"It might be a jobsite to some people, but to us, it is your home, and we are stewards of it each & every day. Our job is to worry about what is important to you, our client."
Our Team
Lamar Valley Craftsman is blessed to work with many amazing and talented trade contractors and vendors throughout Northern Colorado. Some of these relationships are long standing of many years while others are fairly new, but the common thread that runs through this group of individuals is integrity, customer care, and a commitment to quality.
The team that supports our clients on a daily basis has many years of custom home buildings experience, with each person bringing a different and varied skill set to each project.
We look forward to journeying with you.
Barry Schram – Owner & Project Manager
Barry Schram started Lamar Valley Craftsman to follow his love of architecture after being inspired by the Not So Big house concept by architect Sarah Susanka. Barry is personally involved with all aspects of the building process, and being a small nimble company allows him to bring the right people together to make a project shine. Team collaboration between architect, engineer, interior designer and trade contractors are in place to support his client’s dream & vision.
A native of upstate New York, but always with a love of the West which was instilled in him by his parents and their family vacations to many of the country’s National Parks during his childhood. By which the name of the company was inspired by the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Pak. After obtaining his B.A. in Business Management at The Rochester Institute of Technology, Barry moved to Fort Collins in 1998 to enjoy the good life and adventure of the West ~ camping, cycling, skiing and great weather. Barry loves Old Town Fort Collins and what it represents.… community, historic homes, fun people and good food!
Kelly Pytluk – Administrative Assistant / Bookkeeper
Kelly has over 10 years of accounting experience and is a certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor. She has worked with Lamar Valley Craftsman for over 9 years. Kelly specializes in Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable & month end closes with Lamar Valley Craftsman as well as owning and operating her own bookkeeping firm. Kelly and her husband, Ken, are parents to two wonderful boys, and they enjoy playing FlingGolf as a family and hiking with their Golden Retrievers.
Diana Benson – Client Coordinator
Diana brings a considerable depth of residential design experience to Lamar Valley Craftsman having graduated from Colorado State University with a B.S. in Interior Design and a minor in Construction Management. Diana guides and informs clients during the entire construction process enabling them to co-create a cohesive design. Diana’s passion for gathering interesting finishes and materials to create an impressive and yet comfortable custom home makes the process less overwhelming for clients.
Diana joined Lamar Valley Craftsman in 2020. Her construction management experience sets her apart from most interior designers and this technical knowledge is a highly valuable skill for the dynamic and effective team at Lamar Valley Craftsman.
Diana grew up in Overland Park Kansas and came to Fort Collins to attend C.S.U. She grew up coming to Estes Park and the YMCA every summer as well as spring breaks to ski. Her love of the mountains and the outdoors has given her a place to call home. Our beautiful state has so much to offer us for inspiration!
John Burfeind – Site Superintendent
John, Fort Collins & Northern Colorado Residential Builder, was born in Upstate New York, yet he’s right at home here in Colorado, with family nearby and a newfound love for our beautiful landscape and climate. Fort Collins is the perfect location for exploring the mountains; one of his favorite things to do is enjoying the outdoors with his Golden Retriever, Walter. A good game of golf or breaking in some fresh powder is what the Doctor ordered.
John studied architectural design with an emphasis in Physics. Before college he served in the US Army, where the young Sergeant gathered many awards & Graduated high honors in PLDC (leadership school).
His interest in building came early, as his Grandfather had a dairy farm & Relative’s were German Craftsman. John was much better at wood working then milking cows, so it seemed like the likely path. Working for his Uncle before the ARMY, while on leave and once honorably discharged, he honed his skills. 1988 John started his own company in the tree enriched upstate NY, relocating in Colorado in 1993.
He loves being a hands on Builder, always saying, “we design and build your dreams”. A life-long Motocross rider & fan, having worked to the professional level, racing across the country had him pushing for excellence. “Trying to be just a little bit better then the day before” was his motto. John loves to travel and has had the opportunity to build in the jungles of Peru with his Church. God is always teaching how to be a better pursuer of The love of Christ.
As a builder in Colorado since 1993, John has always been looking for a Team to assemble that shared his values. John believes in being Proactive, Having Integrity, Being Adaptable, Always Respectful, & Team Oriented. Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”
In April 2022, John joined Lamar Valley Craftsman as a Team Member. “Having a great foundation is crucial for any building to have a solid base and having a great team is essential for any project from start to finish.”
I’ve found that Team.
John is a member of the following professional organizations:
• Christ Community Church
• Faith In Action
• Extreme Athlete Bible study
• AMA
• RMRA
• MSC
• RMXA
• J.D.BURFEIND & Son Construction
A personal message from Barry:
Wow ~ it is amazing how fast time moves forward ……… Starting with our first home renovation in 1997 and our first new home build in 2001. We are blessed to have been entrusted to steward clients’ dreams, finances, and family needs. It has been an amazing journey with much success and also a few days of heartache negotiating unexpected home building challenges. Some of my greatest lessons have come about by way of struggles. As Yoda says in The Last Jedi – “the greatest teacher failure is, yes, it is”.
First & foremost, if it wasn’t for our Heavenly Father, none of this would be possible. Beyond that, I have had the opportunity to surround myself with great people over the years which has been instrumental in the home building journey; architects, engineers, trades and venders, but most important, I have had great clients, and I thank each one of them for their trust.
In the middle of growing a small custom home building company, God brought an amazing woman of faith into my life which has been a blessing all its own. A journey of life together and to watch my three stepsons grow into young men pursuing their dreams has been quite amazing. Our son Nathan, now in middle school, has knitted us all together over the years.
I am happy to sit down over coffee and discuss my entire background of home building, the Lord, my training at the Culinary Institute of America many years ago, or anything else on your heart. Our stories are the fabric of our journey and makes each one of us unique sons and daughters of God.
We would be honored to be considered for your renovation or custom new home build.
Barry Schram – Spring 2023
Kelly Pytluk, Administrative Assistant / Bookkeeper