The company’s ability to meet and surpass every challenge stems from its unique combination of workmanship, knowledge, expertise, and a positive attitude based not only on extensive experience but the capacity to build enduring connections with clients.

In search of a niche
Founded in March 1997 by Owner/Estimator Paul Jansen, Owner/Production Manager Ron Jansen, and Granite Department Manager Richard Jansen, now retired, the company grew steadily doing “any kind of construction,” from replacing wood on homes to installing overhangs and siding.

“In the early days, we actually built about five houses along the way—slowly, at different times,” Paul Jansen says. “It was a slow growth process until about 2004 when Hurricane Ivan came through Pensacola; that had a big impact on the company. We grew fast for about a year and a half, and then we had to trim it back after that when the hurricane work was done.”

The team had to get “pretty lean” during the recession from 2008 to 2009, and an oil spill in 2010 in Pensacola kept them on their toes, he adds. “I don’t think the phone rang between May and August that year. We only had repeat customers on our project board; that’s how scary it was. But we got through that and suddenly grew back in 2015 and made a major shift where we rebranded ourselves.”

Until that point, the company was known as Jansen Quality Construction, but now does business as Jansen Kitchen, Bath, Granite, and Glass, with a focus on those key areas. “We did things that other contractors don’t normally do—that branding helped us grow a lot in the last 10 years,” says Jansen.

That rebranding also resulted in the company finding and filling a niche in town, adds Tessa Boudreaux, Owner/Sales and Design Manager. “We’re the only people who do what we do and how we do it—having everybody on staff and focusing on interiors of houses,” she says. “We do our one thing, and we do it really, really well.”

This focus has earned the firm loyal clients, with 70 to 80 percent of its business coming from referrals or repeat customers. “We do almost no marketing,” Boudreaux explains. “We do a little social media, we do Google ads, and that’s about it… it’s word of mouth.”

The company’s approach, rooted in quality work and customer satisfaction, was established by the three founding brothers. “Our focus was always to do a job so well and keep the customer satisfied so that they would tell other people,” Jansen says. “That one job would lead to the next and we would go out of our way to keep our customers happy,” an approach that sets the company apart.

In-house and in-demand
A wealth of in-house expertise is another competitive advantage of Jansen’s. The company handles most work itself, including sheetrock, tile, painting, plumbing, and carpentry work. “We keep our quality up by having our own employees on the job,” Jansen says. “We know their skills and we’re able to control not only our schedule but the quality of work—and we have a master plumber on staff, which is critical for the things that we do.”

These in-house processes serve to instill plenty of confidence in the client. “We also have a fantastic design service available,” Boudreaux says. “We have extraordinary designers on staff who work with clients from the day they call in till the day they walk out the door, finished.”

Jansen has project managers on staff who focus on each project as it’s happening, so clients not only have a designer they can call at any moment, but also a project manager who talks to them every day and visits projects regularly. The company’s design process works to assist clients from start to finish. Designers schedule a time to come to the house and help with the difficult choices that frequently call for a designer’s input, working with clients to design the floorplan and choose the fixtures, cabinets, colors, and tiles.

“People call in and tell us what they’re looking for, and based on that, we assign a designer to them, and then from there, we set up a consultation to go to their house,” explains Boudreaux. “It’s a little easier to get people to focus on what they want and what they’re thinking when you’re standing in the room with them, instead of them just describing something to you. One of the owners and a designer always go out to the house and walk through what they want out of their space while we stand there with them,” she says.

“Many of our customers say they feel like they’re on HGTV,” she says. “It helps to see what we’re talking about and what they’re really getting when we hand them these price points. Once they decide what direction they want to go, sometimes we’ll give them four or five options to choose from. And once they make that decision, we go into the process of it in the showroom, picking out different cabinet lines and going through every single part and piece. We’ll break down their kitchen into everything we’re going to use, so they know exactly where everything’s going to be. Before they ever sign the contract, they know what they’re getting.”

Spaces are measured and then the design team comes back to the store and puts together full presentations with 3D rendering. Following the design decisions, the building process starts with Jansen’s experts demolishing the existing area and installing brand-new cabinets, countertops, tiling, plumbing, and glass, all with regular updates throughout the journey.

Everyone who has ever renovated has contractor nightmares to share, which is one of the reasons Jansen uses architectural home design software Chief Architect for much of its work. “We do that because we’ve had people say, ‘a contractor came out to my house and they quoted me this, but they never showed me anything,’ or, ‘they never told me what they could do,’” says Boudreaux. “They just want to come in and start tearing stuff apart. We’ve been in houses where people had bathrooms torn out and left like that. The way we do it, we try to avoid any of that unease.”

In control of it all
Avoiding unease also means that, along with its host of skilled tradespeople, Jansen fabricates its own granite via a stone department that can do “anything imaginable,” offers at least four different lines of cabinetry, and is a full glass company able to do all its own shower enclosures and replacement glass in-house. “It’s set so we can control almost every single aspect of it,” says Boudreaux.

Although COVID created some supply chain issues for the company, inflation is the ongoing challenge at present, with prices continuing to rise. “We’re not the cheapest in town, but we’re certainly not the most expensive,” says Jansen. “It’s hard sometimes to tell people what it’s going to cost to do what they want to do, but we aim to provide the best value we can for what we charge.”

“As Paul said, we might not be the cheapest, but we are 100 percent the best in town,” agrees Boudreaux.

Eyes on the horizon
Looking ahead to the future, the brothers will be retiring over the next six years, with three new owners stepping up—Boudreaux along with Karen Smith, Controller, and Jesse Miller, Project Manager. And the team is obviously doing something right: voted the Best of Pensacola in 2023 for Interior Designer in VIP Pensacola Magazine, the company was nominated again this year in four categories.

“We have four excellent designers here on staff, and we have a showroom, which other contractors don’t have—they send their people to look at our cabinets,” says Jansen. “We’ve been in business 27 years, and the experience we’ve acquired in the accumulation of hours between all the owners and the designers and other employees is just a huge asset for us.” It promises to be a winning formula for a bright future.

The post In-House Expertise and a Personalized Touch<p class="company">Jansen Kitchen & Bath</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

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.

