Making Milan Djokich’s dream

There was hardly a time in Milan Djokich’s life when he wasn’t building. He was only nine when he started carrying blocks on the construction sites worked by his father, who had himself learned masonry and other skills in Serbia before arriving in the U.S. and establishing his own company. Djokich worked after school and during the summers, and over the years he learned by doing. “All my training was on the job,” he says. “I learned to become a craftsman — a carpenter — throughout my years. I did a lot of masonry as well, but carpentry was my main trade”.

What this means for him now that he has his own company — MMD Construction, which he established in 2006 — is that unlike some contractors, he has a good sense of the various needs and challenges on his job sites — “what needs to be built and how it needs to be built” — without having to ask around much.

The name MMD comes from the initials of his name, but he says it also means “make my dream,” and notes that his outfit’s “ideal client is someone who is building their dream home.” MMD works primarily on large custom projects, both significant remodels and new construction. Historic homes in San Diego make up a significant portion of his renovation jobs. The company prides itself on being a team that can protect a house’s “historical integrity” while building to contemporary standards. I talked to Djokich about one such recent project in Mission Hills, a neighborhood in which he has had 15 years of experience. The age of the house — about 101 years old — meant collaborating with the historical review board who had to approve plans, and it also meant working in harmony with old materials and methods.

For example, MMD was able to spruce up the windows while keeping the home’s original, wavy antique glass, which was still in good shape. When it came to the overall exterior of the house, the old stucco had been applied over tile in a non-standard way that Djokich had never seen before — no paper and chicken wire here — but his team was able to work with it and create the requisite stability and waterproofing. They used carefully chosen old white oak throughout the house, making sure the wood was “in pristine shape,” and consistently matched. The doors, floors, panelling, and cabinets were all done by MMD.

After about two years, the house was done. “I think the coolest thing about the job is the end product,” Djokich says. He likes the sense of fulfillment at the end of a job, seeing the customers’ happy faces.