Centra Homes Management Team Adds Ruhland and Wittowski

June 19th, 2019

Today their parallel ascent continues as Centra Homes President Dale Wills has named both to his management team. Ruhland will serve as Centra’s new Vice President of Construction, and Wittowski the Vice President of Purchasing.

“Dave and Janice are tremendous leaders who have helped take us to the next level as a company,” says Wills, “we love their work, but it is their ideas for the future that have me really excited.”

Ruhland and Wittowski will join the existing management team of Wills, Dave Pattberg and Tammy Brown, rounding out a group that places Centra on a trajectory for future success. 

Wills says he is confident the pair will add diverse perspectives to help keep the team strategically focused.

“We have incredible working relationships with Janice and Dave already. They’ll be a strong addition to the leadership team, and we’ll benefit from their experience and expertise.”

—Dale Wills, Centra Homes Founder and President

Dave Ruhland

In his new role as Vice President of Construction, Ruhland will be tasked with overseeing all construction and warranty work for the firm. That means oversight for the project managers on all current projects while also systematizing their approach for future work.

“I am excited to help ensure we are following repeatable best practices so we can continue to deliver quality homes while managing costs for our buyers,” says Ruhland.

Ruhland’s new role includes oversight of the firm’s nine current projects, with more coming soon via an ever-expanding pipeline. Systematizing and refining his team’s processes will be his initial focus. The need for which is a function of the expansive growth that has seen Centra swell to $250 million in new construction since 2011.

Janice Wittowski

With the promotion to Vice President of Purchasing, Wittowski will expand her responsibilities in her current department. She’ll now coordinate the team’s sourcing and management of subcontractor relationships as well as offer oversight of the interior design selections that will be available for Centra projects. 

She says she’s most excited to be brought in earlier in the process to help create and manage a growing universe of choices for buyers.

“I love creating a world of options that can help our homebuyer’s define an aesthetic that fits their style,” says Wittowski, “getting that right requires engaging the right trade partners and ensuring effective communication in all phases.”

By carefully scrutinizing the finish options for each project, Wittowski’s goal is to offer quality products that are “on trend” at all price points while delivering clear options for buyers. Additionally, she says she is excited to reimagine the subcontractor bid process to increase efficiency. She notes that she has a strong team in place to help implement these changes and says that collaboration will be key to their success.

Centra Homes

Founded in 2011, Centra Homes has grown into the preeminent residential land redeveloper in the north metro of the Twin Cities. This growth has been fueled by a broadening geographic footprint that now stretches from Otsego to Woodbury with communities that incorporate apartments, single family homes and townhomes.

With this diverse set of offerings and expanding footprint, Wills has set an ambitious course for Centra. With these promotions, he’s confident he has the right people in the right roles to continue to not only meet his goals, but surpass them.

“Our true differentiater is our people. We have the strongest group of professionals in the industry. Janice and Dave are two of our best.”

—Dale Wills, Centra Homes Founder and President