The post Sublime Service, Even Better Quality<p class="company">Gulfshore Homes</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

The roots of Urban Development date back to the 1950s when the Cacciamani family emigrated from Italy to South America. Family patriarch, Federico Cacciamani, initially worked on small contracts for a major Italian company in Argentina. However, the allure of Venezuela’s booming economy soon drew him to the country, where he established his own construction company. “My father started a very small company, and it became one of the biggest, with between 5,000 to 7,000 employees, working exclusively as a general contractor for the Venezuelan government,” says Luciano Cacciamani, one of the key figures of Urban Development.

Despite their success in Venezuela, political instability in the 1980s led the family to relocate to Miami, Florida. There, they continued their entrepreneurial journey. From then on, the family transitioned from government projects to focus on high-end residential developments in Miami, as well as expanding their reach to the Caribbean.

Urban Development’s design philosophy revolves around creating high-end, architecturally stunning homes that meet the needs and desires of its clients. Each project reflects a commitment to blending functional spaces with luxury aesthetics. The company takes pride in ensuring that no two homes are alike, tailoring every detail, from the overall layout to the smallest finish, to the client’s specifications.

The company’s signature approach combines a deep understanding of architecture with a keen sense of design trends and environmental considerations. This is reflected in its portfolio, which includes some of the most striking and prestigious residential properties in South Florida. “We create spaces that are not just homes but a statement of luxury and personal style,” says Juan Carlos Cacciamani.

The meticulous craftsmanship that the team is known for is evident in projects like Segovia Tower, a luxury condominium located in Coral Gables. Designed to cater to Miami’s elite, the building features a grandiose blend of classical architecture and modern amenities. The emphasis is always on creating properties that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional and comfortable for modern living—balancing elegance with everyday functionality.

One of Urban Development’s strongest assets is its vertically integrated business model, which allows the company to oversee every stage of a project. This integration gives the firm the unique ability to control both the quality of the construction and the intricacies of the design, ensuring that each home is built to the highest standards. The company’s team includes architects, engineers, and interior designers, all working closely together to bring clients’ visions to life.

This control over the entire process is a key factor in maintaining the company’s reputation for quality and innovation, and allows Urban Development to deliver homes that are not only beautifully designed but built to last. Whether designing a sprawling luxury estate or a boutique condominium, Urban Development can ensure that the materials, construction methods, and design features meet the client’s exacting standards. This in-house expertise is particularly critical when working on custom homes where attention to detail is paramount.

At the heart of Urban Development’s success is its commitment to superior craftsmanship. The company is known for its attention to detail, from the selection of premium materials to the precision of construction. Each home is a testament to the company’s dedication to creating properties that are built to the highest standards.

For Urban Development, craftsmanship goes beyond construction techniques; it’s about ensuring that every element of the home, from the foundation to the finishes, is carefully considered. This approach is especially crucial in the luxury home market, where clients expect nothing less than perfection. “Craftsmanship is about more than just building; it’s about creating something that will stand the test of time,” says Juan Carlos.

In its residential projects, the company employs skilled artisans and tradespeople to ensure that every aspect of the home is meticulously crafted. Whether it’s custom cabinetry, marble flooring, or bespoke fixtures, Urban Development ensures that every detail reflects the company’s commitment to quality. This focus on craftsmanship is one of the reasons why its homes continue to set the standard for luxury living in Miami.

The company’s commitment to innovation is particularly evident in its use of materials and construction techniques. Urban Development is at the forefront of integrating energy-efficient and sustainable materials into its homes, ensuring that each project is as environmentally friendly as it is luxurious. For example, many of its properties utilize low-maintenance synthetic materials that are not only durable but also eco-conscious. This shift toward synthetic, durable materials reflects a broader trend in the luxury housing market, where clients are increasingly seeking homes that offer both long-term value and low upkeep costs.

Urban Development also incorporates smart technology into its designs, offering clients homes that are as technologically advanced as they are beautiful. Features like integrated home automation systems, energy-efficient lighting, and climate control not only add convenience but also enhance the sustainability of the homes. By marrying modern technology with elegant design, the company provides clients with homes that offer both style and cutting-edge functionality.

Urban Development recognizes the growing importance of sustainability in modern home design, and, as environmental concerns become increasingly important to homebuyers, the company has made significant efforts to incorporate sustainable practices into its building process. This commitment to green building is not only a response to market demand but also part of the company’s long-term vision for creating homes that are environmentally responsible.

Incorporating energy-efficient materials and systems into its designs is a key aspect of Urban Development’s sustainability efforts. Many of its homes are built with materials that minimize environmental impact, such as reclaimed wood, low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints, and energy-efficient insulation. Additionally, the company frequently integrates solar panels, energy-efficient HVAC systems, and smart home technologies that help reduce energy consumption.

“Building sustainably is no longer optional, it’s essential,” says Luciano. Indeed, Urban Development’s focus on sustainability ensures that its homes not only meet today’s standards but are also built for the future. The company is continually exploring new ways to improve the environmental performance of its projects, from reducing construction waste to implementing water-saving technologies.

As Miami’s real estate market continues to evolve, Urban Development is looking ahead to new trends and opportunities. One area the company is actively exploring is the concept of small, highly efficient homes. With cities becoming more densely populated, the demand for well-designed smaller homes is on the rise. Urban Development is responding to this trend by creating homes that maximize space without sacrificing luxury or functionality.

To this end, the company is experimenting with designs that offer the same level of quality and innovation found in its larger projects but on a smaller scale. These homes are designed to be both space-efficient and luxurious, incorporating smart storage solutions, multifunctional spaces, and advanced technology. “Small homes don’t have to feel small,” says Juan Carlos. “With the right design, you can create a space that feels open, comfortable, and luxurious, even if it’s compact.”

Urban Development’s work in this area reflects a broader shift in the housing market, where clients are increasingly looking for homes that are not only stylish but also practical and sustainable. By applying its expertise in building and design to the small home market, this company is positioned to lead this growing trend in Miami and beyond.

The Urban Development team has earned its reputation as a leader in Miami’s luxury real estate market through its commitment to excellence in building and design. The company’s vertically integrated approach allows it to maintain full control over every aspect of the construction process, ensuring that each home is built to the highest standards. The team’s focus on craftsmanship, sustainability, and innovation sets it apart from other developers, making it a preferred choice for discerning clients.

