HUNTLEY – First, a piece of trivia: Mike Lacko was among the contractors to build the first structure in Sun City, a deck. 

That was then. 

After many years working elsewhere, Lacko is making his return to Huntley with his wife (and business partner), Amy, their son and a flourishing construction company, Arlamore Homes.

Arlamore Homes specializes in additions, new homes, remodeling and whole-house renovations. Heard that before, right?  Well, for a general contractor, there's not much that's "general" about Lacko and Arlamore Homes.

"Mike is dedicated, hardworking and trustworthy. He dedicated many hours, sometimes working late, to meet deadlines and finish the task at hand," Arlamore client Kristen Brenner said. "His work ethic is unmatchable. His attention to detail and the pride he takes in his work makes him unlike many contractors."

It's an unfortunate reality that there are many handymen out there who hang a hammer on their tool belt and call themselves a contractor or homebuilder.

But with 17 years of experience and degrees in construction management and architecture, Lacko brings to his jobs the proven, well-rounded and sage expertise hard to find today.

Starting Arlamore Homes was a long-time goal for Lacko while working for 14 years as a contactor with another construction company. Like many others who venture off on their own, Lacko wanted to bring a level of passion to his profession that he found unable to do with his former employer.

"I wanted to do this anyway," Lacko said while discussing the timing of events that led him to start his company.  "I decided, 'You know what, it's just time. So I decided to head out on my own and start getting some work for myself. That's how Aralmore was created."

And work he got. After putting out word of his new business and feeling how things might go, Arlamore was an immediate success. Lacko landed two major jobs right out of the gates.

"My first two jobs were pretty good size," Lacko said. "[It gave me confidence] that work was out there."

This was back in 2006-07. While the economy wasn't good, it still hadn't taken the major nosedive it did in 2008.

"Everybody else was kind of dying, either going out of business or having a hard time with [finding] work," Lacko said, knowing that that was a threat at the time he began Arlamore Homes.

"Things were not great."

However, Lacko was working seven days a week with his newly-established business. And Arlamore, with a steady workload, remains strong today, despite the poor markets that should negatively impact his business.

So what is Lacko and Arlamore doing right?

The answer is found in the one tool Lacko doesn't carry on his belt, his most important tool: customer service.

"We believe that service is still alive," Lacko writes on his Web site, "and one of the most important things we can offer to ... the customer.  As we say, 'real service, not lip service.' It was the way of the past and is the way of our future. We are proof, and our [clients] will attest, that high-quality craftsmanship, attention to detail, great service and trust is how we build our customer relationships one at a time."

Lacko said each time he begins a new project and sits down with a prospective client, he develops a comprehensive plan that will best suit the needs of that client.

"Because of all the years of experience that I have, we try to offer a little bit more to our [clients], we try to offer value to our [clients]," Lacko said. "As a new homeowner, I was open to ideas, because I knew what I wanted as an end product, but many of the underlying things were things I didn't even think about," Brenner said.

"Mike seemed to go over the house with a fine-toothed comb, from the crawlspace to the attic. If he saw potential problems that needed higher priority, he gave me his own suggestions."

In the coming weeks, Lacko will not only house his business in Huntley, but will live in Huntley upon completion of his new home/office, which will be complete with a showroom and storage facility. In addition to his business and family life, Lacko also contributes to Habitat for Humanity, an ecumenical Christian ministry dedicated to building homes for families in need.

After his work is done for the day, his projects are completed, a new home is erected and Lacko removes his belt and heads off to his own family, he hopes that each experience brings a lasting relationship with his clients.

"[We walk away feeling] like friends," Lacko said. "The majority of our [clients] really do feel that way."