Our Team

The SandStar Team is Ready to Serve You...

Jim Sanders, Pres
GMB, CAPS, CGR, CGP

Jim Sanders is President and Founder of Five Star General Contracting, Inc., the parent company of the SandStar family of companies that include:

SandStar Custom Cabinetry | SandStar Commercial
SandStar Custom Kitchens and Baths | SandStar Remodeling 
Five Star Realty | Arthur Rutenburg Homes/SandStar Homes, LLC

A graduate of the University of Florida's School of Architecture with a degree in Building Construction, he also holds a class A General Contractors license, as well as a Florida Real Estate Brokers license.

Jim is a member of the:

• Charlotte/Desoto Building Industry Association - twice Past President
• Building Industry Oversight Committee
• Charlotte County & Punta Gorda Chambers of Commerce
• Rotary Club of Punta Gorda - past President
• Professional Remodelors Council 20 Club - past Chair

The Sanders family reside in Punta Gorda and includes wife, Cathy, son JT, and daughter Jenna.

Larry Sandles, VP
CSP,CMP,CGB,CGP,CGR,MIRM,CAPS, CHI

Larry Sandles, Vice President/co-principle owner of the SandStar companies in Punta Gorda. with 29 years serving the Charlotte County construction and real estate industry.

A class A General Contractor and real estate agent in the state of Florida, Larry is a well known member of the business community. As a community activist he is recognized as a knowledgeable local industry representative.

Larry is past president of the Charlotte/Desoto Building Industry Association and past president of the Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce. He has served and currently serves on several City of Punta Gorda and Charlotte County boards and is very active in his local church.

Larry and his family reside in Punta Gorda. The Sandles family includes wife, Joan, their sons Nick & Tate and daughter, DeShea 

Abbey Roloff, CKD
Kitchen & Bath Designer

Abbey Roloff is the Kitchen & Bath Designer and Design Center Manager for the SandStar companies.

Abbey graduated from Edison Community College with an AS in Drafting and Design and from Southwest Florida College with a BS in Interior Design and specializes in construction design.

She has also earned her Certified Kitchen Designer (CKD) certification from the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) and is working to complete her certified Bath Design (CBD) certification.

Abbey resides in Punta Gorda with her husband Alan.

 Tina Bongiovani, ABA, AS
Accountant

Tina Bongiovani has been our Accountant since 2007. These years of experience at SandStar Homes/Remodeling has given her a unique education in the many back office phases of construction as well as client and subcontractor relations.

Born and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, Tina relocated to sunny Florida in 2000, where she now calls Port Charlotte home.

Tina attended Southwest Florida College, and was awarded her Associate of Science Degree in Accounting in 2006. She earned her Accreditation in Business Accounting (ABA) in 2010, and plans to complete her Bachelor's Degree in the near future.

When not working at the office, Tina enjoys adventures with her little girl, Sadie. 

Jeri Tyson, ASID allied member
Interior Designer

Jeri, a native Floridian, has an AS in Fine Art and an AS in Interior Design. She taught at Florida Jr College in St. Petersburg and then opened her own licensed commercial interior design firm in St. Petersburg.

After her husband, Michael retired in 2009, they moved to Charlotte County and reside in Port Charlotte.

As our in-house interior designer, Jeri has helped to design the changes at our Design Center. She's brought in new suppliers for wallpaper, fabrics & flooring as well as furniture, accessories and window treatments. With our new division, Interiors by SandStar, a client can have their home totally remodeled from conception throught interior design.

Teresa McCarthy
New Home Sales Consultant

Teresa started in new home sales in 1985. She holds a CSP designation and is a licensed Realtor. Teresa brought her 20 plus years of experience to SandStar in 2008 and is responsible for the daily operations of our model, realtor interactions, marketing and customer contact.

Matt Bandler
Operations Manager

As Operations Manager, Matt is responsible for the oversight of purchasing and construction projects. He has over 10 years of construction experience as well as a Bachelor's degree in Construction Management is from the M.E. Rinker School of Building Construction at the University of Florida.

A third generation resident of Florida, Matt, Adrienne and their two children live in Port Charlotte. In his leisure time, Matt can always be found fishing on his boat.

Luis Morales
Remodeling Supervisor

Luis Morales has been working with SandStar since 2005. He is our Lead Carpenter & Supervisor for our Remodeling Division. Luis has 16 years of experience in the construction trades.

He's been a resident of Charlotte County for 13 years and moved here from New Haven, Connecticut.  Luis lives in Port Charlotte with his wife and 2 children.

Kevin Turner
Construction Manager

Our Construction Manager, Kevin Turner, is responsible for the oversight of field operations. He and his wife, Jody, have two children and live in Northport. Originally from Long Island, NY, Kevin has lived in Florida for 32 years.

Mike Mavraganes
Purchasing Associate

Mike Mavraganes moved from the Southwest Suburbs of Chicago to Port Charlotte with his wife, Julie, and their son about two years ago. As Purchasing Associate, Mike works with suppliers to fulfill our orders for products needed for each home we build.

For a description of each of the designations that our SandStar Remodeling Team has earned - go to Designations