From bespoke luxury estates to cutting-edge affordable housing projects, Urban Development continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in residential construction. As it looks toward the future, the company remains committed to creating homes that are not only beautiful but also functional, sustainable, and built to last. In the words of Juan Carlos Cacciamani, “At the end of the day, our goal is simple: to build homes that people love to live in.”

With this ethos at its core, Urban Development LLC is set to remain a defining force in South Florida’s real estate market for years to come.

The post A Legacy of Excellence in Luxury and Affordable Housing<p class="company">Urban Development</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Trademark Roofing performs commercial, residential, and new construction roofing services. The company has earned loyal clients who know they can trust its prices and work ethic. “We’re strictly a retail company,” says Chief Executive Officer Tristan Starbird. “We don’t focus solely on insurance work, and we’ve been very successful building client relationships on a retail model.”

The company’s commercial projects include everything from strip malls and plazas to office complexes and medical facilities. The team will work with general contractors or with clients who are responsible for multiple buildings such as homeowners’ associations and property management groups. Trademark Roofing will also collaborate directly with property owners if they do not have a property management company.

Whatever the job, Trademark Roofing offers products that are just right for a client’s specific needs. “Niche products like stone-coated steel are a very popular product that we sell,” Starbird says. “We do a lot of concrete, tile, and of course, every roofing company does shingles, but we specialize in metal. So that’s one thing that’s really separates us. A lot of companies will offer a variety of metal products and don’t really understand how the systems work and how they go together. We’ve gone back behind companies to fix a lot of those roofs because that’s our specialty. We really pride ourselves in that.”

Based in Cape Coral, Florida, with offices in Sarasota and Sanibel Island, the locally owned company is committed to providing a helping hand. “Our owner has a strong moral compass and has done an excellent job in keeping unscrupulous people [who are] just trying to make as much money as possible out of the company culture,” says Starbird. “We have a spirit of service and of giving, and through that, we have actually been the founding partner and founder of two nonprofits in the last few years.”

The nonprofit Evie Adapts began with a company-wide effort to raise money for Evie, an employee’s daughter, so that she could get an accessible van. Now the nonprofit continues to raise money to increase accessibility for other children. “We have also installed track systems in their homes to get from room to room, and right now, we’ve got a big project working with the city of Cape Coral to make a handicap accessible park. We’re excited about that.”

Trademark Roofing also helped found Living Well Mission. “The mission behind that is to help people with mental illness,” Starbird says. “If they’re in crisis, we can get them professional counselling and we can provide that at a low or reduced rate. If they have insurance, we’ll go through their insurance, but if they don’t, we can help fund it through scholarship and grants.”

And the company doesn’t stop there, but takes an active role in a number of other community organizations including Blessings in a Backpack, which helps feed school children; The Fort Myers theater, which has a theater education program for children; and Samaritan Ministries, which provides low-income health care services. “We try to be very active and make that a part of our DNA,” says Starbird.

Being able to help the area in which they work motivates the team to keep working hard to succeed. “We have to strive every day for excellence. We want to put our labor into use for the community, improving the community around us… We’re fortunate to be able to do that. Obviously, the more successful we are, the more we can do, so we’re always striving to that end.”

The entire team supports the outreach efforts, and everyone is involved. “It’s important to everybody,” Starbird says. “Every year, I poll everybody for who they want to help, and we take that information and then we come up with our budget and start writing checks.”

Management intentionally seeks out employees who align with the company culture. This means that ethics come first when hiring, because skills can be taught. “We’re looking for decent human beings that are going to contribute to the positivity of our community and society, and then we train the rest,” he says. “That’s how we’ve maintained a strong, cohesive company culture. Amidst an industry that has a lot of turnover, we’ve had very little. So we’re thankful for that.”

Trademark Roofing boasts a varied portfolio of projects, many of which involve post-hurricane repairs. Currently, the team is working on two churches with Boyette & Miller Construction & Development Inc., utilizing FEMA funding. “It’s been very complicated, but they’re nearing the finish line,” Starbird says. “We want to help get those churches back online so they can resume worship as soon as possible.”

A recent residential project that stands out is a large historic house in the Grassy Point Estates neighborhood of Port Charlotte, Florida. The award-nominated project featured stone-coated steel. “It just came out fantastic,” he says. “We’re very proud of that roof. It’s a beautiful roof, and the owner was very happy.”

With successful projects like these, it’s no wonder that the company has been expanding steadily over the last decade. “Since 2015, Trademark has grown every year,” Starbird says. “Doug [Littler] took over as the owner in 2018 and it has, on average, doubled in size every year since that transaction happened. This year will probably be the first year we don’t double again, just because we were on the coattails of Hurricane Ian, and now things have kind of normalized in the market, but we’re going to be able to maintain the growth that we experienced from Ian for this year, so we’re excited for that.”

There has been so much growth, in fact, that the company has opened a new branch in Sarasota, Florida to handle all the business. “We’re super grateful to have an office now in Lakewood Ranch, which is right in the center of the Sarasota residential market,” he says. “Many of the homes are aging out in terms of roof life.” The company isn’t new to the Sarasota area, but will now be more able to focus its attention there. “We’ve been roofing in Sarasota since the beginning, but we felt like establishing a physical presence was going to send a message to the community that we’re here to stay.”

When choosing a roofing company, clients look for firms that will be there to honor their warranty. “So we’re going to be able to better serve the Sarasota market by having a new location there. We opened it at the end of August, and we have started to see an uptick in sales and growth in that market the way that we were hoping. So we’re very thankful for that.” The company will hold the official grand opening event for the new Sarasota office on November 21.

After building a strong foundation based on integrity and service, Trademark Roofing is sure to keep growing. This will be a company to watch in the coming years as the team provides trustworthy work while simultaneously supporting its community.

The post Supporting the Community<p class="company">Trademark Roofing </p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

The FHBA is America’s third-largest builders association. With 23 local chapters and 8,629 members—including over 350 members who have maintained membership for more than 25 years—the FHBA remains one of the most dynamic trade organizations in the U.S. Long affiliated with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the FHBA proudly advocates on behalf of its members and is the leading voice for the state’s construction industry.

