Our History
Forest Construction was founded in 1949 by Jim’s father, John Forest Rice. Forest Construction was responsible for building restaurants, churches and houses in Ventura County over the years, as well as tenant improvements. After a tragic car accident in 1969 that took John’s life, the business went inactive as his sons were all still finishing up their education.
In 1976, Jim, along with his brother Joe, reopened their fathers company, Forest Construction, with Jim taking the helm as President. Under Jim’s leadership, Forest Construction went on to remodel over 8,000 homes in Ventura and Los Angeles County and soon became one of the top 50 construction companies in the country as noted by Remodeling Magazine.
While continuing to run Forest Construction, Jim founded Showcase Kitchens and Baths in 1987. He opened the first showroom in Camarillo in order to better serve thousands of past clients and referrals. He went on to open two more showrooms, one in Westlake Village and one in Encino. Although certified as a designer by the NKBA, Jim seldom does any designing. He now yields to his design staff who are highly trained, talented and work hard to stay ahead of the curve. Jim has made sure they have everything needed to achieve the best final outcome for every design.
In 2016, Ernesto Sepulveda, who is married to Jim’s daughter, Jaime, has taken over the position as President. Ernesto started with the company back in 2002 driving the dump truck while earning his BA in Business at The Masters University. Ernesto was mentored by Jim and others in all facets of construction over the last 14 years and had a big role in opening the Encino showroom. With his keen eye for design and fresh approach, he is one of the top sellers in the company and has been a big player in selling, designing and building some of the most unique projects. He has a passion for educating himself on what is up and coming in the design world.