Your Monroe Insurance Restoration and General Contractor
Robert Riddle started Riddle Builders in 1986 with one goal: to take his unique knowledge, experience and skills to clients. Robert got his start in construction in 1977, after graduation from the Building Construction Technology program at Texas State Techincal Institute. As a carpenter at Town Construction in Baton Rouge, Robert “cut his teeth” under the leadership of A. Hayes Town, Jr., the son of the world-renowned architect.
“Sonny” Towns and the team at Town Construction instilled in Robert a foundation focused on detail and quality, an appreciation Robert carries to this day.
“It was this early introduction to extreme attention to quality while working with reclaimed materials that we feel set the stage for what we achieve today,” says Robert of his time at Town Construction.
Robert brought these skills to Monroe in the mid-1980’s, just as the residential building boom of that era ground to a halt. Robert recognized, however, that there was a market for quality building in places other than homes.
“It seemed the only jobs to be found were in the few commercial projects in the area,” Robert says. “I needed to work and necessity, ever being the mother of invention, brought me into the commercial aspects of construction.” Working in commercial construction exposed Robert to a number of different types of construction, including masonry, tilt-up construction, prefabricated building, and monolithic pours — all skills Robert has put to use at Riddle Builders. Robert says the experience he gained as a carpenter, foreman, superintendant and field engineer was invaluable.
“To this day, I draw upon these experiences as a valuable resource for helping me engineer solutions to the everyday ‘hurdles’ we encounter in this business,” Robert says.
Robert took the skillset he had developed in residential construction to numerous commercial projects, including North Monroe Hospital (now St. Francis North), and culminating with a stint as assistant project manager at E.A. Conway Medical Center. When the Conway project came to a close, Robert found himself a part of the Monroe community.
“In 1986, I found myself taking odd carpenter jobs while job searching locally and nationally,” Robert says. “Immediately, I saw that my customers were referring me and calling back for repeat business.”
That early success led Robert to make Monroe his permanent home and, in 1986, he founded Riddle Builders, Inc., with a focus on residential and commercial remodeling. Robert says there is one idea that sums up what people say about Riddle Builders.
“One of the things many new customers tell me after researching my company is that the one word is used more than any other — honest,” Robert says. “I feel all the quality in the world is worthless if I can’t offer integrity along with it.”
Located in Monroe’s historic Garden District, Riddle Builders corporate offices are centrally located in the community, affording ease of access to potential clients and rapid response by our crews. Now in our 23rd year of operations, we have the experience and knowledge you’ve come to trust. Robert says this is what makes Riddle Builders successful year after year.
“It is my desire to create new friends with each job,” Robert says. “At the very least, they must be satisfied. This led me to create our motto: Your satisfaction is our bottom line.”