Much has changed in the building industry over the years, but the FHBA’s commitment to its members is as strong as it was when the Association was formed in 1947, explains CEO and Chief Lobbyist Rusty Payton, who has been with the Association for a decade. “We are focused on improving the business climate, and we do that a lot through the legislative arena,” he explains. “We really haven’t changed our focus; in fact, when I was hired, I was told my number one job was to enhance political relevancy. That’s been the focus ever since I got here.”

Representing Florida’s homebuilding industry, the FHBA helps create “the best possible economic and regulatory environment for our members to succeed,” states the Association. Along with advocacy, the FHBA remains a valuable source of up-to-the-minute news, information, education on licensing, products, and services, and much more.

The FHBA’s lobbying efforts strive to reduce and eliminate cumbersome regulations and laws that burden the homebuilding industry and drive up the cost of homes. The team recently identified three main priorities for 2025, all state issues. Ryan Benson, who was sworn in as President on October 11 for a one-year term, says the first issue addresses the provision in the impact fees governments are allowed to charge, and there is a cap on increasing those fees, except under extraordinary circumstances. “There is no working definition of ‘extraordinary circumstances’ so local governments—at their discretion—were allowed to use that provision to raise fees as much as they wanted,” comments Benson. “We are looking to put some parameters around that.”

Another issue for the Association is environmental mitigation banks, “a practice in which an environmental enhancement and preservation project is conducted by a public agency or private entity to provide mitigation for unavoidable wetland impacts within a defined region,” according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The FHBA is seeking more such mitigation banks.

And then, there is the issue of hurricanes and how they affect Florida properties. With hurricane season lasting from early June through the end of November, Floridians deal with excessive rain, wind, and flooding each year. The federal government has a 50 percent rule; if owners make changes or improvements to more than 50 percent of their property, they must bring their property up to all codes, including elevation.

“There’s a provision in there where any work you’ve done one to three years before would count against you and that 50 percent,” says Benson. “So in order for people to rebuild from hurricanes without forecasting, ‘Oh, I want to do a remodel, but hopefully my house doesn’t get destroyed by a hurricane in the next two years,’ we want them to be able to not have a lookback period; essentially, the hurricane is the new event. Also, in that, any work being done to make your home more resilient will not count against you for that 50 percent rule.”

Along with these three key priorities, Payton says there will be other issues to address when the Association meets in the fall. “There are dozens of bills we will be reacting to, some supportive and some in opposition,” he says. “Our dance card is not yet complete.”

The FHBA is also paying close attention to federal issues that could affect Florida homebuilding, including HUD loans. Passed during the Great Depression, the U.S. Housing Act of 1937 led to the development of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965, which saw the creation of HUD as a Cabinet-level agency. Designed to make owning a home a reality, HUD loans have lower interest rates and requirements, and are connected to other government programs.

HUD passed a rule (effective January 2025) that, to qualify for a HUD loan, the home has to be compliant with the 2021 IECC (International Energy Conservation Code). “The question then is does Florida’s current code—that we redo every three years—comply with that?” asks Payton. “The State of Florida Building Commission says it does; the Department of Energy at the federal level says it does not, they say we fall two to three percent short.”

Challenging the numbers through the Florida Building Commission, FHBA expects to learn soon if it is to win this issue. “If they come back and we are in compliance, Florida is good to go, and we can keep building things,” says Payton, adding there may be a lawsuit from other states that HUD doesn’t have the authority to make that rule.

For homebuilders, working in Florida presents unique challenges, from weather to building codes. The state’s building code, explains Benson, is one of the most elaborate and resilient in existence, far surpasses building codes in the rest of the nation. Created post-Hurricane Andrew in August 1992, Florida’s building code has been continually refined.

However, the federal government has dictated Florida’s floodplains, picked zero as a number, and changed flood maps over the years as more information becomes available. As a result of Hurricane Irma in September 2017, they went to a criterion of +1, so the elevation at which homes need to be, such that they are safe from floods in Florida (post-Hurricane Irma), is now +1, and there is discussion about +2.

There is good and bad to this, says Benson. “The bad, from an insurance standpoint, is every house that has been built up until then will be technically non-conforming, and it becomes very challenging to insure it. The good is, with a +2, even with many catastrophic events, new homes being built will sit further outside that floodplain. So those are some of the unique challenges we have in Florida being a low-lying state… It is more challenging to navigate than most other states.”

Of course, much like the rest of North America, Florida continues to wrestle with the lack of affordable and workforce housing. Fortunately, this remains a key item for the FHBA. People who make within 120 percent of the area’s median income are referred to as ‘workforce,’ while those earning 80 percent or less of that median income are grouped as ‘affordable’ from a unit standpoint.

“Our focus, because of the large migration into Florida, has been on delivering the most units at the most affordable price, and that takes a workforce,” says Benson. “And we also have to get the workforce here, and they have been coming from many other states. But part of that is they need to have an affordable place to live, so our focus has been on delivering more affordable places to live to encourage those from other states to come here and assist.”

Along with being FHBA President, one of Benson’s volunteer roles is serving as Chair of the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, the state’s affordable/workforce housing entity.

Last year, the State of Florida implemented the Live Local Act, considered the most transformative and aggressive affordable housing initiative any single state has taken. Along with funding apartment developments around the state, there is a generous home ownership program for first-time homebuyers and veterans, and creative components, such as developers building apartment complexes being able to get portions of their property taxes waived if they dedicate a portion of the units to affordable rents. There is the corporate tax initiative, where companies—instead of paying state corporate tax—are allowed to apply that money toward developing new affordable units through the corporation as well. “So, there are a lot of interesting components to that that are worthy of mention, as they complement the efforts of the Home Builders Association,” says Benson.

Last session, the FHBA grappled with the CTE Bill (Current Technical Education Bill), which had a provision for 16- and 17-year-olds to work on construction sites. They had to meet certain criteria, including taking OSHA-10 certification, not being up on high roofs, and being supervised by someone experienced and of a certain age. “What we found we were missing were those kids looking for post-high school CTE opportunities. They were finding an introduction into those opportunities before they exited high school, so by the time they left high school and became eligible to come and learn about construction, [those opportunities] were already taken. This opens up the opportunity for those kids to come in and get on a construction site.” This ties in with the goals of the FHBA Foundation, which grants scholarships to younger persons in the trades.

