Building business: making windows and doors for a discerning clientele, Van Nuys--based LoPresti millworks is a designer to the stars.

AS a young child, Peter Lopresti loved few things more than riding his bike over the then undeveloped streets of Benedict Canyon. He admired the stately Spanish Mediterranean architecture of the Hollywood mansions dotting the canyon.

Now 45 years later, many of these same mansions have the artistic imprint of LoPresti and his Van Nuys-based company, LoPresti Millworks, a company that makes customized doors and windows for exclusive homes.

Though these ornate homes are embedded in his mind, LoPresti's career didn't begin in the millworks industry. Instead his love of design first brought him to the jewelry business, where he worked for 15 years. Switching professions in 1982, LoPresti began working as a contractor, before hatching a plan to found his own millworks company.

Started in 1996. originally to provide in-house millworks to parent company LoPresti Construction, the company has grown exponentially since it made the strategic decision to shift its focus exclusively to servicing other clients. Revenues have jumped from $600,000 in 1996 to $2 million in 2003.

The business handles orders from a variety of sources including contractors, architects and homeowners.

"About a year ago we realized that we needed to taper down the construction aspect of the business to focus on millworks," LoPresti said. "We understand the builder and the architect's needs. We are able to understand the product, and if asked we can aid with design. With windows and doors there are many parts to them, you can't just build a door and a window and hope that it works. You need to technically know how to do it.'"

LoPresti first ran the business out of the empty six-car garage he was completing for one of his clients, Lisa Marie Presley. When the job was completed, LoPresti needed a location to store the machines that he had purchased to complete Presley's complex project, ultimately deciding upon a 12,000-square-foot facility to house them. In his conversations with architects and designers, and as a contractor. LoPresti believed that there was no full-service custom millshop that understood the needs of contractors and designers. Eventually, LoPresti secured a long-tern1 lease in Van Nuys. Next, LoPresti began hiring key people for his business. An experienced shop floor manager was hired from a major competitor, as was a customer accounts manager and bidding professional for the office. With the major components in place, business grew.

"Our staff has worked in the industry for up to 25 years each. We can let our clients know whether or not something is going to work," LoPresti said.

Aggressive approach

LoPresti attributes much of the company's success to hard work and its aggressive sales and marketing approach.

"We really go one on one with builders and architects to ensure the best product possible. With our experience in the business, we have an 'in.' We're aggressive with sales but we're not strangers to people. It's really quite an edge to have formed many of the close working relationships that we have formed with contractors, designers, and architects over the years. Mainly, our primary focus is on the custom needs of the builders and of the customers. We try to tailor each door or window to the specific needs of the project. We do working drawings and rake-offs of the architectural blueprint."

LoPresti added, however, that his company also does in-house design not taken off of the architect's plans. He also said the company markets itself mainly through word of mouth and referrals.

"Many people know our reputation from being in the business for" as many years as we have," he said.

According to architect Robert Niles. of Houck Construction, "LoPresti Millworks is a company that you can count on for design and technical assistance. The level of knowledge from (Patty Barker), who does the estimating, job take-offs and production scheduling, is staggering."

LoPresti and Niles am currently collaborating on a renovation of the original Buster Keaton mansion in Beverly Hills.

LoPresti Millworks has managed to accumulate a fairly sizable stable of celebrity clientele and other high-paying customers. Celebrities who have employed LoPresti Millworks include Presley, actors John Travolta and wife actress Kelly Preston, record producer/singer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, and screenwriter Frank Darabont ("The Green Mile." "The Shawshank Redemption"). The company has even been featured in design magazines such as Home and Garden. LoPresti assessed the ups and downs of working with a finicky clientele:

"Building a home is sort of like the movies, with a great deal of pressure. Once the decision is made to greenlight a home there is often little patience. Sometimes a customer might mistakenly believe that a home will crop tip out of nowhere. But most of my experiences have been wonderful, and the more funds a customer has available, the more amazing the project usually becomes. People with lots of money have the ability to do some crazy and innovative things. It gives you the opportunity to do your job better." LoPresti said.

Good response

The Franklin Report, which surveys the construction services industry, touts LoPresti Millworks as a leading millworks shop. "Peter understands the needs of his highly discerning clients," is one of the customer comments on Franklin's Web site.

With business booming, LoPresti has big plans for the future.

"I'm extremely excited about the future. We have 20 very talented and hard working employees and we're looking to expand to a 15,000-square-foot facility in the next year. It's just been exhilarating, one of those times where you pinch yourselves to see if it's true." LoPresti said.

LoPresti said be plans to take advantage of the locally fragmented structure of the millworks industry.

"Consumers often have to go to several different places to service their millworks needs. We aim to be a one-stop shop, meaning that anything a customer needs we can get. Someone can bring us a full set of plans for any type of home and we can handle it," LoPresti said.

Spotlight

LoPresti Millworks

Year Founded: 1996

employees in 1996: 4

Employees in 2003: 16

Revenues in 1996: $600,000

Revenues in 2003 (projected): $2 million

Goal: To become a one-stop millworks facility.

Driving Force: A thriving residential market and homeowners' desire for distinctive products.