From the ground up
Elgin man works to top of home-building firm
ELGIN -- Some may be tempted to chalk up Jack Sorenson's success to nepotism. After all, his father started U.S. Shelter some 38 years ago and passed along the Hoffman Estates home building firm to Jack, now president.
A closer look at Elgin resident Sorenson's resume, however, reveals he was involved in virtually all aspects of the company since graduation from college in 1973.
(Michael Smart/Staff Photographer)
• President: Jack Sorenson
• Years in area: 38• Size of work force: 12
• What it does: Builds upscale homes in the Chicago area; also handles land selection and acquisition, zoning, annexation and land planning
• Most people don't know: The current president formerly was a ditch-digger
• More info: (847) 310-3600
• On the Net: www.usshelter.com
Sorenson worked in what he called "home production," a tactful way of saying he did a lot of the grunt work. He also dabbled in land development until the economic slowdown of 1983, when he was switched to sales manager at a new U.S. Shelter subdivision in Carol Stream.
Sorenson later found himself head of purchasing, a challenge that tested his skills to the limit.
"I was buying all the company's (building materials), including contracts and subcontracts, labor and so forth," he recalled.
A few years later, Sorenson was promoted to vice president, where the emphasis was on marketing. He held that position until 1984, when he succeeded his father, who would retire in 1988.
Reflecting on his varied duties, Sorenson said he is grateful for the experience. "I'm glad to have had the experience of digging ditches, sweeping out houses and so forth," he said. "It is a very diverse business and one that I enjoy quite a bit."
Over the years, Sorenson estimated that U.S. Shelter has built more than 5,000 homes in 16 different Chicago-area communities, including a significant number on Elgin's east side, such as the Parkwood, Summerhill, Country Trails, Fieldstone and Countryfield developments.
"From 1969 to about 1995, we exclusively built single-family homes," he said. "We built in Elgin all those years. That's been a very stable market for us."
In fact, he said the company is nearing buildout in Oak Ridge, an upscale development U.S. Shelter is constructing near Shales Parkway and U.S. 20 on Elgin's east side. Prices at Oak Ridge range from $323,900 to $465,900 for single-family models and from $221,900 to $274,990 for town homes.
The company also has active developments in Mundelein and Hampshire, and one on the drawing boards in East Dundee.
The business has changed since the 1970s when, Sorenson noted, U.S. Shelter offered relatively few models: a raised ranch, and two-story and tri-level models. "That's all that was offered. Not many people were building townhomes in the '70s. The products appealed to young families in general," Sorenson said.
Now, he observed, there are many niche markets that target young singles who want custom homes, while those 55 and older may desire a home in a senior citizen community. "Lifestyle has become more of an issue, so there are changes in the product."
Sorenson acknowledged that U.S. Homes has done some belt-tightening to deal with the current housing slump, which he attributes to the publicity on home foreclosures and the failure of some financial markets.
Even so, Sorenson remains upbeat about the future of the housing market. "I think we're getting near the end" of the slump, he said, citing an uptick in traffic at Oak Ridge and other subdivisions and the interest level of buyers over the last four weekends.