Along with its many advocacy efforts, the FHBA is also behind the Southeast Building Conference (SEBC). With a range of dynamic speakers and over 350 exhibitors, the SEBC is the Southeast’s largest trade show. Continuing to grow, last year’s Conference drew 7,500 registered attendees. A great place for FHBA members to meet people from other states, interact with suppliers, and see all the new technologies, the next SEBC will take place July 24-25, 2025 at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center, in Kissimmee, Florida.

Continuing to advocate for its many members, the Florida Home Builders Association realizes the importance of being flexible and speedy responding to issues. The reason, states Benson, is the composition and structure of the Florida Legislature, which meets for only 60 days a year. “From a government structure standpoint, the way Florida differentiates is, we are made up of an upper house and the lower house, but they only convene formally 60 days a year, where all legislation needs to take place.” Representatives are only there for two years, with term limits of eight years, and senators getting two, four-year terms. This means the legislature is always very fresh, and everyone is coming with his or her own ideas and changes they want to make.

In an ever-evolving industry, the Florida Home Builders Association remains a steadfast advocate for its members, navigating the complex challenges of Florida’s construction landscape. From tackling state regulations and environmental concerns to addressing the impact of hurricanes and the critical need for affordable housing, the FHBA’s leadership continues to push for meaningful change. Through strategic lobbying, educational initiatives, and its commitment to fostering a strong workforce, the Association ensures that Florida’s homebuilding industry thrives in the face of adversity.

The post Adapting to Changing Times<p class="company">Florida Home Builders Association (FHBA)</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

With a client referral rate of 96.5 percent and nearly 40 home design awards for the year to date, it is not surprising that ICI Homes is noted as one of the state’s largest firms. Over the past two decades, it has consistently been ranked by Builder Magazine as one of the country’s Top 100 homebuilders.

ICI Homes sets itself apart by taking care of details few others think of, creating a lovely, signature ambiance that is just about as hard to capture in a single definitive description as catching fireflies in mid-July. This attention to precision pays off in many ways, as many of the company’s customers have purchased multiple homes designed and built to ICI’s exacting standards.

Largely serving customers looking to build their second or retirement homes, the firm has a presence in some of the most distinguished communities from coast to coast in areas around Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach, Palm Coast, Port Orange, Gainesville, Tampa, Sarasota, and Orlando. So it’s no surprise that ICI Homes owners, Chairman and CEO Mori Hosseini and his wife, Forough Hosseini, ICI’s Executive Vice President of Information Systems and Founder and Chair of FBH Community Organization, the company’s flagship charity, live in one of ICI’s distinctive communities.

With that same level of excellence visible in everything they do, the ICI Homes team is always ready to engage and offer solutions, alongside fast response times and a commitment to clear and consistent updates and communication. One customer perhaps said it best recently: “When you walk into an ICI model, you just know it’s different.”

Indeed, customers are routinely full of praise for the firm’s responsiveness, and that is made possible by everyone from management to field staff being easily accessible and willing to assist.

This generosity of spirit is also evident in the company’s design ethos across all its projects. Creating spacious volumes, its typical ceiling height is 12 to14 feet, while windows can measure 7 feet, rendering a true sense of luxury. Building in a variety of sizes ranging from large villas and mansions on acre-sized parcels of land within large communities to much smaller townhomes, ICI’s impressive collection of floorplans tallies around 140 tried and tested iterations of beautiful homes that thousands of customers have come to love over the past many decades. These are punctuated with around 64 complete home models for customers to enjoy and use to help them make design decisions.

At ICI Homes, customers become family, reaping the benefits of being sincerely cared for. Top-quality custom family homes at decent prices position this company in a league entirely of its own. Completing around 800 units annually, high volumes and performing all architectural design and fabrication in-house provide the company with notable efficiency savings which are then passed on to the customer.

Once customers have chosen their ideal floor plans and decided how they would like to amend them to achieve a bespoke result that fits their tastes and needs, the architectural team renders the final computer-aided designs. The process is fluid, with very few rigid ideas of what is and is not possible. Sometimes, customers even combine designs, rendering an entirely new floor plan. “They’re all such award-winning plans that the customer has a level of trust that comes with designs that have won 40 awards this year alone,” Rosy Messina, Vice President of Marketing, says. After another round of possible changes, the plans proceed to the engineering department and work on the project starts.

While amendments to existing designs are more common with private clients, large developers generally prefer to work with what is tried, tested, and true. “We’re somewhat of a unicorn; most of the production builders are getting cheaper and more efficient, while most of the custom outfits are struggling in this high-cost environment,” shares Tom McCall, Chief Operational Officer. “We made this niche. And not many people do it,” he continues.

The formula works. While others in this field cut down on comforts and skim over details to save on expenses, the ICI Homes team knows that creating an opulent sense of quality at outstanding value sells far better than the spartan atmosphere of new buildings that have fallen victim to cutting corners. Attentive to even the smallest of details, this team knows that taking the time to be precise is what really delivers a quality result. As such, everyone in the company draws inspiration from every model, improving existing and future projects across its various locations.

Contributing to ICI Homes’ efficiency is its committee representing every discipline in the firm, including designers and decorators. Established by its Vice President of Architecture, the mission is singular: to find anything and everything that is hip, hot, and happening in architectural design and home décor. All design elements and techniques that pass ICI’s rigorous in-house taste test are incorporated into its products, keeping everything it does on-trend and in vogue. This commitment to remaining in stride with the zeitgeist consistently secures the firm significant recognition, with its models taking home more than a dozen awards at one recent industry event.

The staff at ICI Homes are people who love people. And, as it is tradition, a diverse range of customers are welcomed to the family and made to feel at home and safe in knowing that whatever their dream home looks like, the team will create that for them. The result, of course, is a healthy amount of referred and repeat business. “[For us], referral is the best form of flattery and marketing,” says Messina.

