Jim Frankel serves as the Founder and Chairman of Frankel Building Group (FBG), the most award-winning custom luxury home builders in Houston. As a native Houstonian, Jim has spent the last 30 years helping clients throughout the city with lot acquisition, unique design and project development, as well as innovating solutions for flood-prone areas and challenging homesites. Jim was one of the first Graduate Master Builders in the United States, built the first custom home in Cinco Ranch, and became the exclusive estate builder in the Cinco Communities.
Under his leadership, a culture of personal growth, character development, and “doing the right thing” have allowed FBG – an independent, family-owned company – to grow into a dynamic, forward-thinking, national leader in custom homebuilding. Along with his sons Kevin and Scott, Jim led FBG to become the first to adopt the USGBC’s LEED for Homes program, building every custom home to its standards, through sustainable, environmentally conscious, energy efficient, water efficient and other innovative building techniques.
Among his many accolades, Jim has been the Greater Houston Builders Association Custom Builder of the Year, an award based not only on the custom home builder’s reputation with the buyers of his products, but also his reputation within the home building industry.
As an active leader in the community, Jim is an Honored Life Director and Past President of the Greater Houston Builders Association (GHBA) and has served on the Executive Committee as well as the Board of Directors of that Association. He was a founding member of the Custom Builder’s Council, is a Life Director of the Texas Association of Builders, Vice President of Region III, of Texas, and a member of the Executive Committee, and a delegate to the National Association of Home Builders.
He served as a member of the Development Council of Texas Children’s Hospital, where he was its first Chairman, and is now a Lifetime Ambassador for The Hospital. He served on the Board of Directors of the Houston Ear Research Foundation, as a board member of the Kinkaid Alumni Association, and is a past Chairman of The Parents Council of Tulane University. Most recently Jim, along with one of his lifelong friends, is leading the effort to establish the Center for Excellence in Immunology at Methodist Hospital, Houston.
A graduate of The Kinkaid School and The University of Texas at Austin, Jim has been married for 44 years to his wife, Carol. Jim and Carol are extremely close to their four children – Kevin, Scott, and twin daughters Leslie and Lisa – all of whom live close by. They are fortunate to spend lots of time with their eight, soon-to-be nine grandchildren.
Kevin’s positive attitude and infectious drive inspire a fresh outlook on Houston custom home building and company growth. Kevin’s keen eye for new projects, smart investments and economic trends continue to position Frankel Building Group ahead of the curve.
As Co-President, Principal at Frankel Building Group, Kevin heads up acquisitions, sales and financial modeling for the company.
A licensed broker, Kevin is a longtime Board Member of the Greater Houston Builder’s Association (GHBA), where he has served as President (2015) and as Chairman of the Custom Builder’s Council (2010). Through the organization, Kevin is actively involved in HomeAid Houston, a non-profit that builds new lives for homeless families, children and veterans through housing and community outreach. In 2013, Kevin was recognized as one of Professional Builder magazine’s “40 Under 40,” a listing that selects the top under-40 professionals in the residential construction industry. He has also been recognized as recipient of the Texas Association of Builders 2015 Excellence under 45 Award, and as the Greater Houston Builders Association Green Advocate of the Year in 2012.
In 2001 Kevin graduated from Washington University in St. Louis to attend the University of Houston where he received his MBA. In 2006, after working in commercial real estate for three years, Kevin joined Frankel Building Group. He loves working daily with his father and brother and spending time with his wife and three children.
Kevin is a Region D finalist for the 2016 National Association of Home Builders Young Professional award! It is truly an honor to be acknowledged for the first time in the history of the association, as one of NAHB’s top young leaders in the home building industry.
Co-President and Principal of Frankel Building Group, Scott Frankel has strategically concentrated his efforts in the areas of construction, operations, and overall client experience. He has made great strides in changing the public perception regarding green building and spearheaded FBG’s campaign to present the “value-added” benefits of green technology and the efficient use of energy and sustainable resources in building custom homes.
