We build meaningful projects through meaningful relationships.
About Us
Founded in 1979 in Vista, CA, Sun Country Builders has been delivering high-quality multifamily housing for our clients for more than 45 years.
We are committed to our clients and build strong relationships that result in meaningful projects. We function as in-house construction staff for our clients and are dedicated to their success – their deadlines are our deadlines and their goals are our goals. We are proud to have repeat business with nearly all of our clients and very low client turnover.
We are experts in the unique processes and requirements of building successful multifamily housing projects, providing a valuable return on investment for our clients. Our tight contracting and precise estimating processes result in projects coming in on time and often under budget.
We’re disciplined, client-oriented, and we act out of a belief that we owe our developers a fiduciary duty, in the old-fashioned and true sense of the term.
Our Mission

To assist our clients in building safe, high-quality, and affordable housing for people to call home.
Our Vision

Everyone deserves a place to call home. Affordable, safe and high-quality housing gives communities and people the opportunity to thrive.
Our Core Values

We are HUMBLE
and GRATEFUL

We are always
LEARNING

We are
DETERMINED

We
WORK HARD

We
CARE
Our History


Sun Country Builders was founded by John Ahlswede in 1979, in Vista, CA. Under his leadership, we have grown to be one of the premier builders of multifamily and affordable housing in the Southern California.
Sun Country started as a framing contractor and quickly developed a focus on multifamily projects. Our focus on affordable housing construction began in the early 1980s with the construction of 13 USDA Rural Development agricultural housing projects in remote Southern California locations. In 1987, SCB built one of the first two projects to receive tax credits in the first round of funding of the Low-Income Tax Credit program in California - Redondo Apartments in Westmoreland, Imperial County. Since then, Sun Country has delivered 117 projects totaling nearly 8,700 affordable homes to the market, helping improve the lives of seniors, low-income families, and other vulnerable populations.
Sun Country Builders has been recognized for excellence by our peers in the building industry. We have won 18 awards for our projects from the Pacific Coast Builders Conference, San Diego Housing Federation, SDG&E, and Affordable Housing Advocates.
Affordable Housing
Since the early 1980s, Sun Country Builders has delivered unequalled dedication and service to the affordable housing development community.
Our specialization in affordable housing has given us the opportunity to become thoroughly familiar with the unique processes and requirements of that market niche. Whether a project is financed through tax credits, bonds, HUD, or through city or county channels, we are experienced with the procedures and requirements, including HUD documentation, Prevailing Wage procedures, Section 3 requirements, local outreach requirements, and more. We have developed disciplined and successful procedures which carefully and completely address all necessary requirements.

Meet The Team
Meet The team


Community Impact
Our focus on affordable housing construction began in the early 1980s with the construction of 13 USDA Rural Development agricultural housing projects in remote Southern California locations. Since then, Sun Country has delivered 117 projects representing nearly 8,700 affordable homes for seniors, low-income families, and other vulnerable populations.
While building affordable housing gives us purpose, we believe that our mission goes beyond four walls. That’s why we support the organizations we have partnered with to help them achieve their mission in other areas such as education, overall economic mobility and food security.
At Sun Country Builders, one of our core values is We Care. We consider ourselves to be partners in the success of our clients and we are in the relationship for the long haul.
As such, we are united around a shared vision and common goals with our clients and care about their projects, the communities and the causes they serve.