ABOUT
M.D. Olson & Co., Inc. is a Chicago-based, quality-driven, licensed and insured, general contractor specializing in carpentry, windows, general remodeling services and interior and exterior woodworking since 1980. We have over 50 years of experience in the residential remodeling industry, and blend the latest construction trends with centuries-old tried-and-true building methods. We respond creatively to the challenges associated with remodeling work.
MARLIN OLSON, FOUNDER
Marlin grew up on a farm in North Dakota where hard work and long hours were the gold standard. At age 19 he joined the Marine Corps and spent a year in Vietnam serving during the Tet Offensive. Once back in the U.S., he settled in the Chicago area, met his wife, Jan, and went to work as a laborer for a commercial real estate developer, building such projects as Centex Industrial Park and Bedford Industrial Park. Later, as a carpenter, Marlin worked on the thirteen-story Motorola Building in Schaumburg, IL and built the foundation of the Social Security Building in downtown Chicago. With a slowing economy in commercial construction, Marlin turned to the business of real estate management and finance and sold residential properties to multi-unit investors in the Lakeview/DePaul neighborhoods of Chicago. When the investors discovered Marlin was first and foremost a carpenter, they asked him to manage the rehab of these properties.
Marlin found his joy was, in fact, in the creation of beautifully rehabbed buildings and with that, M.D. Olson & Co., Inc. was born in 1980. To date, Marlin has served hundreds of residential and commercial clients, and continues to actively work on projects bringing his decades of experience to every job.
A long time resident of Chicago's Old Irving Park neighborhood, Marlin currently resides in Burlington, WI with his wife, Jan, where he enjoys working in his woodshop and planning road trips in the family's travel trailer. He has two grown children, Lisa and Mike.
A long time resident of Chicago's Old Irving Park neighborhood, Marlin currently resides in Burlington, WI with his wife, Jan, where he enjoys working in his woodshop and planning road trips in the family's travel trailer. He has two grown children, Lisa and Mike.
MICHAEL OLSON, PRESIDENT
A sixth generation Chicagoan, born and raised on the northwest side of Chicago in an old house undergoing renovation, Mike quickly became immersed in the construction culture of the family business. When he wasn't building with Legos or Lincoln Logs, he was learning to clean nails from boards, use basic hand tools, and organize the work trucks, and often tagged along with Marlin to supply houses, lumber yards, and job sites.
At age eight, Mike took it upon himself to build an elevated porch (with a working window and door!) for the backyard fort that he and Marlin had built together, and his construction career was launched.
At age eight, Mike took it upon himself to build an elevated porch (with a working window and door!) for the backyard fort that he and Marlin had built together, and his construction career was launched.
After high school, Mike officially joined the family business, where he learned, from the ground up, every aspect of residential construction. He developed a passion for carpentry, learning best practices of the trade from M.D. Olson & Co.'s longtime lead carpenter, Henry Wieczorkiewicz.
Over the years, Mike grew to take on increasing responsibility for the company's projects, serving eventually as both head carpenter and primary General Contractor. Mike prides himself as a highly-skilled finish carpenter, with a special focus on renovation of old structures, historic properties and period-appropriate architectural details. He enjoys coordinating projects of all shapes and sizes, and building long-term relationships with clients.
In his spare time, Mike can be found pouring over his massive library of construction manuals and old millwork catalogues, listening to music, working in his basement woodshop, planning his next wilderness adventure, or restoring his own old house in Chicago with his wife, Natalie, and dog, Ted.
Over the years, Mike grew to take on increasing responsibility for the company's projects, serving eventually as both head carpenter and primary General Contractor. Mike prides himself as a highly-skilled finish carpenter, with a special focus on renovation of old structures, historic properties and period-appropriate architectural details. He enjoys coordinating projects of all shapes and sizes, and building long-term relationships with clients.
In his spare time, Mike can be found pouring over his massive library of construction manuals and old millwork catalogues, listening to music, working in his basement woodshop, planning his next wilderness adventure, or restoring his own old house in Chicago with his wife, Natalie, and dog, Ted.