ICI also consistently invests in technology to improve its efficiency. One recent example is a custom software system currently being developed to provide its homeowners access to all their property information in one easy-to-access, safe place. On completion, manuals and related information will be uploaded, storing all property info in a single place. In addition, it allows direct access to support. “Think of it as an accordion folder, but it’s all online,” Messina says.

Yet, as good as the going is now, this team is seasoned in weathering trying times creatively and successfully. While COVID-19 brought real supply chain issues, ICI’s sincere approach to its customers’ experience brought about runaway successes during this time and beyond. Noting that other contractors were not surveying their clients, McCall says the plan to go out and speak to people helped ICI turn the tide. By following some solid business advice on setting itself apart—by building real relationships and providing superior customer service—referrals started pouring in in no time.

The result was that ICI’s employees also felt seen and appreciated, creating a positive feedback loop that continues to this day.

Naturally, with such a satisfied crowd of professionals coming to work here every day, the company is known for its employees’ exceptionally long tenures. McCall and Messina alone count 16 and 23 years of service, respectively. Yet, they consider themselves the new kids on the block, as some of their colleagues have been with the firm for four decades.

For those new to its ranks, it is very rewarding to discover just how seriously ICI Homes takes long tenures, making team members into lifers—as long-term staff are known here. “We want this to be your last career when you join our family,” Messina says. That is why ICI is so proud that almost 50 percent of its team has been with the company for five or more years, with many having achieved 10 to 35 years of service. Considering the labor crisis and its comparatively small staff of approximately 270 employees, this is quite revealing about the ICI Homes culture.

For this same reason, hiring is a mindful and thorough process that has occasionally taken as long as a year and a half to fill certain positions. While this may appear excessive to some, the approach contributes to ICI’s adaptability and the speed at which it pivots to meet market trends and fluctuations, since the team is so well-balanced and its company culture so well-integrated.

Creating a sense of belonging extends beyond the ICI tribe, too. Through the dedicated philanthropy of its owners, ICI Homes is deeply committed to giving back to those in need. While there are multiple organizations that benefit from the company’s contributions, FBH (Food Brings Hope) Community, founded by Mrs. Hosseini in 2007, provides over 1,600 underserved children within the Volusia-Flagler County public school system with meals on a weekly basis along with many other valuable services for the students. ICI also runs its own “Homes for Hope” initiative, inviting vendors and tradespeople to provide products and skills for a given charity project. The entire team works together to pull off one of the best charity construction models I, for one, have ever heard of: once costs are covered, the profit from the sale amount of such a property is donated to multiple charities. This year, over $200,000 will be divided among four Gainesville charities. The concept has proven tremendously successful as buyers appreciate that their purchase contributes to the greater good.

Indeed, doing the right thing under all circumstances is one of the company’s mainstays. And, thanks to being privately held, the team gets to execute that maxim daily and without wavering. “We are not motivated by quarterly earnings and stock price. We can look more long-term and make decisions based on the right thing,” says McCall.

At ICI Homes, everything from land purchases to the quality of service is underscored by its striving to remain a legacy enterprise. “This is a family business that we want to see go on; we have a very long horizon,” says Messina on the company’s approach to succession and its long-term decision-making process. With the Hosseini siblings now on board as well, the family vision continues—and so does ICI’s history of excellence.

Hosseini, Sr. established ICI Homes in 1980, emigrating to England from Iran during his youth to pursue an education in aeronautical engineering and then on to Daytona Beach’s Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where he obtained his master’s in business administration. He later became Chair of the board of trustees of his alma mater, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and Chair of the University of Florida simultaneously, amongst his service to numerous other public service boards. Focusing his business model on quality over quantity, Hosseini has firmly cemented the concept that integrity and customer care trump volume in any given year.

With a collection of so many impressive projects in its rearview mirror, including Seven Pines, Nocatee, and Tamaya in Jacksonville; West Hill Estates and Persimmon Park in the Tampa Bay area; Plantation Bay, Mosaic, Woodhaven, and the Conservatory in the Daytona Beach area; and Laureate Park in the Orlando area, just to name a few. The company will soon be expanding its presence on the west coast and south from its current footprint through more land acquisition. In the meantime, this sterling team remains proud to produce its work across its existing territory. Everyone continues giving their best on every project.

“We won’t rest until we get a 100 percent referral rate from happy customers,” Messina says with a smile. As a result of these commitments, ICI’s market-disrupting customization approach continues to make an indelible mark on Florida’s construction scene, building communities that retain their value and continue thriving while expanding what is possible.

The post Enhancing Lives. Expanding What’s Possible.<p class="company">ICI Homes</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

With more than two decades of experience in the building sector, Ross Built is committed to exceeding the expectations of the client. Such a result is assured by building strong relationships between clients, architects, interior designers, and subcontractors, and always keeping the lines of communication open.

Founded by Greg and Lee Ross, this husband-and-wife team’s shared wealth of experience eventually led to pursuing a construction career in west-central Florida in 2000.

“We both had prior careers, with my husband in pharmaceutical sales with Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer right out of college, and also as a financial planner,” explains Lee Ross, Owner and Design Liaison. “During one of our first years together, we bought an old 1928 bungalow in Tampa, and we said, ‘let’s try to fix this up.’ We were the original flippers, doing it for fun on the weekends.”

Once Greg’s careers got underway, the couple moved to different states and were incentivized to buy brand new houses that were “in newer developments with modern amenities,” representing a better investment. “We were constantly buying new houses because they had modern-day features and amenities, but we love the charm and character of homes from the ’20s,” says Ross.

This continued for six or seven years until Lee became pregnant with twins, resulting in a desire to be near family. They bought a house on Anna Maria Island belonging to Greg’s grandfather, “a bargain of the century,” and rented it out while living in Philadelphia. “We gave Philadelphia 18 months, and decided this is not where we wanted to be long-term,” she says. “In the year and a half, I think we came home to our house in Florida 12 times. Florida is where we were meant to be. We decided to take a lateral position with Greg’s company, moved down here, and started doing spec houses for about five years.”

The 2008 recession forced the couple to scale back in every area of their lives, but also led to the creation of their company, when a neighbor in the industry asked them to do a custom remodel.

“He was so pleased with our work, he referred us to about six people on the island who wanted really nice custom homes,” Ross says. “We just rolled forward from there and it’s been a fun ride ever since.”

