Danny and Raymond Delbene know horses. As third generation horsemen, they have taken their knowledge and translated it into the building industry, initially as builders of premier barns.
Today, the brothers and four of their children own and operate Delbene Brothers, Inc., a Marion County building and construction firm that began in 1999.
Their father, a carpenter and lay-up farm owner from Massachusetts, settled in the Fairfield community in northwest Marion County in 1972 when the brothers were in high school. They grew up raising horses and helping their dad with his business. As they built custom barns, word spread about their quality structures and their understanding about how to keep horses safe in their own environments.
“If there is a place where a horse can get hurt, he’ll find it,” says Danny, who handles the contracting and customer relations for the business. “We incorporate many special features like rounded corners so that horses do not hurt themselves.”
They also build the inside stall walls to the center of poles in pole barns so that nothing is protruding where horses could possibly injure themselves. “We don’t leave anything sticking out,” explains Danny, who learned a lot about horses from his grandfather who was a race track trainer.
As the barn-building business grew, one thing led to another, and the brothers found themselves also building custom homes in the farmlands around north Marion County. Currently, they have two houses for sale in The Village of Hidden Lakes on Highway 316. Both homes are on three-acre lots in the gated community that features horse trails and other amenities.
Delbene Brothers, Inc., a member of the Marion County Builders Association, is known for quality homes that are built on time. Last year, the company built seven homes and all had Certificates of Occupancy within eight months from start to finish. In addition to the homes, Delbene also completed five custom barns.
Raymond is the construction foreman for Delbene. The brothers pride themselves that they maintain tight control over the time it takes to complete projects. They oversee everything in home construction from designing major layouts to completing framework and trim work.
“By not having a big overhead and staff, we can give a better price on a higher quality of home,” explains Danny. “And we’re big enough to build a whole farm, but we’re small enough to stay personal with the home owners.”
Delbene Brothers, Inc.
PO Box 872
Fairfield, FL 32634
(352) 591-3670
delbenebrothers.com
