When Thomas Couch, co-founder and principal of Wolverine Builders, was growing up in Illinois, the rare sight of construction always caught his eye.  

“I was raised in an industrial town in the ’70s, so there was very little building going on,” he explains. “When it happened, something about a job site was so intriguing to me. I’ve always had this affinity for construction, and my father saw to it that I knew how to do everything from concrete to steel stud framing.”

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Even though he had no familial connection to the industry, Couch started his first construction business as a young man, leveraging that experience to found Wolverine Builders in 2008.  

AZRE magazine sat down with Couch to learn more about his career, his penchant for entrepreneurship and why taking risks can pay off.  The following has been edited for clarity and length.  

AZRE: You started your first construction company at 22 years old. Was being an entrepreneur something you always wanted to do?  

Thomas Couch: To be honest, it wasn’t something I had been planning on. I graduated from Illinois State University with a sociology degree and I had no idea what I’d do for work. I ended up getting a job with John Deere in the commercial insurance division. They ended up moving me to New Mexico. I couldn’t even spell Albuquerque, but it was a good start for a young guy.  

AZRE: What made you switch to construction once you came out west?  

Thomas Couch: I was looking for a house and thought to myself, “I can build homes better that these guys.” I started off buying and remodeling a home, which made me some money. Then a built a house, and it worked out pretty well, so I built another one and kept going. 

AZRE: Why did you switch your focus from homebuilding to commercial construction? 

Thomas Couch: Residential has a lot of emotions involved, which I understand because your home is a very personal and precious thing. But I segued into commercial because it’s a better fit for my personality — it’s just business. Around that time, I saw the Phoenix market exploding, so I came here and started over.  

AZRE: What year did you end up coming to the Valley?  

Thomas Couch: I came here in 2006 and worked for James Murphy for a few years. He’s a true friend, and I’ve enjoyed watching him and Willmeng succeed.

AZRE: Did you regret coming to Phoenix right before the Great Recession hit?  

Thomas Couch: Actually, it was great timing because everyone was back at square one. I made a lot of friends who went on to other businesses or started their own, so it expanded my network within Arizona and ended up being a positive thing for my career.  

AZRE: You founded Wolverine Builders in 2008. Were you nervous about starting a business during the worst financial crisis in living memory? 

Thomas Couch: When I told my father about my plans, he asked me, “You really think now is a good time to start a construction company?” I told him it probably wasn’t, but construction is all I know.  

AZRE: You know a few things about sociology too, right?  

Thomas Couch: What’s funny is that I went to Illinois State because I wanted to play football, but that wasn’t working out because of my grades. I asked my counselor, “How do I get a degree and get out of here?” I was interested in archeology because I’m an “Indiana Jones” fan, but I was young and decided to just keep pushing a wheelbarrow and get a sociology degree.

AZRE: I have to end on a tough question — What’s your favorite “Indiana Jones” film?

Thomas Couch: I have to go with “Temple of Doom.”