About Grassi & Associates
At Grassi & Associates, we have been privileged to work with world-class architects and the most discerning of clients. Each of our projects has been a story to itself because there is no formula for what we do. We approach every project with open minds and this approach to building custom homes, estates, and select commercial projects keeps us engaged and innovative.
We are craftsmen and builders who are also artists shunning the formulaic in favor of the innovative. We have an eye and a passion for fine work, and we have the skills to bring it to bear. We are interpreters and eternal optimists, taking an architect’s vision and a client’s dream and giving it a physical reality. We are relentless in our desire to take on new challenges, and we are hungry to learn more about the art we have chosen: building.
But there is also an experienced practicality to our team at Grassi, and the foundation of that practicality is a commitment to “value.” Each of our employees at Grassi, some of whom have been with us since the beginning, understand that the key to a successful project is a healthy interplay between helping clients realize their dreams while ensuring that our clients get exceptional value for every dollar spent.
Our team at Grassi & Associates has been building custom homes, estates, and select commercial projects in the Napa and Sonoma valleys for over two decades. We believe that the building process should be as custom as the home we are entrusted to build.
The Grassi Approach
The Grassi approach is, in one word, collaborative. From our relationships with subcontractors to our relationships with clients and architects, we work as a team. We approach every job with an understanding that when we all work together with one objective, the best final product possible, the client wins.
When Mark Grassi founded the company in 1989, he understood the importance of having a good team to work with him. He made sure to create an environment where every team member is valued for his or her contributions. Some members of the Grassi team have been with Mark since the beginning of the venture, and he is the first to recognize their hand in helping to create that environment. But the team that matters to each project is not just the team of builders. We understand that the relationship between client, architect, and builder is crucial to the project, and we are committed to helping each client realize their dream and honoring each architect’s vision of that dream.
The Grassi team understands that good relationships are built on trust. Grassi & Associates is an open-book company, and our clients have access to all of the documentation, subcontractor, and vendor information involved with their project. This transparency helps foster a trust-based relationship with our customers.
The Grassi team approaches every job with an unrivaled commitment to excellence, integrity, distinction, and innovation.
The Grassi Team
Mark Grassi, Founder
Mark began in the construction trades while still in school. Working in Chico and Napa, he honed his skills opening his firm in 1989. The attention he put into carpentry transferred to the business side of creating a company. Mark says, “Grassi & Associates is distinctive because our team is comprised of people who came up through the trades. They know construction from the inside out, and that experience is invaluable.” While the company initially specialized in bespoke residences, he and his team found they could use their building expertise on select commercial projects like boutique wineries. “The focus is on quality craftsmanship and design. That’s our native tongue,” he explains.
A husband and father of two, Mark laughs when he says that his wife and daughters, “are cursed with the eye of a builder. They can walk into a place and see the signs of good craftsmanship. And they can see the signs of bad work.” When Mark is not in the office or on a job site, you might find him riding his bike, often with others from Grassi & Associates. He also enjoys catching fish to pair with the perfect glass of Grassi Ribolla Gialla, a vineyard he started with his wife, Jami.
Paul Niles, Partner
Paul has been with Grassi & Associates since 2000 and he, like everyone at Grassi, brings a passion for custom building to each project.”At Grassi, everything we do is purely custom, one-of-a-kind and never duplicated,” he says. For one of these unique projects, an agrarian compound located on Howell Mountain, Paul collaborated with Field Architecture. The three buildings, grounded on subterranean rock, feature reclaimed old-growth Douglas Fir siding supported by a timber and steel frame. “I’m proud of the way our work reflects the clients’ vision they develop with their architect,” Paul says. Having worked as a superintendent and project manager at other firms, he knows that working at Grassi is different. How? “The team approach runs through everything we do. From the way we work with our subcontractors to our engagement with the architects and clients, it’s a team.”
Like Mark, Paul and his wife also have two daughters who keep them on their toes. When he takes off his hard hat and leaves the job site or the office for the day, you might find him fishing or beating Mark up the hills on a road bike ride.
Laurie Daw, Partner & Office Manager
Laurie has worked with Grassi since the beginning, and Mark admits, “Laurie is the real boss around here. She runs the show and makes the rest of us look good!” Laurie takes great pride in her work and the company. “I was there in the early stages when we had three or four employees – over 30 years ago – I am so proud of what we’ve done.” As the office manager, Laurie sees every aspect of the business. She readily points out that the client’s enthusiasm becomes our inspiration for excellence.
