We are Capital Construction Company.
Capital Construction Company is owned by Kelly Wunsch and Ethan Jones. We have a simple mission – to be Austin’s best custom home builder.
We are customer-focused and quality-driven and creatively integrate lasting value into the homes that we build. Forging lasting relationships with our clients and the team of architects, engineers, designers, and tradesmen/women that make each project a success is the essence of who we are.
Capital Construction Company was founded in 2016, but collectively Kelly and Ethan have been building, living, loving, and adventuring in Austin since 1999.
ETHAN ELIOT JONES
PARTNER
ETHAN JONES
Outside of my work through Capital Construction Company, my family is my life…and life has been abundantly good! I married my high school sweetheart, Casey in ‘99, we welcomed our first daughter, Eliot, into our world in 2004, and then took on one of life’s great challenges when our quintuplets – Brooklyn, Britton, Jack, Lila, and Ryan – were born in January 2009. Our life has been on overdrive ever since!
You can catch up on more of our family’s story and day-to-day activities on Facebook and you can even catch us from time-to-time on The Learning Channel (TLC) on a show called ‘Quints By Surprise’. The TV show followed our oversized-but-still-normal family and documents the realities of daily life when you are raising six little ones and trying to do it the right way. TLC’s cameras were a part of our lives since the quints were born until around age 5, making a positive impact on our family and in the lives of many others along the way!
The years 2008 and beyond were not only transformative for my family but were also marked by abundant challenges and professional success. I founded my first construction business, Eliot J Construction (which grew into an award-winning success). I also earned an MBA from Baylor University, graduating in 2010 through their Executive MBA program. Eliot J Construction earned a spot with the finalists in the “Best Custom Home” category of the HBA’s MAX Awards in 2015 and took home first prize in 2016. With the creation of Capital Construction Company, Kelly and I are expanding and improving on our individual visions of how business and trust should be earned, how relationships should be fostered, and how a home should be built.
With a lively, loving, and bustling family as a driving force behind me and the success of Capital Construction Company as a passion ahead of me, you can see why I consider life to be an everyday adventure!
KELLY DOUGLAS WUNSCH
PARTNER
KELLY WUNSCH
Kelly’s career in construction is his second; he came to it relatively late in life after a 14-year career in professional baseball, which included 6 seasons in the MLB with the Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Building has, however, been a lifelong passion for Kelly, and there was never a question that he would enter the field after baseball.
Upon retiring from baseball in 2007 after a string of injuries, Kelly partnered with a family member who had decades of experience in construction, and together they began building luxury custom homes here in Austin. Kelly Wunsch Homes was founded a couple of years later as a solo venture, and over the years Kelly has built a reputation as a builder with a designer’s eye, as a stickler for details, and as an eager student of building science. A chance introduction to Ethan by a mutual acquaintance in 2015 eventually led to the merger of Kelly Wunsch Homes and Eliot J Construction in 2016. With Capital Construction Company, Kelly’s skills dovetail perfectly with Ethan’s to create a company that’s much more than the sum of its parts.
Kelly was born and raised in Houston, growing up and getting into trouble in his early teens with his best friend—also now one of Capital’s Project Managers–Matt Brown. Kelly would later excel in athletics and academics, eventually going to Texas A&M University to play baseball…though on an engineering scholarship. In 1993 he was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 1st round of the MLB Amateur Draft, and while in the minor leagues in 1995, he would meet the woman who would eventually become his wife.
Jessica and Kelly have been married since 1998 and have two wonderful sons, Fischer and Reece. Kelly has been a busy dad coaching their various sports teams over the years, and in what little free time he has, he enjoys hanging with his wife, exercising, tinkering around the house, and watching Aggie Football.
JAMES TALLEY
OPERATIONS MANAGER
JAMES TALLEY
James began his career in residential construction while still in high school at age 16 working as a helper on a framing crew. After high school, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served from 1998 – 2001. Completing his enlistment, James returned to Austin and was drawn back to the residential construction industry when he started with a local interior millwork company, Trim Tech of Austin.
In his 12-year tenure at Trim Tech, James worked his way up from Shop Carpenter to Cabinet Shop Supervisor and eventually Field Supervisor. During his time as Field Supervisor, James oversaw the millwork installation of all Taylor Morrison, Drees, Ryland & Highland homes in Steiner Ranch and Rough Hollow.
Looking to broaden his construction knowledge and expertise in his field, James accepted a position as a Project Manager for Risher Martin Fine Homes. At Risher Martin, James excelled, focusing on high-end, luxury construction and building several multimillion-dollar homes during his eight years there. James also had the opportunity to work with and learn from some of Austin’s finest architects including Tim Cuppett Architecture + Interiors, Furman + Keil Architects, and Steinbomer Architecture & Interiors.
