Born and raised in North Kitsap, Kevin Parnell’s construction experience goes all the way back to when he was 11 years old, and definitely runs in the family.

“I used to work summers at my dad’s construction firm,” said Parnell. “I don’t believe I could have had a better teacher than my dad.”

His father, well-known Bill Parnell, is a giant in the local construction industry, was the original founder of Construction Development, coming out of retirement to start the company when the younger Parnell was getting ready to graduate high school.

“He claims it was so I could have a job,” Parnell said. “And then I bailed and went to college.”

But college didn’t last long. A few months into his first semester at Western Washington University, Parnell drove some friends to Ballard to interview for jobs in Alaska. The next day, Parnell got a call and a job offer, even though he hadn’t so much as filled out a job application.

“I got the phone call Thursday, checked out of school on Friday, went home Saturday, and was in Alaska by Sunday,” Parnell said.

He spent a season on Akutah, in the Aleutian Islands, as a dock foreman, then returned to Washington and took a job for a short time with Prime Construction in Seattle. Disagreements with the union prompted Parnell to return to North Kitsap and join his father at Construction Development.

“The union said I wasn’t old enough to be a journeyman since I was only 18,” said Parnell. “Prime didn’t have a problem with it, but the union did. Dad said ‘Come back.’ So I did.”

Twenty-five years later, Parnell is now president of Construction Development. His father, still half-owner, has retired once again. The firm does new custom home and commercial construction as well as some land acquisition and development, and boasts 115 completed projects throughout Kitsap County. Parnell stays away from remodeling jobs and never does “spec” development — where contractors build homes with their own money in hopes of selling them to buyers.

“We can go all the way from raw land to move in,” said Parnell. “But I avoid remodeling as much as possible,” said Parnell. “I prefer knowing what you’re getting into up front. As for spec development, I never wanted to put myself out on that limb.”

Construction Development has six employees, mostly carpenters, who do all the company’s framing, siding, and finish work. Parnell himself hasn’t done much actual construction work in the last 15 years. Over the years, he has taken on more and more of the management tasks that a growing company requires, filling in on a job only occasionally or when a special project demands it.

“Bidding, billing, you name it I do it,” said Parnell. “The guys don’t like me on the job, anyway.”

Construction Development brings in around $1.5 million a year and usually completes between 8 to 10 projects a year, depending on the size and cost of each project. Currently the firm has three jobs in progress, with two more slated to begin later this fall. It recently completed the Starbucks/Quizno’s building in East Bremerton.

“The business volume goes in phases,” said Parnell. “In the last year the phone has been ringing off the hook. I see it as getting bigger and bigger.”

In 1991 a custom home built by Parnell was given top honors in the over $240,000 category during the Homebuilders Association of Kitsap County’s (HBA) Parade of Homes. In 1992 Parnell was youngest member to be elected president of the HBA. That same year he was voted Builder of the Year.

Parnell prides himself on his reputation and relies solely on word of mouth referrals for new jobs.

“I don’t advertise,” said Parnell “I have a brochure but I only give it out to prospective customers who have contacted me.” He credits this strategy with helping him build strong relationships with his customers.

“I’ve had one, maybe two, customers in my career that I would never want to work with again,” said Parnell. “I’ve been fortunate in that respect. I have so much fun with my customers. A lot of them have become really good friends. You have to be friends if you’re going to do it right.”.