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photo by Jessica Bobik
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photo by Jessica Bobik
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photo by Jessica Bobik
The City of Green and Warmus Builders have had a symbiotic relationship for the past three decades. Each has developed because of the other’s involvement. “We’ve grown hand in hand,” says company founder John Warmus. Born and raised in New Philadelphia, Warmus started his business with his wife, Jane, in their first home on April Drive—the same street on which he built his first spec house.
“When I came [here] 30 years ago, a lot of people thought of Green as farm country,” he says. Now with a population of 26,000, Green’s neighborhoods are filled with places Warmus built. “It’s really a privilege to be a builder here in Green because I help shape what the city looks like,” he says. “That’s pretty cool.”
Though he began by building homes, Warmus says he branched out to commercial building because the need was there. “Most of the time decision makers, people that run companies, want to live where they work,” he says. That has been equally good for Green. “It takes a balance of quality residential and commercial growth to build a successful community.”
Two projects Warmus is particularly proud of are also two of Green’s largest employers: FedEx Custom Critical and Diebold. He also builds and leases spaces for smaller start-ups, like real estate agents, restaurants, and medical offices. This diverse range of projects has meant Warmus never thought of relocating his business in three decades. “Green provides plenty of interesting and challenging projects to work on,” he says. “I’m a hands-on builder. I enjoy getting out on the job site each day. By staying small and centralized right here in the city, I am able to accomplish that.”
A few years ago, a very different kind of project came into Warmus’s hands. “Father Durkee at Queen of Heaven [Catholic Church] expressed a need for an adoration chapel,” he says. Warmus built and donated the brick A-frame chapel for the parish. “It’s nowhere near the scale of the [FedEx] building,” he says, “but it impacts a lot of people. That’s very satisfying.”
Not only has Warmus built the literal buildings of the city, he has helped build the community by participating in the City of Green Design Board, the Summit County Contractor’s Board, and the Akron/Portage Builders Association. “I think to be an effective person, you need to stay engaged, get involved,” he says. “I tell my kids, ‘you need to show up.’” You can see Warmus walking this walk in town—not only at board meetings but when he walks his dog, Bosley, on lunch hours or bicycles with other area professionals Wednesday evenings on the trails of Green parks.
Warmus’s latest project will be his legacy: The Brier Creek Senior Living Community. The first phase to be completed this fall will include many on-site services and scenic patio views for independent seniors. “We’re not just building a building; we’re trying to create a lifestyle,” he says. “I tried to build things how I would want to live, when that day comes.” That day seems far off, even though Warmus’s younger son is the on-site project manager for Brier Creek and will see it through beyond his father’s lifetime. “I’m not a guy that just sits around,” Warmus says. “I’ve got to be doing stuff.”
All around him, Warmus finds reason to be proud of both his work and the relationships he has forged in the city. “Each day I get to experience a sense of accomplishment, seeing first-hand what our company has built for the community,” he says. “[And] it’s a two-way street; the city’s been very good to me.”
