My name is Mark Alexander.  I am the owner of Actuate Improvement. I was born and raised in Stoughton, WI. I have always had a passion for design and construction.

My career in the construction industry started in 1999, building decks, sheds, and other small projects in our small community. Once I graduated high school, I joined a very good company as a framing carpenter, building residential homes and small commercial buildings. That company started to grow, and in 2002, I started running crews on houses and commercial projects as a foreman. I loved the challenge of learning the industry and helping our company grow. I worked with that company until 2006. My desire to learn different aspects of the building industry took me to work with design and consulting for a remodeling company from 2007 – 2013.

Actuate Improvement was a dream in the waiting. Although I have learned from and worked with many very well-known and reputable leaders in the industry, I have always wanted to create my own contracting business to help others with designs and home changes/modifications.

Our goal and mission with Actuate Improvement is to provide a great service and quality finishes.

I grew up in a small farming town called Lamont Iowa, and discovered my love for building at a very young age. Around 12 years old, I would work weekends and summers with my dad learning concrete and carpentry.

Upon graduating high school in 1997, I joined the United States Marine Corps as an Artillery Cannon Crewman. I held many bullets. Most of which was leading anywhere from 3 to 650 Marines. The Marines was my home for just over 17 years. I medically retired in July 2014. While in the Marines I was always doing some type of carpentry project and eventually got into finer wood working.

Once I moved back to the Midwest, I decided to pursue my second career as a carpenter. I’ve worked for many different companies as a carpenter in the Madison area.

My hobbies include fishing, hunting, marksmanship, wood working and turning.

Brett started working for Actuate Improvement in September of 2020 as a carpenter. It was quickly apparent that he had no carpentry skills to keep him as a carpenter full-time. He previously worked for both the State of Wisconsin and UW-Madison in Human Resources, so Mark decided that he would be better suited, in the office, as his Human Resources professional. Brett also wears many other hats in the office such as Customer Service Representative, Marketing Director, the maker of Coffee in the morning, Mark Alexander’s Life Coach, Fill-in Carpenter as needed and other duties as assigned.

Brett continues to instill the goal and mission of Actuate Improvement by providing great customer service and quality finishes.

Design, Create, Actuate.

Patrick has spent almost his entire professional career in the construction/remodeling fields including electrical/communications field work, kitchen & bath, and building material sales.. His joining the Actuate team in 2020 had an immediate impact on the company resulting in him being awarded the coveted “Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence” award. When Patick is not working to provide great service to Actuate clients or completing his T.P.S. reports on time he enjoys gourmet cooking, spending time with his family, and being in the great outdoors observing nature’s wonders.

Tim has been in the Home construction business for over 20 years. Building new homes as well as extensive remodeling. What he likes most about working in this industry is seeing the happy faces of customers when a project comes to an end. We love Tim’s attention to detail and his ability to fix what cannot be fixed in difficult installation situations. Tim’s favorite things to do are cooking, gardening, fishing and just hanging out with great friends and his Boys.His new year resolutions are using less Cheese and Butter when cooking. But he is not sure just yet on how to do that.

Ryan is the Chief Operating Officer and Draftsmen for Actuate Improvement. He is responsible for the pre production organization of remodeling projects, design and procurement of building plans. Ryan seeks to utilize his knowledge of the remodeling industry, building material products and proficient CAD skills to help customers achieve their needs and wants on every project. Understanding the needs and wants of our customers makes Ryan such a valued asset here at Actuate. Ryan relies on his Bachelor of Arts from Ripon College, his creative mindset and easy going personality to help customers achieve their dreams.

Stephanie joined the Actuate Improvement team in November 2019, as the head Interior Designer with 20 years of experience. She graduated with her degree in Interior Design in 2001. She is passionate about design and loves to help her clients achieve their dream home. With attention to detail, Stephanie incorporates the clients ideas and uses her creativity to build a space that is beyond their expectations.Stephanie loves to spend time with her husband, 3 children, friends & family. She is active with camping, swimming and playing sports. She also loves entertaining, cooking, baking and crafting projects with her children. She is involved in her community and volunteers in her children’s schools and sport programs. Stephanie is a pleasure to work with and looks forward to working with you on your next project!

Nate has been in several roles in the remodeling industry and will be serving as our Project Manager, until Mark has enough of him. His easy go lucky attitude makes it easy for everyone to get along with him and you will always see a smile on his face. Nate has many outside interests including, furniture building, beer brewing, hoola hoops, instructing a spin class at his local VFW, and snowshoeing.

Life has a great way of working out! In the process of finishing my degree in education, I landed employment at Actuate Improvement as a carpenter and quickly realized how much carpentry intrigued my interest as well as the amount of knowledge I have acquired in the short period of time. This company has opened the doors for new opportunities for myself and I’m enjoying the journey so far.

I grew up in a family that was three generations of Carpenters. I worked for my dad as a helper in the summers. That is where I learned that I loved building things. In 1992 I joined the Carpenters union in Chicago land and spent 20 years serving as a master carpenter. I have trained many apprentices from year one through year four. In 2010 I started my own construction company that did new as well as remodel construction. In 2012 I moved to Wisconsin and in 2014 I took a break from working in the field. I am now back in my element doing what I do and Loving it.

I’m enjoying being a dad, husband and hobby farmer. I’ve wanted to be a carpenter for as long as I can remember. After the Marine Corps I graduated Madison College with a degree in Business Management to help me understand the business side of things. After sitting in the classroom all day I decided that the hands on aspect of the field was much more appealing than the business side. In 2019 I graduated from the construction and remodeling degree program, which set me up with the skill set to finally become a carpenter. My dream had finally come true! Actuate Improvement has been an awesome company to work for, with great co-workers and a boss that treats his staff with the utmost respect and honesty. I couldn’t ask for anything better!

Alyssa joined Actuate Improvement in September 2021 as the Office Administrator/Design Assistant. She graduated in 2016 from UW La Crosse and again in 2018 from Madison College with a degree in Interior Design. She currently has 3 years of design experience in commercial and residential projects and is looking to move full time into residential. She enjoys the outdoors in her free time through camping with her family, hiking with her dogs, gardening poorly and going to the beach on the Wisconsin river.

Steve joined the Actuate Improvement team in August, 2021. He was raised in Ridgeway, WI. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin with his bachelors degree in Wildlife Ecology, he moved out to Washington. There he spent his free time hiking and camping in the mountains with his fiancé and pup. While in Washington, he changed career paths and started working in residential construction.   His favorite part of the job is seeing the transitions of old dated spaces into new beautiful ones. After 5 years of living in Washington he was called back to WI to become the 6th generation on his family farm.

– Coming Soon –

Jessica joined the Actuate Improvement team as a Sales & Design Representative in the Fall of 2021. She strives to design unique interiors that will have a positive impact on her clients’ lives.  With more than fifteen years of experience, in many different aspects of the design industry, she possesses a desire to create and design spaces that exceed her clients’ expectations. Jessica seemed to really love going to school and earned four college degrees. Of which include, an associate’s degree in interior design & marketing, a bachelor’s degree in business management and finally, an MBA. In her free time, she loves spending time with her husband, dog (Max), family and friends!

Our way of doing business is unique. We believe communication, accountability, and customer service are must-haves. If you want a home contracting company that cares about your project as much as you do, then give us a call to find out if we’re a good fit for your next project.