The Merlin Custom Home Leadership Team
Stephen Jones
Steve Jones is at the pinnacle of his career. Merlin was recently named the 2017 National Custom Home Builder of the Year by the NAHB and has no intentions of slowing down. Steve understands the strength of the next generation and teaches the art of custom home building to his team in a way that will ensure a 3rd generation of builders. Steve envisions that Merlin will be building Custom Homes for his clients’ families for generations to come.
Steve started by building houses with friend, journeyman builder, and mentor, Audie Coker. Audie was a true perfectionist and imparted that same wisdom to Steve, who willingly embraced the philosophy. Steve spent years learning the art of custom home building from Audie. Every detail mattered, no matter how seemingly insignificant. Perfection was expected and nothing less would suffice.
When Audie retired in 1989, Steve secured his General Contractor License and created Merlin Custom Home Builders. Merlin began building unique custom homes throughout the Las Vegas Valley. Subcontractors were carefully chosen for their work quality and professional reputation. Steve created lasting relationships with the best subcontractors in Las Vegas, many of whom still work for Merlin today.
Steve Jones built Merlin on a commitment to maintaining the highest quality building standards and treating people with integrity, respect, and compassion. This is exemplified in the fact that numerous multi-million dollar homes were realized with a handshake rather than a contract.
The Jones family settled in Las Vegas in the early 1930s. Steve Jones, born in 1949, had the unique opportunity to grow up with the city. After attending college at the University of Nevada, Reno, Steve finished his studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He married Anne Rose Keegel, a third-generation Nevadan, in 1976 and they have two sons.
Daryl Quick
Daryl brings a wide range of design, construction, and development experience to Merlin, having worked on commercial and luxury hospitality projects internationally and in Las Vegas for 20 years.
As President, Daryl will gradually assume responsibilities across Merlin’s daily operations as the next step of a plan Steve Jones and the leadership team have been preparing and implementing for several years. Steve will continue leading the company as CEO, remaining involved with projects and homeowners while mentoring Merlin’s next generation of custom builders as they continue to embrace challenges and deliver dreams.
Daryl’s career began in architectural practice spanning luxury residential, hospitality, and retail projects prior to pursuing a business education. He then spent 10 years in development, design and construction management roles at Caesars Entertainment.
Here in Las Vegas, he has worked on hotel, luxury villa, restaurant, gaming and entertainment projects at all of Caesars’ eight resort properties on the Strip, participated in the renovation of more than twenty thousand hotel rooms, and led the design of the Caesars Forum Meeting Center. Nationally, he has managed planning and construction of restaurants for five different celebrity chef brands, and he just recently completed Nobu Hotel and Restaurant projects in Atlantic City.
Professionally, Daryl takes great interest in bringing professional structure and efficiency to finely finished luxury construction projects without compromising on creativity and craftsmanship. Personally, he leads a family-focused lifestyle, and he tries to stay active and outdoors as work and weather permit.
Daryl has a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Kansas and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Erica Morrison
Erica Morrison joined Merlin Custom Home Builders in 2004. Starting as the receptionist, she learned the company from the ground up, gathering information about the inner workings and history of Merlin from Jordan Jones, Steve’s [Founder and CEO] son. Young and eager, she learned all she could and quickly realized that the company’s core values—be honest, do it right, and ride for the brand—aligned with her own personal values. Those values, coupled with the family atmosphere at Merlin, motivated Erica to learn all aspects of the custom home construction business and climb the corporate ladder.
After a few years on the job, she mastered the ins and outs of how Merlin operates and advanced her knowledge of the construction industry. She then began to work on developing her leadership skills and was rewarded with a promotion to Project Manager. In that role, she managed 10 ground-ups and more than 10 remodels, organizing the project budget, contracting subcontractors, maintaining cost control and overseeing project scheduling.
Erica’s drive and ability did not go unnoticed. Steve Jones and his brother, Bart [then CFO] recognized her drive and leadership skills—and the way she upheld the values of the company and took them to heart—and, unbeknownst to her, were considering her as a possible business partner.
The partnership was realized in July of 2019 when Erica became a full partner in the company and took on the responsibilities of Chief Operating Officer.
