Three Generations of Home Improvement

The Wilborn family has been in the home improvement trade since 1974, when Rhett’s father launched Rainyday Gutter Company while working as a baggage handler at O’Hare Airport. That entrepreneurial spirit and blue-collar work ethic defined the next three generations.

Rhett grew up in the trades — working as a teenage laborer, then crew leader, then estimator before founding Innovative Home Concepts in 2005 from a small office on Route 176 in Crystal Lake. Same location today. Same phone number. Same family running it.

Courtney Wander runs the day-to-day operations as General Manager — making IHC a women-led business, which isn’t something you see often in the exterior remodeling trade. Together, they’ve built IHC on two principles Rhett learned from his father: do the job right the only way, and your word is the most important thing you have.

That philosophy has produced 300+ five-star Google reviews, Best of Fox Valley awards every year since 2011, and a roster of McHenry County homeowners who call back for their second and third projects.

Courtney Wander — General Manager

Known around the office as the straw that stirs the drink, Courtney has been with Innovative since 2006 and runs every moving piece of the day-to-day operation — accounting, appointment setting, staff management, and the thousand small things that keep a remodeling company running without missing a beat. From scheduling crews to making sure every homeowner feels heard, she’s the reason IHC runs the way it does.

A McHenry native who still lives in McHenry, Courtney is deeply wired into the community. She’s an active member of the McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce and their Bromance networking group, served on the board of the McHenry Township Junior Warrior football program, and is a fixture on the sidelines of the Junior Warrior basketball program. She’s also a partner in Foxhole Pizza and Pub in McHenry, where she handles social media and accounting — because apparently running one business wasn’t enough.

She’s a mom of four — Ryleigh (who works alongside her at IHC as Production Manager), Aiden, Albe, and Olive. Her leadership makes IHC a women-led business, a genuine rarity in the exterior remodeling trade — and the kind of thing that doesn’t happen by accident. She’s the type of woman who gets nominated for Northwest Herald Woman of Distinction awards.

Rhett Wilborn — President & Founder

Rhett didn’t just choose construction — he was born into it. At age three, his father launched Rainyday Gutter Company from scratch while working as a baggage handler at O’Hare Airport, instilling an entrepreneurial spirit and blue-collar work ethic that would define Rhett’s entire career.

Nearly four decades later, that foundation has grown into Innovative Home Concepts, McHenry County’s most trusted name in exterior remodeling. From working as a teenage laborer to leading a family enterprise that’s served over 5,000 homeowners, Rhett has built his reputation on two unwavering principles learned from his father: do the job right the only way, and your word is the most important thing you have.

He holds an Illinois public adjuster license and personally oversees the storm damage division. When he’s not on a roof or fighting an insurance company, you’ll find him at Foxhole Pizza and Pub in McHenry — a family business he co-owns with Courtney, Skyler, and Ryleigh — at a McHenry County chamber event, or coaching youth sports.

• Industry Experience: Since 1987 (2nd generation contractor)
• Education: Crystal Lake South High School (1989), University of Iowa (1993)
• Recognition: Remodeler Big 50 (2018), Best of the Fox winner 10 of last 15 years
• Key Credentials: Only Andersen Elite Contractor and James Hardie Preferred Contractor in McHenry County