James began working with Capital Construction Company in June 2021, taking another career leap, this time to Operations Manager. With his wide range of hands-on knowledge and experience managing thousands of homes over the course of his career, James is being relied upon to streamline the build process, minimize build times, and keep effective and supportive on-going communication with clients.
James lives in east Austin with his wife, Emily, and their two pound-pups, Scooter, an Akita-Shepherd mix, and Harley, a Pit Bull-Vizsla mix. James and Emily are fitness lovers and spend their downtime working out, walking the dogs, and taking as many trips as possible to Colorado and New Mexico to rock-crawl through the mountains and valleys in their 4×4 Toyota 4Runner.
MATT HART
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
MATT HART
Matt’s career began in Ohio over 40 years ago, where he grew up working for his parent’s custom home building firm. After years of field experience, he decided to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps and attend The Ohio State University College of Architecture. His hard work and excellence at his craft were quickly recognized, garnering him the school’s Construction Award and the Austin E. Knowlton Faculty Prize in addition to a degree of Bachelor of Science in Architecture.
After graduating, Matt continued working for local firms in Columbus, Ohio, but his interest in building science and sustainability eventually drew him to Austin and working at Barley|Pfeiffer Architecture. He excelled during his 10 years at B|P, leaving as an Associate Principle. His many years of project management experience and broad understanding of architectural design and environmentally responsive construction techniques came full circle when he started work as a Construction Manager with us in July 2020. At Capital Construction Company, Matt is focused on quality construction techniques and assisting the Project Managers and our architecture partners with the transition from a plan drawn on paper to a built environment.
Matt and his wife, Taylor, spend their downtime chasing their kids, Arlo and Birdie, and working on the weekends restoring their 1970’s-era home. Matt loves the outdoors and exploring nature with his family on their wooded property in Bastrop. He also enjoys gardening and cooking for the family.
MATT BROWN
PROJECT MANAGER
MATT BROWN
Matt Brown was born and raised in Houston and grew up as close friends with one of our partners, Kelly Wunsch. In 1992, Matt left Houston to serve four years with the United States Navy. Following his service, Matt made his way to the Texas gulf coast to begin a career in construction management in 2002. There, he began building residential homes and found that he had a passion for the construction industry.
Wanting to expand on his construction management experience, Matt later went on to work on the commercial side of the industry, building restaurants, shells for retail shopping centers, and build-outs. Following his commercial experience, he continued to develop his skill set in construction, working at completing renovations for multi-family communities, a career move that brought him to Austin.
During his work in multi-family, Matt was continually recognized for his outstanding customer service while managing to stay within budget on multimillion-dollar projects. Looking to get back into single-family residential construction, Matt joined Capital Construction Company at its inception in 2016 as a Project Manager. He has been a critical part of our growth over the last 5 years.
Matt loves being a dad and spends as much time as he can with his two daughters, who keep him busy with their soccer and dance activities. He also enjoys watching sports, exercising, and hanging with their golden retriever, Bailey. During the summer, Matt and his girls spend as much time as they can in the water and at the beach.
JEFF FOX
PROJECT MANAGER
JEFF FOX
Jeff has worked in construction management in Austin, Texas since 1990. Originally from Hot Springs, Arkansas, Jeff attended the University of Arkansas and studied Land Management. Prior to his career in construction, Jeff was a US Army infantry paratrooper and a weapons specialist.
Today, Jeff lives in Cedar Park, Texas, in the same house since 1989 with his wife Sonya. They have two children, Lillian and Lucas. Lillian studies at North Texas University in Denton. Lucas is working towards his high school diploma at Cedar Park High School.
Jeff joined Capital Construction Company in April 2021. His career focus has always been on education and his job-specific ‘atomic habits’ are to be continually focused on delivering the best projects to customers and clients through quality construction and project management, to lead by example to both trades and co-workers, and to always maintain a meticulously clean job site.
Jeff’s personal mantra is “I don’t know everything; I learn every day. Continuing education is paramount in this industry.”
Jeff is a proud and loud Arkansas Razorback and spends his time on the weekends cheering on the UA football team. He also enjoys grilling and smoking all different varieties of meat and loves sharing the fruits of his labor with anyone who wants to grab a bite.
Membership Certificates:
NHBA: Graduate Master Builder International Residential Code Council NHBA Member Austin HBA
Austin Green Build certification
OSHA certification 30 hour
Life member: Veterans of Foreign Wars Life member: Disabled American Veterans Life Member: American Legion