Scott began his career working at Newmark Homes as a Construction Superintendent building starter homes, predominantly in the Pearland area. He then went on to work as a Construction Manager for a new building company called Lindenwood Homes, which was later acquired by John Lang Homes. Scott joined Frankel Building Group in a full time capacity in 2006.
Scott is a Graduate Master Builder and a Master Certified Green Professional. He was the first Master Certified Green Professional in Texas and the second in the country. (Still 1 of 82 in the country) Under Scott’s leadership, Frankel Building Group has committed to building every new home to the USGBC LEED for Homes Certified Standards.
Scott’s has been recognized as a “Green Hero” by the USGBC’s Texas Gulf Coast Chapter and the Houston Business Journal in 2011. In 2015, Scott was named the “Green Advocate of the Year” by the Greater Houston Builder’s Association. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) named Scott as the 2016 “Best in Green (BIG) Young Professional of the Year.” He has served on the National Association of Home Builders’ Green Building and Sustainability Subcommittee and will represent that committee as an advisor to the NAHB’s Education Committee on green building subject matter.
In 2012, Scott was named to the “40 under 40” class of both Houston Business Journal and Professional Remodeler. Scott was named to the 2016 Professional Builder Magazine’s “40 Under 40.”
Scott has served as keynote and panelist for groups such as the Professional Builder Magazine’s “40 Under 40” Executive Summit and was a presenter at the Thought Leader Session for young professionals at the International Builder Show.
Scott, a third generation home builder, attended The Kinkaid School and went on to receive a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science with a minor in Business from the University of Texas at Austin.
Scott is married to Dara Frankel and has three wonderful sons named Will, Hunter, and Cooper.
Scott and Dara support several local charities and organizations like including the Evelyn’s Park Conservancy and the Houston Zoo.
If you are looking for a top custom home builder in Houston TX, contact Scott today.
Professionally, Andrew brings more than 15 years of direct sales and sales leadership success and achievements, most recently in the real estate market. Andrew bears a very broad skillset, including outstanding communicative, collaborative, interpersonal, organizational, presentation, and closing skills to maximize revenue while also providing the utmost client satisfaction. Having worked with high profile homebuilders, Andrew has a wealth of experience and a reputation for excellence. Andrew’s positive attitude and infectious drive make him an ideal fit to represent the Frankel Building Group in our two Northside communities: Woodland Reserve and Lakes of Shadow Creek.
Originally from London, England, Andrew is a devoted husband to Athena and a father of six awesome children. Andrew attended the London Academy of Music, Drama & Art where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree (USA Equivalent) in English Literature.
Client Testimonial
Andrew is an accomplished and driven person whose dedication and honesty make him a pleasure to work with. He is a multi-talented individual with an engaging personality, a passion to succeed and an ability to adapt to rapidly changing market circumstances.
Andrew has that rare sense of understanding the sweet spot between taking care of his customer’s interests as well as those of his company. He is a relationship builder who would be an asset to any employer.
– A.Tallack
Rodney is an in-house Houston custom home designer at Frankel Building Group. A native Houstonian who began working for design firms while still in high school, Rodney’s expertise lies in translating the client’s vision into something tangible.
Unique to Frankel Building Group, Rodney is on staff and meets with clients from the start. He listens as they talk about their lifestyle and how they need the house to function and turns their thoughts into an architectural form, sketching beautiful renderings of their dream home.
Rodney graduated from the High School for Performing Arts before attending the University Of Houston School Of Architecture. After two years he purchased a design firm, put school on hold and gave his full attention to running the firm. Rodney holds professional licenses AIBD, TIBD, CPIBD and is a member of AIA.
Here at Frankel Building Group, the best custom home builder in Houston, Texas, I’m very proud to be the Vice President of Construction responsible for many aspects of your new home.
I will be working with you from the design phase, and see you through to construction. I will assist in your initial selections and help explain the process in its entirety. I am available throughout the entire project to ensure that things remain seamless for you, and guide you through any challenges that building a custom home may present. I am also very involved in the selection of our vendor and trade partnerships which we base off of reputation, price, availability and most importantly, quality performance. We believe we produce a great home because we surround ourselves with great people. In addition, we believe a great home begins with job site order and cleanliness, which is also key in maintaining quality workmanship and a sense of respect for the job site and home itself.
