- Donnay Homes
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Donnay Homes Industry Homebuilding Founded 1941 Headquarters Maple Grove, Minnesota, USA Key people Paul Donnay (CEO) Products Construction, Real estate, Homebuilding, Financial services Website www.donnayhomes.com Donnay Homes is Minnesota's oldest home-builder and developer. Since 1941, the builder, based in Maple Grove, Minnesota, has worked with over 15,000 families, focusing primarily on first-time homebuyers and first-, second, and third-time moveup buyers.
In addition to its new building construction segment, Donnay Homes founded another main business unit called Traditions by Donnay. Traditions by Donnay Homes specializes in home renovation, remodeling and high-end new construction.[1]
Contents
History
Donnay Homes was founded in 1941 by Vern and Geri Donnay. Minnesota was preparing itself for war in Europe and celebrating the Minnesota Golden Gophers football national championship. [2] For many families who bought houses in Bloomington in the 1940s and 1950s, their piece of the American dream was built by Vern Donnay of Donnay Homes.
Vern Donnay was born in 1922 in Austin, Minn. He developed his love for homebuilding working with his grandfather while he grew up in the Minnesota towns of Kimball and Watkins. After graduating from Kimball High School, Donnay served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1946.
An award-winning homebuilder, Donnay Homes first developed large tracts of farm land in the south-metro suburb, where Vern built hundreds of houses and continued the legacy of his grandfather, who had built houses and barns in rural, central and western, Minnesota.
After World War II, business for Donnay Homes thrived as many war vets came home to get married, start families and benefited from the GI Bill to buy homes. During the height of the construction boom of the 1940s and 1950s Donnay Homes was digging five basements a day .
From the 1940s through the 1960s, Vern Donnay, founder of Donnay Homes, spearheaded some of the first housing developments in several Twin Cities suburbs, including Richfield, Fridley, Brooklyn Park, Lakeville, Blaine and Apple Valley.
Vern Donnay was one of the original members of the Twin Cities Builders Association.[3]
Donnay, who also developed shopping malls in Eden Prairie, Maple Grove and Blaine, died Feb 15, 2009. He was 87.
Donnay Homes Today
Today, Vern's son, Paul Donnay is the president and owner of Donnay Homes. Vern's grandson, Chad Donnay is vice-president.
Donnay Homes builds a wide range of homes that appeal to all types of buyers. First-time buyers, move-up buyers and townhome buyers are all finding Donnay Homes in areas they want to live.
Donnay Homes offers homes in numerous Minnesota communities such as:
- Belle Plaine
- Brooklyn Park
- Burnsville - The Summit at Buck Hill
- Champlin
- Eden Prairie
- Edina
- Jordan
- Lonsdale
- Maple Grove
- Minneapolis
- Minnetrista
- Plymouth
- Prior Lake
- Shakopee
- St. Louis Park
- Watertown
- Woodbury
Donnay Homes frequently participates in the Parade of Homes.
See also
- www.donnayhomes.com
External links
References
Categories:- Economy of Minneapolis, Minnesota
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