Yelm native Mike Kempinski and Mountain Terrace Builders named Prairie Days grand marshals

The City of Yelm, the Yelm Chamber of Commerce and Yelm Prairie Days announced on Monday, June 9, that 2001 Yelm High School graduate Mike Kempinski and Mountain Terrace Builders will serve as grand marshals for the 2025 Prairie Days Parade on Saturday, June 14.

Though Kempinski won’t be present for the Prairie Days Parade as he’s out of town, his contributions and efforts in Yelm will be recognized “front and center” as Yelm and surrounding cities come together to celebrate 2025’s Prairie Days. According to a news release from the City of Yelm, family members and employees of Mountain Terrace Builders will “ride in his place.”

The Yelm native launched Mountain Terrace Builders in 2001, and with grit, heart and a strong work ethic, he turned a dream into a thriving local business that employs 15 people, according to the release. Additionally, his business has helped shape the residential landscape of Yelm, and will continue to do so with the development of Mountain Terrace Builders’ 14-home subdivision near Longmire Park, donned “Michael’s Landing.”

With the construction of Michael’s Landing, Mountain Terrace Builders will also construct 50 additional parking spots for Longmire Park. In a previous interview with the Nisqually Valley News in February, Kempinski said a crosswalk with signs and flashing lights will also be installed for pedestrians to walk safely to the park. He noted that Michael’s Landing will be directly across the street from Longmire Park.

“I graduated from YHS in 2001. My family is all here. My parents are still in this town. It’s been years in the making, and it’s a long ladder to climb. It’s a lot of work, but it’s super nice,” Kempinski said. “I remember starting out building one or two houses here and there, but now our company, Mountain Terrace, we try to get to 20 to 25 houses a year now. It’s a big jump for us, but my office consists of most of my family.”

Adding on to his deep roots in Yelm, Kempinski and his wife, Kelly, are raising their two children in the same region their father grew up in. According to the news release from the City of Yelm, Kempinski got his start in the industry early and learned the ropes of manufactured homes by working alongside his father as a child. The work ethic Kempinski learned from his father at such a young age helped lay the groundwork for what became Mountain Terrace Builders.

“Mike Kempinski represents everything we celebrate during Prairie Days — hometown pride, dedication and community service,” Mayor Joe DePinto said in a media release. “He’s a builder in every sense of the word, and we’re proud to recognize him and the MTB team this year.”

The annual Prairie Days Parade will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 14, on Yelm Avenue, beginning near Yelm Cinemas.

For the Nisqually Valley News’ previous feature on Kempinski and Mountain Terrace Builders’ up-and-coming project, “Michael’s Landing,” visit https://tinyurl.com/56n9mrsb.