In the beginning, Greg did everything himself while Lee watched the twins during the day. At night Lee would select all the tile, cabinetry, and paint colors. “Eventually we grew a little bit,” she says. “He got an employee, and then an assistant, and now, fast forward over 18 years, we have 23 employees.”

While technically a medium-sized business, Ross Built “behaves like a small business,” she adds. “We offer what we think are large-business perks; we’ve made sure to stay current, stay competitive. We’ve got a nice compensation package. We offer insurance and 401(k). But it’s truly a family-run business with our 25-year-old children now working for us full-time since they graduated college. That kind of surprised us, and it’s been refreshing. My cousin works for us, and her husband works for us. Our team members are some of the most gifted and professional people around.”

The Ross Built brand has an outstanding reputation for building quality homes, she says, with an excellent reputation with all relevant state and municipal officials. “We have a lot of really happy clients, and we’re qualified as far as our building science,” she says. “We know how to build a really good house in Florida, which has some of the toughest building codes in the country; what we try to do as a point of differentiation is make it a fun process.”

There is a belief that building a home can be a difficult, stressful event, which is why the company strives to cater to the individuality of its clients in an effort debunk the myth that building can be “a nightmare.”

Communication, she adds, is the key. “That’s the number one thing. A lot of our clients are business owners, so they understand the need for managing expectations. We stay on top of everything as far as getting ahead of schedules and staying on top of budgets.”

While there are always times in construction when things aren’t perfect, Ross Built is committed to open and full disclosure about the process. “We never hide anything from our clients. We’re just very open book.”

To help ensure this transparency, the company instituted a construction management program called Builder Trend two years ago which has aided in productivity and has added a refreshing boost to customer satisfaction.

“We run [our operation] as a longstanding relationship,” says Ross. “Once you know what type of home you want to build and what caliber, we get asked all the time, ‘how do I pick my builder? What’s the most important quality?’ My simple answer is, ‘you have to like your builder.’ We get to know our clients; it’s a very intimate process. Outside of your investment in your children, your home is oftentimes your second largest investment, mentally and financially. We really try to make sure we’re sensitive to that.”

Getting to know clients well results in homes tailored to their specific needs, such as a recent build for a chef who required particular knife placement in the kitchen, and his wife, who loves bonsai and had specific irrigation needs. Another client with a passion for fishing desired a decked-out tackle room. Lee adds, “We love this level of detail.”

“It’s really about listening,” Ross says. “It’s about, ‘how do we craft a dwelling around how you live—not how other people live, not how the family down the street lives.’ There are a million ways to make someone happy by building a house around their lifestyle.”

And it’s all about having fun, she stresses. “I’m a very energetic person; I’m a people person. I love that every job is completely different,” she says. “I love that there’s something new and surprising around the corner on basically every single job. We never tell someone we can’t do something. We love to do the things that are insanely different. It’s very gratifying, and that just keeps us on our game.”

Second to making it fun, the value of Ross Built is in its long-standing relationships with subcontractors, she adds. “We have qualified people we’ve known for a very long time. We bid them out competitively on every job, but maybe only with one or two other subcontractors,” Ross explains. “They’re just insanely talented. It’s rumored on the island that we have, hands down, the best tile installers around. This goes for our painters, carpenters, cabinet makers, et cetera. We even have some local artists we have on hand for extra special projects. These folks are very important to us and key to our brand.”

Even during the struggles of 2008, Ross Built never let its subcontractors go or cut their pay, which has created a strong sense of loyalty. “We make it really easy for them to like us, which is, I think, a bit of a unique thing in the industry,” she says. “A lot of times contractors are butting heads and engage in arguments. We don’t do that because we have a very high level of respect for them, and they, in turn, respect us very much.”

When it comes to recent builds, there are some “fascinating” projects, including one on a remote island only accessible by boat. “I love everything about that house,” Ross says. “The owner just wants to bring 17 family members for a party every weekend, so the whole theme of the house is family time and durability. This home will also be a Southern Living Showcase home in 2025.

Durability is key for this remote property and there was a great deal of focus on appropriate finishes. For example, tile was used instead of wood to handle dogs and children running everywhere, along with sand being dragged inside, and foot washes and a beautiful outdoor shower were added to the project.

Another notable project was a modern 2,000-square-foot project affectionately called Usana, which means balance and harmony.

“Usana is a play on light and dark, with polished concrete floors but still very warm and very cozy,” says Ross. “The wife is a horticulturist, so the whole house has been adorned in her own plants. And while it’s brand new, you can’t tell, because it fits in the older neighborhood like it’s been there forever.”

Looking ahead, Ross Built aims to stay a medium-sized company, with no aspirations to become a massive conglomeration, she says. Staying smaller allows the team to maintain the higher quality as well as that important connection with clients that leads to award-winning projects such as the historic Van Wezel estate in Sarasota. The VWE was designed by a significant architect in the 1930s but fell into disrepair. Ross Built completed a period-appropriate remodel on the estate over the course of two and a half years, while contending with architectural limitations, eventually winning the National Society of Home Builders Best Remodel in the Country for the project.

“It’s a little footprint of a house and we were up against giant mansions, so we were beyond proud to get such notable recognition,” says Ross.

“We always want to have our quality up where it needs to be, so there’s just a bit of a dance you need to play with the size of a company. We feel we have the right balance and we have some outstanding projects ahead of us. We look forward to continuing to doing the best work in area.”

Building a home is a financial and emotional commitment so choosing the right builder is key. When clients ask Ross Built, ‘what are the deciding factors in choosing the right builder?’ we tell them two things: ‘make sure they are qualified from a building science standpoint’ and then, ‘like your builder.’” Building can, and should, be an enjoyable process for both the contractor and client.

The post No Place Like Home: Enjoying the Process of Personalized Building<p class="company">Ross Built Construction</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Selected as the 2023 Green Home Builder of the Year, Landsea Homes’ communities can be found in Arizona, Texas, Colorado, New York, California, and Florida, where the company goes far beyond simply homebuilding to offer support to homeowners as they embark on what will surely be one of the greatest decisions and investments of their lives.

