Building Buzz: Jake Taylor Named a 2026 Most Admired CEO
The Philadelphia Business Journal named Jake Taylor, our Managing Partner, to its 2026 class of Most Admired CEOs this week. Nobody who works alongside him is surprised, because for the past 18 years, Jake has been at the heart of Ernst Brothers, and in all that time what people remember most when they think of Jake isn't a title or a project. It's how he makes them feel.
As our Managing Partner, Jake has spent the last two years steering our 40-year-old company through its most ambitious chapter of growth yet. His leadership blends big-picture strategic vision with the discipline to execute it, and that combination has made all the difference. Ernst has nearly tripled in size since 2024, growing from 15 employees to 43 (and counting), all without retention dipping below 90%. That's the real headline: it's one thing to grow fast, but it's another to do it while keeping the people who make the company what it is. It's a direct reflection of the culture Jake has built, one where people are trusted to do meaningful work and treated like they matter. And that culture hasn't gone unnoticed. This year, Ernst landed on the Philadelphia Business Journal's Best Places to Work list in the Small Business category, an honor based entirely on employee feedback.
What sets Jake apart isn't just the results, it's how he gets there. He's equal parts visionary and realist, willing to take calculated risks but never at the expense of the team or our clients and partners. He leads with transparency, communicates clearly, and has built a culture grounded in trust and collaboration. Employees and clients alike point to that same quality: Jake has a way of making even the most complex high-end custom home or commercial build feel not just manageable, but even enjoyable.
In an industry where unpredicatbility is the norm, Jake Taylor has built something durable: sustainable growth, operational strength, and a client experience that consistently delivers. In my 16-year career, I've never worked for a leader who protects his people and his clients the way Jake does. It's not a tactic for him. It's simply who he is, and you feel it in every decision he makes. That instinct is the foundation of the culture we've built at Ernst Brothers. When people know their leader has their back, they show up differently. They bring a loyalty and a tenacity you can't manufacture, and that's a real part of what's fueling our growth.
Jake Taylor at our 2025 Ernst End of Year Celebration with his business partners Tim Ernst & Joe Ernst; Ernst carpenters Patrick Flynn (left) & Josh Silverwood (right); and our interior design partner Jen Fuller (center).
Jake leads with vision and with genuine compassion for the people around him, and the rare thing is how naturally the two go together for him. He can make the hard strategic call and still keep the team and our clients at the center of it. That's the kind of leadership people follow, and it's the reason so many of us have chosen to build our careers here.
Congratulations, Jake! We're lucky to have you.
You can read the full 2026 class of honorees at the Philadelphia Business Journal.
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