The Crimson Story

Neil & Joel, circa 1984, with their Dad, Bryant, on one of their first demolition projects to make room for the new Nichols Library downtown Naperville

Neil and Joel Kristianson have been involved with remodeling and construction around Naperville for most of their lives.  Their father, Bryant, purchased and renovated investment real estate in Naperville in the late 1970′s and early 1980′s.  The photo above shows the three of them on the future site of the Nichols Library in downtown Naperville.  Bryant purchased two houses that were to be cleared to make way for the new library.  Neil & Joel helped him demolish the homes by hand to salvage the materials for reuse in other projects.  An early example of green building practices!

They both went on to graduate from Naperville North High School.  Neil then got a degree from Northern Illinois University in Business Management and Joel received a degree from the University of Illinois in Architecture.  Neil became the manager of a local lumberyard and Joel a commercial architect.  They conceived and formed Crimson in 2000.

From the beginning the brothers applied their skills and experience to every facet of the company. Joel worked on architectural designs and customer relations in the evenings while Neil managed the company’s business affairs. During the day they both worked in the field, building the projects they had designed and planned. Over the first several years they brought in employees and sub-contractors to help them complete the work and expand their business.

By 2005 the business had grown substantially, and the two founders put their hand tools aside to concentrate full time on the management and growth of the firm. Joel now focuses on working with clients and enjoys evaluating their needs and wants to best design innovative solutions for their space. Neil leads the Crimson production team in bringing those designs to life with an exceptional level of detail and professionalism not typically seen in the industry.