As Chief Operating Officer, Erica manages the daily administrative and operational activities of the company to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of operations and compliance with legal and other standards. She is also responsible for carrying out Merlin’s commitment to providing a positive building experience for our homeowners by communicating with clients throughout the luxury home building process; informing them of progress, answering questions, and relaying their requests to the team.
Erica is honored to be a part of an amazing team and to be entrusted to continue the legacy that Steve Jones began in 1989. Steve and Bart’s mentoring and trust in her is what allows her to keep pushing boundaries and instilling these values into others.
Erica moved to Las Vegas in 2002 from her hometown of Kingman, Arizona, to go to school. The move to the “City of Lights” allowed her to be close to her brother, sister-in-law and two cousins who lived in the area. It also evoked memories from her childhood when her family traveled to Las Vegas several times a year to shop and take in the city. Between those trips, her subsequent 20-year residence in Las Vegas, and hearing Bart and Steve Jones’ stories of how Vegas grew up, Erica feels right at home here.
Erica and her husband, Chad, are the proud parents of a son, Gavin.
Sara Eisert
Sara is originally from Southern Minnesota and moved to Las Vegas in 2003. She has owned and managed a variety of services and retail business. Sara joined the Merlin Custom Home Builders team in April 2011 and, in addition to her work life, enjoys traveling, recreational hiking and spending time with family, friends and three cats.
John Necs
The Merlin Custom Home Builders Team
“Our exceptional team is the reason we can make your dream home a reality.”
– Bart and Steve Jones
The Merlin Custom Home Builders team provides an extraordinary level of personal service – the kind that is expected and appreciated by our unique clientele. When someone engages Merlin Custom Home Builders to build a home, they are treated professionally and respectfully every step of the way. We do everything in our power to ensure the project unfolds smoothly and that the experience is as positive, exciting and stress free as possible.
Lloyd Hook
Lloyd moved to Las Vegas in September 2005 from Kansas City to be with his wife’s family. His background is in windows and doors which he began building and installing for eight years prior to moving to Las Vegas. Once here, Lloyd was employed as a homeowner technician for a window and door company for a year and half. He then went to work for another company as a service manager and lead technician/installation supervisor. While Lloyd was working for this company, he was onsite supervising the windows and doors installation for a large Merlin Custom Home Builders project. Merlin Custom Home Builders saw potential in his supervisory skills and his window and door knowledge and he was soon hired. Lloyd was excited to be a part of the Merlin Custom Home Builders team where he could further his construction knowledge and be a part of an amazing company.
Oscar Nuno
Oscar moved to the United States in his early twenties, from Guadalajara Jalisco, Mexico, where his family was in the construction industry. He originally came to work with his brother in the jewelry business, but soon realized he enjoyed working in construction. Oscar moved to Las Vegas in 2001 and was employed by Merlin Custom Home Builders. He is an invaluable employee and provides many skills, such as framing, concrete and carpentry. Oscar is married with a daughter and son. His family enjoys family outings to California and Utah, where they go fishing and hunting.
John Grimes
John moved to Las Vegas in September 2018 from Seattle to be closer to family. He started his career in construction in Arizona in 1981 after completing a four-year enlistment with the US Air Force. He started by stocking sheet rock into new homes that lead to hanging and taping, finish carpentry and cabinets, stone and tile, framing, concrete and site work. 20 years later, he became “hands on” proficient with most of the trades disciplines and began contracting remodels.
January 2001, he moved his family to Seattle to pursue better opportunities. He worked as a superintendent for 17 years in the greater Seattle area including Sand Point, Queen Anne, Medina, Yarrow Point, Lopez Island, Union, Gig Harbor and two remote projects in Hawaii.
John has been associated with many luxury builds in his career. One project of particular pride to John is a home in Kona, Hawaii on which he served as project superintendent. That home, which John describes as “an amazing work of art requiring a lot of forethought and care to bring to completion,” was featured in Architectural Digest in January 2018.
John is excited about being a part of the Merlin team and looks forward to continuing to build custom homes while sharing his knowledge and experiences with his new construction family.