Laurie praises the top-notch craftsmen and managers who approach each job with passion and a real ‘commitment to excellence.’ “Most of our employees have been with us for five years or more. They know our culture, and they appreciate that they each have a significant role in our success. Our team of skilled craftsmen takes enormous pride in what we accomplish, and the ‘custom’ aspect of every project to heart. We make sure that every client understands that what we do for them is one-of-a-kind.”
Laurie says, “Grassi & Associates is a ‘family’ business. We’ve watched each other’s kids grow up alongside our business, and have been a part of each other’s lives – that’s part of what makes a great team.”
Ralph Dahllof, Partner & Project Manager
Growing up in the Bay Area, Ralph headed to the mountains whenever he could. The call of the wilderness was so strong he chose to follow his dreams in the mountains. He later sought adventures in unlikely places. He says, “I spent some time racing bikes in Philadelphia and lived in L.A. for a couple of minutes.” After returning Northern California, he built custom estates around Lake Tahoe for a decade or so. Soon after coming down from the Sierras he met Mark Grassi. The team approach at Grassi & Associates was appealing to Ralph along with the firm’s unwavering commitment to excellence: “At Grassi, we build pretty epic projects. Everything we do, we do it to the highest possible standards. The entire team buys into that. We all trust each other and try every day to live up to those marks.”
Ralph does his best to balance work with his love for adventure and the outdoors. Don’t expect to find him sitting still for long. He bikes, fishes, skis, paddles, golfs and hangs out at the lake with his wife Jodi as much as he possibly can.
Mike McSweeney, Project Manager
Mike grew up in construction with his father building bridges and hydroelectric dams. While his father’s career took the family to Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, the 4th generation Californian spent most of his youth in the Golden State. After doing odd jobs on building sites as a kid, Mike studied biology in college. The degree led to seasonal employment with the Fisheries Programs for the US Forest Service. Deciding that construction was a better career path, he went back to grad school to earn a Masters of Engineering. In the fisheries, he learned a vital lesson that transfers over to construction management: collaboration. “Grassi prides itself on being team players and collaborating with all of a project’s stakeholders. We put forth a lot of effort to try to make other peoples’ jobs easier and the project as a whole, more enjoyable,” he says.
Mike prides himself on the quality and attention to detail of his company’s output. When not on job sites, his energies revolve around his young twin girls. He elaborates, “My wife and I have a running joke when we talk to people about our personal lives and refer to most of our hobbies as BC, before children!”
Kevin Fulton, Project Manager
Project manager Kevin grew up in California's Central Valley, once called the Great Valley. His family worked from the cradle to the grave, drilling irrigation wells and carving tombstones. Construction drew him, combining farmer practicality with the architecture he studied at California State Polytechnic University-San Luis Obispo. Kevin's entry into the profession was literally a trial by fire, perfecting his craft while rebuilding homes after the Oakland Hills firestorm of 1991. Since then, the high points of his career include completing a Buddhist retreat for victims of domestic violence and a $25 million single-family residence in Pacific Heights. In 2021, Kevin joined Grassi, "The family atmosphere tied to this quality of construction is rare," he says. As to the other Grassi passion, is he a bicyclist? "Yes, if it has a motor, no pedals, and is made in Italy." Kevin also enjoys restoring Italian and British cars and motorcycles and building guitars.
Kara McGibben, Assistant Project Manager
Kara, based out of Santa Barbara, assists in the construction management for The Hilt wine production facility and tasting room designed by Backen & Gillam Architects. Kara graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, with a degree in Construction Management and a minor in Business. Kara's career began in the Bay Area, working on large commercial projects such as Yahoo! Corporate Headquarters, Silicon Graphics Relocation, and 49ers Stadium Suites Remodel. After moving to the Santa Barbara area, she pursued her passion for residential construction, overseeing everything from large Montecito estates to small remodels. While her technical experience includes estimating, overall coordination, subcontractor bidding, and scheduling, the relationship skills she brings to Grassi are equally important. Kara is adept in interacting with homeowners, architects, consultants, subcontractors, and field personnel.
