Who we are

Employee Bios

James Van Raden ~ Owner

33 years old. I grew up in the Fargo-Moorhead area. My Father owned his own Construction

business building houses in the 25th Street area East of what is now Bluemont Lakes and also

built in the Village Green area in South Moorhead.

I spent many hours as a child on the jobsite with my Father. I learned the trade at first by being my

Father's gopher (go-for-it). I spent many hours working along side my Father observing the things

he did such as leading crews, setting doors, pouring concrete, grading yards and other activities.

In 1991 I moved to Missouri and joined the Marine Corps in 1992. I spent four years in various

assignments such as Security Forces and the Infantry. I returned back to the area in 1996 and pursued

Criminal Justice/ Law Enforcement at Fergus Falls Community College which I thought was my passion

but after meeting my Wife Rebecca who I married in 1996 and her becoming pregnant with our first child

Zachary in 1999 I realized that law enforcement was not for me.

In 2001 I worked in Appleton, MN at the Prairie Correctional Facility as a Correctional Officer. I decided

after some reflection to return to the Fargo-Moorhead area and pursue the construction field. In 2005

after working for various commercial companies and the Carpenter's Union I left to work on my own and

to also pursue other ventures. Since that time, I have been performing many jobs for friends and relatives

including one complete home renovation in North Fargo of a 1920's four square house. I also currently

play a key role in maintaining the property and physical structure at Bethesda Luthern Church in South

Moorhead.

I have recently decided that this is my true desire to own and operate my own renovation company and to

provide renovation services to homeowners in the Fargo-Moorhead and surrounding area. The reason I

decided to pursue this is simple, there are many renovation companies yet there are so many dissatisfied

people receiving these services.

I believe that there are many individuals out there who can do this kind of work but forget the

"golden rules". What do I mean by that? Some of you may already be more than aware of what

I mean,

Contractors who do not return phone calls or even show up when they say they will or even at all.

project leave the mess for you to contend with.

These are just a few examples of some of the deficiencies that I have seen and heard of over the years

and there simply are too many to list here. Hopefully you have not been a victim of this but if you have,

that is why I started Paragon Renovations and there is a reason why I chose the name Paragon:

"Paragon; an ideal instance; a perfect embodiment of a concept, ideal: model of excellence or

perfection of a kind; one having no equal"

I chose this name very carefully because I earnestly believe in this concept.

The future:

I see Paragon Renovations becoming a company with more than one employee. I envision a company

that not only takes care of its clients but also its employees. Along with the number of contractors that

neglect their clients, there are as many if not more companies that neglect their employees. I want to

foster an environment where employees are retained and rewarded. A working environment that is

enjoyable and TRUELY treats their employees as valued and not just another number.

This is my vision and these are my beliefs if you want to become part of this philosophy please give

me a call or drop me a line and I will schedule your project today!

Paragon Renovations