I began my career in homebuilding following graduation from Texas A&M University in 1997. I worked in the industry 9 years before joining Frankel Building Group where I have managed home construction and renovation projects in the Memorial Villages, Woodlands area, Bellaire and most areas in between. I am proud to have been awarded 2012 Project Manager of the Year by the Texas Association of Builders. I proudly serve as a deacon at Houston’s Second Baptist Church and am the proud father of 2 wonderful kids I share with my wife of nearly 20 years.
Here at Frankel Building Group, we feel that the design of your new home begins with a dream. In his role as a Senior Architectural Designer, Thomas works with you throughout the design process to define a vision and graphically communicate your new home for you to experience on the screen.
Thomas graduated from the University Of Houston College Of Architecture in 2011, receiving a bachelor’s of Architecture degree. While in school, he focused his studies on sustainable community based design and participated in commercial and residential design initiatives in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward. Thomas possesses an extensive knowledge in AutoCAD, Revit Architecture, Google SketchUp, and Adobe Creative Suite.
Client Testimonial
“We have to agree with you, the front looks really good (and thanks to Wes for cleaning the outside and keeping the progress moving forward)! We’ve met many people over the past several months passing through the development, and they also like the house, especially the inside flow. Thanks to Thomas & Rodney for taking our conceptual design ideas, not saying “it won’t work,” and doing their magic to incorporate into the finished product we see today…very impressed with the FBG team!”
Born and raised in Mumbai, India. Completed my Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Mumbai in 2008. Licensed Architect in India. While working on my undergraduate degree, I was always keen on learning various architectural rendering, presentation and modeling software like AutoCAD, Rhino. 3ds MAX. Revit Architecture was not known in India until the end of 2008. I worked for a year and in 2009 came to the U.S to pursue a master’s degree. My area of focus and thesis was specific to developing a maintenance system for Home Owners by using BIM (Building Information Modeling). In the process I mastered my skills in Revit, Navisworks and C#.
I graduated from Texas A&M University in December 2012 with Master of Science in Architecture. I have been awarded with IFMA (International Facility Management Association) and TAHFM (Texas Association of Healthcare Facilities Management) Scholarships in 2010, 2011 respectively.
*BIO coming soon*
David joins Frankel Building Group as a Project Manager. He was born and raised in Galveston. Growing up his dad ran his own construction business, so construction has been embedded in him since he was young. After graduating from Texas A&M Corpus Christi, he had the opportunity to take over his dad’s business with my older brother for about 5 years. This is where he first gained a true passion for homebuilding. He most loves seeing through a project from the ground up and making clients dreams become a reality. For the past 8 years while living in Spring, David worked for two national homebuilders. This gave him the skillsets and experience that ultimately provided the opportunity to work for Frankel Building Group.
He is happily married to his wife Nicole of 11 years and they have 2 children, Ivy and James. Outside of work, David enjoys watching sports, golfing, surfing, traveling, listening to live music, and spending time with friends and family.
Brian joins Frankel Building Group as a Project Manager bringing more than 20 years of experience in the Construction/Building Materials market. In 2005, he started building Inventory and Custom Homes in Bryan/College Station. He brings extensive knowledge and experience in not only onsite operations, but estimating, budgets, contracts and land development. His experience provides a soundboard of knowledge for clients who dare to be creative. He has a passion for Ultra Luxury Large Scale Estates yet can apply the same detail and efficiency with any size project. He has an eye for detail, a calm and steady demeanor that customers can depend on. He often says “Anyone can build a house. It’s taking someone’s dreams and bringing it to life that makes a true Home Builder.”
Brian enjoys giving back to the community as former committee member with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, previous committee positions with BCS Habitat for Humanity and (BVHBA) Brazos Valley Home Builders Association. Brian is married with 4 kids and lives in The Woodlands area. In his free time he enjoys being outdoors, wasting a whole Saturday watching College Football and perfecting his BBQ skills.
