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LEADERSHIP PROFILE
Meet the Leader Who Sets the Standard
From an early stage in his career, Steve Tarzian envisioned building a commercial construction company that would be known for integrity, exceptional client service, and lasting client relationships. After gaining valuable experience working in his family's commercial construction business, he recognized an opportunity to create a company that would raise the standard for client service and project delivery. Guided by a clear vision and an entrepreneurial spirit, Steve founded DeLauter with a commitment to Elevate Construction Expectations, building a company where transparency, accountability, and doing the right thing would always come first.
Every successful company starts with a first opportunity. For DeLauter, that opportunity came with a church build-out in Elmhurst, Illinois. While modest in size, the project established the foundation for what would become the company's reputation, delivering quality, honoring commitments, and earning clients' trust. Those early successes led to larger renovations, complex tenant improvements, healthcare and industrial projects, and ultimately multimillion-dollar ground-up developments across the country.
Today, Steve leads a nationally recognized commercial general contractor serving clients through operations in Illinois, Florida, and Colorado. Under his leadership, DeLauter has earned a reputation for building more than exceptional facilities, it has built long-term partnerships grounded in trust, collaboration, and consistent results.
Every decision we make reflects our values: clarity, accountability, and purpose.
Stephen M. Tarzian
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Leadership Rooted in Experience. Driven by Results.
With more than 30 years of commercial construction experience and over 900 completed projects, Steve has built a reputation for leadership, integrity, and delivering exceptional results. As Founder, President, and CEO, he remains actively involved throughout every phase of a project, from preconstruction planning and budgeting through project completion, ensuring every client benefits from the experience, accountability, and personal attention that have become hallmarks of the DeLauter approach.
Construction has been part of Steve's life from the very beginning. Representing the third generation of his family's construction legacy, he earned a degree in Marketing before joining his father's commercial construction company, where he developed a strong foundation in business leadership, project management, and client service. Those experiences inspired him to pursue his own vision of creating a commercial construction company that would elevate the client experience and redefine expectations within the industry.
Steve and his wife, Heidi, founded DeLauter together from a small home office while raising two young children, driven by Steve's vision of building a commercial construction company defined by integrity, exceptional client service, and operational excellence. Drawing on his years of industry experience, Steve laid the foundation for a company built on trust, accountability, and lasting relationships. What began as a shared dream has grown under his leadership into a nationally recognized commercial general contractor with three divisions serving clients across Illinois, Florida, and Colorado. Together, they chose the name DeLauter in honor of Heidi's grandmother, a distinctive name that reflects the family values at the heart of the company.
Today, that legacy continues with the next generation as Steve and Heidi's son, Steve Jr., contributes to DeLauter's continued growth, helping carry forward the values, relationships, and commitment to excellence on which the company was founded.
Steve believes successful construction extends far beyond schedules, budgets, and buildings. It begins with listening, understanding each client's vision, communicating openly, and delivering on every commitment. For Steve, there is no greater measure of success than earning a client's trust to build together again. Repeat clients are the result of relationships built on integrity, transparency, and consistently delivering projects that fulfill, and often exceed, their expectations. Those lasting partnerships are a reflection of the confidence clients place in Steve, his team, and the DeLauter approach. That commitment to building relationships, not just buildings, has been a driving force behind DeLauter's growth for more than three decades and continues to shape the company's future.
For Steve, every project represents an opportunity to strengthen communities, create lasting value for clients, and leave a legacy of integrity, leadership, and excellence for future generations.