Randy Dunbar
Randy joined the Merlin team in early 2024, bringing a wealth of experience in custom home building. A seasoned professional, he has more than 25 years of experience as a superintendent for high-end builds in Las Vegas. He is a “people person” with proven construction management skills and enjoys the opportunity to work with many different people. The Colorado native also has experience in woodworking and framing. He enjoys the great outdoors and looks forward to the time he spends on the local trails, hiking, climbing, and biking.
Nate Ballard
Nate is a native Las Vegan who joined Merlin Custom Home Builders Contracting in August 2013. He studied Business Management at the University of Nevada, Reno. Nate brings to the job 15 years of management experience and an eye for quality and perfection. He enjoys working with his hands and watching how the project progresses from start to finish, making him a perfect fit for Merlin Custom Home Builders Contracting. Nate enjoys riding dirt bikes in Mesquite on the weekends.
Limon Annis
Limon grew up on a ranch in Wyoming. He moved to Las Vegas in 1983 and worked in the construction industry building cabinetry, framing, millwork and more. You name it, Limon is your guy to build anything you dream up. Merlin Custom Home Builders hired him in 1995 and he has been an incredible asset to the company ever since. When he is not working, Limon spends time with his wife on his ranch outside of Searchlight, Nevada.
Robert Brown, Sr.
Robert has over 25 years of experience in the construction industry including the last 12 years with Merlin Custom Home Builders Contracting. He is responsible for estimating and managing the estimating staff, project management, scheduling, reviewing product selections to ensure they fit within the project budgets, and various other financial aspects at the critical starting phase of Merlin Custom Home Builders’s custom homes and remodels and throughout the construction process. He also assists the Superintendents in locating unique materials, coordinating multiple-trade mobilization, providing cost analyses for unique field conditions and estimating additional work authorizations. Over the past 12 years, he has estimated a wide variety of projects, some of which include: * A 30,000SF Old World French Estate in Southern Highlands Estates with six buildings on 3 acres. This unique home totaled approx. $20,000,000 with much of the materials imported from France. * A Modern 9,500 SF custom home in the Ridges totaling approx. $7,000,000. * An ultra-modern 5,000 SF custom home in the Ridges at approx. $3,000,000. * An Old World 10,000 SF home on the shore of Lake Las Vegas at approximately $8,000,000. * A Modern 8,700SF home with a 5,500SF garage overlooking Red Rock Canyon from Spanish Hills totaling $6,700,000. * Multiple highrise condominium build-outs and remodels throughout the Las Vegas Valley, ranging from 1,500SF to 17,600SF and ranging from $250,000-$15,000,000.
Juliann Wilton
Juliann joined Merlin Custom Home Builders Contracting in January of 2018. She brings with her 13 years of experience in the commercial construction industry. Some of her key projects include Wynn Las Vegas, Encore, and City Center. In her current role as Project Coordinator, she works closely with superintendents and clients. She reviews proposals, issues contracts and change orders, sends weekly client updates and issues weekly invoicing to the client.
Outside of the office, she enjoys spending time outdoors and volunteering to worthy causes in the Vegas Valley. In the evenings, you can often find her at The Smith Center for the performing arts, taking in the sights and sounds of a live performance.
Marta Martinez
When she’s not working, Marta loves to spend time in nature. Whether she is toiling in her garden or traveling to see new places, she loves to be outdoors. She also enjoys spending time with her family.
Fernanda Meraz
Outside of the office, Fernanda enjoys traveling, hiking with her dog, playing softball, attending concerts, and spending quality time with family and friends.
Ashley Dowling
As Project Coordinator, Ashley supports the project management team in coordinating project tasks and identifying resources that contribute to the success of the project. She works closely with our clients and construction superintendents, reviewing proposals, issuing contracts and change orders, assisting with submittal packages, sending weekly client updates, and issuing weekly invoices to clients.
Ashley built her skills in the commercial construction industry, working in and around Las Vegas for the past 8 years. A native of Northern California, she moved to the local area to pursue her career. In her free time, Ashley enjoys attending live music and sporting events and spending quality time with her family and friends.