The FBG Design Studio is a unique part of the Frankel Building Group construction process. The Design Studio offers clients various finishes ranging from exterior stone to cabinet finishes all under one roof, making the selection process more pleasant. As selection coordinator, Megan manages the Design Center and assists in selecting custom features of the home including cabinets, door hardware and paint colors. Megan also serves as liaison between a client’s personal Interior Designer and the FBG construction team.
Megan graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in interior design. She is a licensed Interior Designer with the State of Texas and member of ASID. Megan started her career at a High End Residential Design Studio in Houston, which specialized in new construction.
Client Testimonial
“Megan is a top hire. She is incredibly organized and detailed. She is prepared in advance every time I meet her. As someone who loves the details and loves organization- she is great at it. She puts my OCD at ease.
She is awesome.”
– TJ Farnsworth
Steven has had a life-long passion for design, combined with an unparalleled work ethic and desire to create. Attending FIDM University in Los Angeles exposed him to a multitude of design styles, cultural influences, and curated his passion for creating timeless yet personalized homes. His career began working for a high-end residential interior designer in Los Angeles where he gained extensive experience working in luxury residential interior design. With the desire to return to my hometown of Houston, Steven gained recognition by masterfully designing luxurious model homes for multiple respected Houston home builders. Steven is most renowned for my ability to meld color, spirited spontaneous details, and juxtaposition of raw and refined elements.
In his spare time, he enjoys spoiling his dog William by taking him to local dog parks and on long scenic walks in Memorial Park.
My name is Darren B. Marchi. I was born in New York and moved to Texas when I was in elementary school. I grew up in the Brenham area and moved to Houston in the late eighties. I have been in the home building business for over twenty-two years. Prior to this, I worked with my father remodeling historic homes and churches in the Brenham & Chappell Hill area. Working at two nationally known home improvement centers as the manager of commercial/contractor sales helped to prepare me for my career in the new home building business. Before being recruited by Frankel Building Group, I worked for three nationally recognized homebuilders in the Houston and Austin areas. I have vast experience in a variety of areas in the home building business. In recognition for my expertise in the new home building business, I have won Houston’s Best Construction Superintendent of the Year by Greater Houston Builders Association two consecutive years.
In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my wife and two children. My family is a central part of my life and watching my son participate in as a percussionist in band and my daughter cheer are some of the highlights of my life.
I looking forward to working with you and truly hope you enjoy the building experience.
James was born and raised in Nacogdoches, TX (God’s Country) and attended Stephen F. Austin State University where he received his degree in Environmental Geology. James began in Environmental Consulting and later entered into the residential construction industry. He spent 11 years with a larger privately-owned production home builder until he started with Frankel Building Group in 2013.
James is a very competent and consciousness project manager who is well-known for his ability to coordinate with high-end customers and outside interior designers. James prides himself on his excellent customer service. We are very happy to have James as part of the team.
Outside of work, James is married to his beautiful wife and has three wonderful children. In his spare time, he enjoys doing cub scouts with his son and playing golf.
Client Testimonial
“I want to thank you for and recognize James Milford. This afternoon I was in OKC when Kristin called in a panic that water was flowing from the side of the house. I called James who 4 years from completing our house picked up on the 4th ring, took down Kristin’s number and walked her through shutting off the landscape water. We continually find the benefit of remaining in the Frankel family and appreciate you retaining your employees long term. Thank you again”
-Rick and Kristin Brice
My name is Matt Morgado. My passion for construction goes back as far as I can remember. I grew up working for my uncle’s general contractor business while on school vacations. Growing up with a hammer in my hand paved the way to my future career. Prior to joining Frankel Building Group, I worked as a construction manager for two large home builders in the Houston area. Working in construction has always given me the opportunity to learn something new every day and provides a great sense of accomplishment in managing someone’s dream becoming a reality. I was born and raised in Massachusetts and graduated in 2010 with a Bachelors degree in Construction Management.
