Chad has worked to continue the tradition that has defined the Loper family’s presence in the construction industry. Today, JL Loper Construction is known for its commitment to craftsmanship and the generational ties that have cemented its reputation in the region. A Legacy Passed Down: Michael Chad Loper Takes the Helm The transition from father to son marked a pivotal moment in JL Loper Construction’s history, transforming the business into a symbol of both generational perseverance and evolving expertise. When Chad Loper took over from his father in the early 1990’s, he was not just stepping into a company; he was stepping into a legacy built on hard
Building a Legacy of Craftsmanship and
Community in Orange Beach For over four
decades, Loper Construction has been more than just a name in the Orange Beach, Alabama, skyline —it’s a testament to the enduring values of quality craftsmanship, deep community ties, and a relentless dedication to creating custom homes that transform visions into reality. JL The company's roots reach back to the early 1980s when it was founded by JL Loper Sr. and have continued to grow today being led by his eldest son, Michael Chad Loper, commonly known as Chad.
work, community, and an unwavering dedication to excellence. JL Loper Sr., a well-known figure in Mobile, Alabama, had built a solid reputation through decades of working in the construction industry. He laid the foundation for the company’s ethos— quality, reliability, and a hands-on approach that involved building more than just structures, but relationships too.“Chad had taken the business over from his father, who started the business in the early 80s,” Ashley Holt, Project Manager at JL Loper Construction, recalls. “So we’ve become like a family, generational business that's been around for a good bit of time. JL started off in the Mobile area, and then worked their way over towards Orange Beach where we are now.” For Chad, taking over from his father wasn’t just about continuing the family business; it was about honoring the values that his father had instilled.
Over the years, JL Loper Sr. had fostered deep trust within the local community by delivering consistent, high-quality work, often with the same subcontractors who had worked with him for decades. Chad inherited not just a company, but a community of clients, employees, and subcontractors who all had faith in the Loper name. Carrying forward his father’s vision, Chad expanded the business to focus on high- end custom home building, a market that continues to thrive in the coastal town of Orange Beach. As Ashley explains, the company’s reputation grew largely from its roots: “A lot of it to do is with the reputation that Chad and his dad built over the years. They have given this community plenty of projects to kind of see the level and the quality of the work. Most of the time, our customers are coming to us because they're driving
around saying, ‘Hey, I see you guys doing XYZ houses in this area, and we'd love for you to build for us as well.’”
A Commitment to Family Values and Community Trust
The father-son relationship wasn’t just about business—it was about embodying the values that are often lost in today’s fast- paced corporate world. Chad’s decision to carry on his father’s work, rather than forge a new path elsewhere, speaks to his deep sense of responsibility and respect for the community they had built together. This continuity, which stretches from JL Loper Sr.’s humble beginnings to Chad’s successful leadership, is the cornerstone of
the company's identity. “Our clients see the work we’ve done, and they trust us,” Ashley shares. "Word of mouth is everything in a close-knit community like Orange Beach." And trust is something Chad Loper never takes lightly. He understands that his name —his father’s name—is attached to every home, every commercial project, and every client interaction. Ashley further explains how this trust is not just between the company and its clients, but also with its long-standing subcontractors: “A lot of those subcontractors to us are like family. They’ve been around forever. So we know them very well, their ins and outs, just like they do with us.” This sense of continuity, where relationships have been cultivated over decades, is something Chad inherited from his father and fiercely protects.
When Chad took over JL Loper Construction, the company was initially focused on smaller-scale projects, such as insurance repairs. But over time, under his leadership, the business gradually moved into the custom home market, building larger, more luxurious homes for clients with unique and intricate visions. This transition didn’t happen overnight, but Chad’s ability to adapt while maintaining the quality that his father had instilled was key to the company’s growth. "The initial vision was a lot of insurance repairs and things, From Insurance Repairs to Custom Luxury Homes
I think to that nature," Ashley explains. "But they've matriculated into custom homes throughout the years." This shift toward larger, more high-end projects was a reflection of Chad’s ambition and his desire to bring his father’s company into a new era of luxury construction. The company now builds homes averaging over 10,000 square feet, with no real limit on what they can take on. "We don't really put a cap on it or a limitation of what we'll look at," Ashley notes. “Everything we do is custom. It’s pretty much anything you can dream up—we can do.”
Whether it’s sourcing rare materials or working with unconventional designs, Chad’s team always finds a way to make the client’s vision come to life. "We take on projects as they come and as the project is ready to be started," Ashley explains, describing the company’s flexible approach. “We're not like typical builders that say, ‘Hey, we're on a six-month wait before we can get to you.’ We maintain the momentum to keep everybody busy.” This not only keeps the company’s workflow steady, but also speaks to Chad’s commitment to serving the community without unnecessary delays or obstacles.
Despite the growth and evolution of the company, Chad has never lost sight of what makes JL Loper Construction special: its roots in the community and its unrelenting focus on quality. While other builders might adopt a one-size-fits-all approach, JL Loper thrives on customization and creative problem- solving. A Humble Yet Groundbreaking Approach to Building
One of the areas where JL Loper has been particularly innovative is with Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) construction, a method that’s known for its energy efficiency and strength, especially in coastal areas prone to hurricanes. Chad has embraced this method, distinguishing the company in a competitive market. Their recent award from the ICF Builder Awards underscores their leadership in this niche. "Not a lot of builders do ICF," says Ashley, “so we’ve been able to get a hold of that market better than some of the other people just because we’ve done it so many times.” Honoring the Past While Building the Future As Chad continues to lead JL Loper Construction into the future, he does so with a deep sense of responsibility— not just to his father’s legacy, but to the community that has supported the company for decades. He knows that, like his father before him, his success is built on relationships, trust, and the commitment to delivering a quality product. The influx of new residents and luxury home buyers to Orange Beach has presented JL Loper Construction with exciting opportunities.
As the demand for larger, more elaborate homes continues to grow, the company is well-positioned to lead this transformation, blending their extensive experience with a commitment to staying on the cutting edge of construction practices. But for JL Loper, growth is not just about scaling up—it’s about preserving the core values that have defined their success for so long. "We believe in maintaining what we have while keeping an eye on the future," says Ashley. “We believe in taking on projects that align with our values and maintaining the close relationships we’ve built over the years.” In the picturesque coastal town of Orange Beach, where the waves meet the shore and new dreams are built every day, JL Loper Construction continues to shape the landscape—one custom home, one satisfied client, and one enduring relationship at a time. For Chad Loper, every new project is a chance to honor the past, embrace the present, and build a future that his father would be proud of.
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