Wood Duck Designers and Builders Inc. is a small family owned and operated design/ build firm located in St. Paul, MN. Wood Duck has been successfully serving the metro area since 1996. The company was founded by Scott and Maggie Gikling with an eye on direct, personalized service and a keen understanding of client needs as they relate to both project outcomes as well as the process itself.

At Wood Duck, a “hands on” beginning to end approach to project development and delivery is at the base of our business philosophy. In the modern media age, marketing is as important as product. To many consumers, perception is 9/10ths reality. This modern marketing approach serves well if the products involved are a pair of shoes, a car, or a vacation. But in something as involved and as personal as a remodeling project, the quality of the process is as important as the end result itself. The lovely pictures on a web site do nothing to convey the cleanliness or efficiency of the process that took place in realizing their completion. In other words, as a remodeling consumer, you are buying a process just as surely as you are buying the kitchen, bath or room addition itself. A personalized “hands on” approach is the best way for a consumer and a builder to arrive at a successful outcome.

This fundamental truth forms the Wood Duck business philosophy. Our approach to this industry is more so a hands on “we deliver” approach than a sales and marketing approach. We love our work and we deliver great outcomes. Scott Gikling, CKD, is a National Kitchen and Bath Association Certified Kitchen Designer. This industry credential is a mark of knowledgeable professionalism and proven success. Scott has over 35 yrs. experience in the design/build/trades industry. Scott fills the roles of both designer and project manager which allows Wood Duck to see your project through without a hand-off from one person to another, or as in larger firms, one department to another. You will communicate with one person from beginning to end in a seamless fashion. Of course this limits how much we can do. We never oversell, we never overpromise. We are honest about the viability of a project and the likelihood of a successful outcome. We know our limitations which is important. Since communication is everything, the advantages to our approach are obvious.  

In the end, it’s important to remember that you are contracting with a builder/remodeler, not a marketing firm. A sophisticated marketing approach and a large advertizing budget are good for creating “image” or “perception” but the best outcomes are delivered by focused, experienced people with a professional stake in your project at every turn, from beginning to end.