Victor was born and raised in El Paso, Texas and grew up in the construction environment. His family owns and operates a drywall and remodeling business which exposed him to the industry at an early age. Victor has been involved in residential and commercial construction for as long as he can remember. He has worked for 3 large national builders in numerous positions before landing his role as Project Manager at Frankel Building Group.
Outside of work, Victor enjoys spending time with his family and fur babies. He also enjoys traveling on his motorcycle.
Kaleb is from Houston, Tx. He attended UTSA in the Construction Management program, where he received his bachelor’s degree. He started my career in construction around his junior year of college with a semi-custom home builder. Shortly after he graduated he was given the opportunity to work as a Project Manager & Estimator for a custom home builder in San Antonio.
Being apart of such grand, luxurious projects, and seeing the smile of a thankful client definitely leaves, Kaleb, with the feeling of accomplishment and pride.
In his spare time, Kaleb likes to travel, watch sports, or spend time with good family and friends.
My name is Jerry Simmons. I’m the Project Manager at Avea Pools. I’m honored to be a part of the Frankel Building Group team. I was born in Lucedale, MS, and I’ve lived here in the Houston area most of my life.
I have the best son and family a father could ask for. At a young age, I was always outside with my dad helping him with automotive work or any repairs around our house. He taught me the importance of figuring out how things work so you can learn how to fix it. I’ve worked with him in HVAC and CNC machinist work as well as kitchen and bath remodeling.
I have 12 years of custom swimming pool experience. Within that time, I’ve worked with various pool companies, from smaller projects all the way up to commercial engineered construction.
Everyone here at FBG are the best people to work with and at what they do. There’s no other place I’d rather be in my career. Every day is a learning experience, as I help to apply my knowledge and passion to all phases of the construction process. We are a Team.
As your custom dream home is being built, I come in to simultaneously build your custom swimming pool. I have a passion in construction, both taking an empty space and building your vision into a reality and feeling the excitement from our customers because of the finished product.
I’m a big believer in setting SMART goals. Ensuring that the project team’s goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound helps to confirm that we’re setting ourselves up for success. I also make sure to sit down with the project team when setting goals in order to incorporate their own thoughts and opinions on where we should be headed and in the most efficient way possible. I find that’s important for increasing excitement around the goal while also maintaining realistic objectives.
In terms of monitoring progress, I use a combination of on-site and field management to keep an eye on progress, including regular check-ins to take pictures and notes. This is how I ensure we’re moving in the right direction while keeping our customers fully informed from start to finish.
Scott Frankel started working at a production builder right out of college. Early on, Scott jockeyed to get an opportunity to run his own neighborhood. Luckily and terrifyingly enough Scott was given that opportunity right away and had to open a model home in that neighborhood. Scott’s first house he ever built was a model home and a prototype for this large production builder who wanted to build in multiple cities. The only reason that house turned out well is because Joel came in at the very end and made that house “perfect”. Joel has been a valuable team member ever since. He makes every Frankel house perfect. The team loves working with him and we are so proud to have him as part of the team.
Stanley has been a great addition to the Frankel team. He is a consciousness, hard-working member of the team who involved in multiple stages of the construction process. He is reliable, smart, and diligent. We are thrilled to have him on the Frankel team.
My name is Violett and I am the FBG Home Care & Avea Pools Coordinator. Born and raised in the Champions area, I have spent the last 18 years of my professional career in the construction/homebuilding industry in areas that range from sales and initial customer contact through home completion and beyond. I started my career with a large custom home builder with my focus on permits, loans and municipality requirements. My work expanded to include lot/site development then on to personalized customer liaison for all pre-construction needs. I utilized my creativity to develop procedures that streamlined the homebuilding processes from start through completion for buyers, vendors and office personnel. I enjoy the challenge of site development and construction and the continuing education it provides. My past experience has enabled me to join the Frankel Building Group Team and provide the Customer Service that our clients expect and deserve. Outside of the office, you will find me on the soccer fields cheering on my two amazing daughters. My oldest earned a full scholarship to play in Oklahoma while my youngest, not yet in high school, is following her sister’s footsteps.
