Known for building and renovating premium custom homes in sought-after areas, Gulfshore Homes in Bonita Springs, Southwest Florida has an unwavering commitment to a high level of work that underscores everything it touches. In developing such spaces, the company knows that keeping its operations small yet profitable means it can deliver the immaculate detail demanded by project owners.
Customers seeking a construction expert that serves this market get exactly that and more. Gulfshore Homes provides generations of hands-on, top-quality construction and maintenance expertise, and makes clients’ biggest construction dreams come true.
Celebrating its third decade in business this year, Gulfshore Homes is a goal-oriented firm that upholds outstanding customer care and efficiency as its priorities. With its personable, sincere approach, this team is known for handling construction with the pragmatism it demands while keeping an open mind when designing. There is no bureaucracy to slow its processes, and its communication with customers is clear, regular, and up to date.
There is no place for complacency, and the company is always implementing new ways to improve its overall offering. Being an integral part of the communities it serves is important to Gulfshore Homes, so it is experienced in delivering noteworthy outcomes in noteworthy ways. As a result, most of its marketing happens by word-of-mouth.
While the scope of its service portfolio appears complex, the company’s expert management team ensures that each division runs like clockwork. By engaging in construction with a teamwork mindset, Gulfshore Homes collaborates with others in the industry to remain in stride with the latest codes, trends, and industry developments. It is therefore also a proud member of the Florida Home Builders Association.
Maintaining control of all current projects is important, and to this end, Gulfshore keeps its projects manageable by assigning no more than 15,000 square feet of site construction across a maximum of three properties per manager. That allows Vice President and Partner Matt Shull to visit every job site in person a few times a week. So, as a comparatively small yet powerful firm, clients are guaranteed personal service. Naturally, the quality of this service is reflected in the company’s long list of longstanding clients—some of whom have been with the firm for decades.
Priding itself on making customers a part of its team, Gulfshore offers everything from architectural and interior design to construction, project management, and post-completion property management. “I promise customers that we never walk away from them. We have warranties in place, and we are always there to help them,” Shull confirms. “We make it the easiest process possible for them to own and maintain their home.” He notes that the company goes as far as arranging appliance installations for longstanding customers, free of charge.
Established by President Steven Watt in 1993, the company has come a long way since the early days. After Shull joined a decade ago, the company’s capacities and capabilities expanded significantly, earning it several awards over the years. Gulfshore has also honed its skills in design, construction, and management to develop a service portfolio that provides customers with everything they need to achieve successful quality construction projects that stand the test of time.
Gulfshore Homes’ legacy of doing things its own way continues to this day, so it comes as no surprise that customer service is handled differently here. Without official customer service staff, the company’s leadership insists on direct involvement in daily operations, giving clients easy access to management, specifically to Matt Shull himself.
After first working as a subcontractor for Gulfshore Homes, Shull joined the company as a superintendent, buying in as co-owner alongside Watt seven years ago. The duo believes in getting to know customers personally. “I’m at every design meeting, whether it’s for 10 minutes or two hours. I’m there for them,” Shull says, noting that all customers have his direct mobile number. Customers “always feel like the builder, the owner, the salesman are all me,” he says with a smile.
As someone who personally worked on building sites, Shull takes the work that is hidden behind walls as seriously as that which is visible. With such a high level of attention to detail, employing people with the same standards and understanding of what it takes to deliver excellence consistently is imperative to the company’s long-term success.
“I have a great team of people,” he says, singing the praises of the people who form the backbone of the company. “Melissa Martin, Lead Project Construction Manager, is the person who has held a lot of this growth together. It takes a team of people.”
To ensure that the company stays in stride with modernity and everything it brings, Gulfshore Homes invests in key technologies that make sense within its operation. There is a specific focus on supporting out-of-town customers who benefit most from a comprehensive software package that gives them daily insight into the entire process, from the latest and most minute design aspects to their financial details.
The company’s design and imaging functions are all entirely digitized. This technology eases communication, simplifying the building process as it is easier to keep everyone working together in this way. With a great love of modern design, Shull especially appreciates how design and technology dovetail to create the ideal synthesis between beautiful, tangible outcomes and the creativity that drives them.
Completing nearly $100 million worth of work in recent years with just over 30 employees in the field, the company is committed to growing intelligently rather than quickly per se. By timing its expansion with great care, Gulfshore Homes has kept its reputation for quality work intact while significantly building its capacity. Shull makes a point of learning from earlier mistakes—both his own and others’—and loves that he has three generations of construction experts to turn to when he needs support in the field.
The company also looks ahead to what the future holds. By allowing project management students, design interns, and other young people who are new to the industry to gain valuable work experience and possible permanent employment, Gulfshore Homes is contributing to the future of the industry’s workforce in meaningful ways. It promotes people from within, providing the firm with the added strength of helping employees thrive within its culture and structure.
Of course, its customers’ needs remain at the forefront of everything the company does. “It’s a slow process. I want these new employees to be involved in the fieldwork [before] moving them into management with my customers,” Shull says. With four team members training directly with him and the rest of the crew, the future looks especially bright for Gulfshore. “The industry needs more of [this], especially out here,” he points out.
For future expansion, the company plans to eventually direct its attention east into Palm Beach and north into Sarasota. Even then, the aim is not to turn itself into an oversized operation, but rather to aim for its favorite sweet spot—remaining small and profitable. Adapting to local markets also means adapting to available land sizes and responding to these unique demands with thoughtful design. Watching Gulfshore Homes spreading its wings is nothing short of exhilarating.
