion of a multifamily community in Palatine, Illinois.

 

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Mike Likvan, Jr. remembers those early days in Pennsylvania working alongside his dad on construction projects. He also remembers taking materials from neighborhood construction scrap piles to build ‘forts’ with his friends. It was during those times he gained a love for working with his hands and building things.

Now president of Likvan Building Group, Inc., Mike credits the success and growth of his company to following the principals learned from his father. He also attributes it to the fact he's become skilled at all the trades and is not afraid to roll up his sleeves to join in whenever necessary.

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Decades after Mike Likvan, Sr. started to build his own dream, his granddaughter, Danielle, began showing signs of his heritage.  At the tender age of 8, she took scraps of wood and clay and built a replica of a bathroom to proudly show her dad. Years later, when it came time to remodel her condominium's bathroom, she was one of the first to grab some tools to work along side her dad, much like he had done with his father so many years earlier.

Currently working on her master’s degree in design, she will undoubtedly become an integral part of Likvan Building Group in the near future.

Three Generations of Likvans