The Landsea Homes story
Founded in California with the goal of bringing innovation to the public home building space, it has taken only 11 years for Landsea Homes’ footprint to span the United States from coast to coast and it is the mission and vision of the company that drives this growth and expansion.

“We aspire to have spaces that connect seamlessly with their surroundings; we’re very big into that ‘live in your element’ focus which you’ve probably seen with our High Performance Homes^®. We’re big into sustainability and pioneering in that way, especially with technology,” explains Megan Bakel, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Florida division.

This is achieved through the High Performance Homes program that was launched in 2020 and continues to set the standard for what is possible in the market. One of the company’s mantras is, “You can’t just focus on the results: We’re here to make sure that we’re doing it the right way,” a philosophy that starts at the top and works its way through the company culture.

Bakel credits CEO John Ho, President and Chief Operating Officer Michael Forsum, and Vice President of Corporate Marketing Michelle Byrge, who “realized that it was important that we aligned around that one common goal. And so what comes included with it is home automation technology.”

Through that technology, Landsea Homes aims “to provide healthy, comfortable, seamless living for our homeowners in that lifestyle setting. We believe that your home is really where your family and your memories are made—where you’re building that life. It’s so important today; it’s always been important, but I think it is a place that is even more important than it has been in the past, with the new technological aspects.”

Indeed, Landsea Homes’ High Performance Homes are designed with cost-saving innovations for healthier outcomes for both people and the environment. The goal is to optimize comfort through the use of home automation technology supported by Apple^® and smart home activation services provided by Best Buy^® to make people’s homeownership dreams a reality.

These built-in capabilities promote optimal connectivity and function for homeowners, but also energy savings, heating and cooling efficiencies, reduced energy waste, and overall healthier homes.

The inclusion of state-of-the-art REME HALO^® air purifiers offers cleaner air, which is especially important in humid markets like Florida, where mold can be an issue, or dry markets like Arizona, where dust can be problematic. According to Bakel, “It’s not something we’re doing because it’s popular; it’s something that we were founded on. Our homes are built using environmentally conscious building materials, we’ve got eco-friendly and energy-efficient technologies, and then we’re really focused on the greater comfort, less maintenance, lower utility bills,” she explains.

“There are a lot of builders stripping out options, which can be valuable because you can get a home that is more affordable. But we’re saying this is something you need to have in your home, these options and sustainability are things that will make your home better for you in how you live but also for the future and sustainability, so it’s worth it,” says Bakel.

Building communities that create lifestyles
At Landsea Homes, its High Performance Homes are a component of living high performance lives. This is the essence of the ‘live in your element’ philosophy that drives the company culture and the work that is being done.

More than building and selling homes, the team at Landsea Homes is providing an exceptional buying experience. From ensuring it has the right loan programs on offer to bringing the right product to the various local markets it serves, Landsea Homes and its partners work together to make the buying process as seamless as possible.

“We have a lot of great aspects to provide a great customer experience and customer journey and make sure, whether somebody is buying a built-to-order or a quick move-in home, that we have a strong process for them throughout that journey and a great closing experience,” says Bakel. “We also have phenomenal partners that we work with.”

Homebuyers can lean on Landsea Mortgage on the front end of the process and Landsea Title can provide help with closing, while Westwood Insurance can be relied on to offer a full and complementary suite of services beyond homebuilding. All of this is aligned through a strong corporate structure that works with Landsea Homes partners and vendors to ensure the best products are available in the individual markets it serves through the provision of High Performance Homes^® that meet its customers’ varied price points and needs.

Regardless of which community is right for the homeowner, Bakel notes, “We’ve got 35 communities in Florida —and more coming—and if a homeowner doesn’t find what they need at one community, we have a sales team trained to help them find what they need at another community,” all of which are as vibrant as the next.

A spotlight on Florida
Landsea Homes first entered the Florida market a few years ago, but it has already made a major impact with its communities, particularly as residents continue to flock to the area in search of the Florida lifestyle.

“You’re seeing a wide array of people who are looking for that ideal work-life balance and great job opportunities. They want our weather, our beaches, our recreation, our parks, but you’re going to see some people going to certain areas to make sure that it’s comfortable and affordable for them and their lifestyle, and then you see others who want to build their dream home,” Bakel says.

One of the communities where dream homes come to life is Harrell Oaks, located just a few miles from Landsea Homes’ main office in Central Florida’s Baldwin Park in beautiful Orange County, which boasts walkability and proximity to desirable dining options, historic areas, dog parks, and downtown Orlando and all that the city has to offer.

According to Bakel, the 63-home community is intimate and “really unique. There are very few new home communities in this market as a whole and we have A-rated schools. We’re starting in the high $500ks. We’re featuring homes that are one-story and two-story ranging from 1,900 to 3,198 square feet, all with open layouts, spacious family rooms, outdoor lanais, and great outdoor space for entertaining or a future pool, which is desirable in this market.”

Trinity Place, a community in St. Cloud, is another project that is gaining attention. It was featured as part of the Greater Orlando Builders Association’s (GOBA) Parade of Homes this year and offers both quick move-in homes and built-to-order options to choose from.

“Those are also beautiful one- and two-story single-family homes, nice home sites, great amenities, great location, and very easy access to Lake Nona, which is a very popular area. And of course, people can also get to Disney and all the popular theme parks, so we’re very excited to be in that corridor and we’re seeing a lot of interest there too,” Bakel shares.

The newest community, which recently opened, is Eagle Tail Landings in Lake County, an expanding market in the Orlando area that Landsea Homes is excited to be a part of and is seeing a positive response to early on.

“We have two models in that community with one other builder and it’s going to have beautiful amenities. That is a place where people can find more affordability while still getting that space and that high performance home,” says Bakel, who expects that area to continue to experience growth over the next several years as its infrastructure continues to see investment.

More to come
All three of these communities have distinct features that meet a variety of needs and price points, but all have one thing in common: a commitment to High Performance Homes and the ability to ‘live in your element,’ which is the standard for the integration of technology, sustainability, and livability that Landsea Homes has set.

“We’re expanding across all of Central Florida,” Bakel says. “We have something for everybody.” And with more communities expected in December and January, there is lots to be excited about, so stay tuned for much more to come!

The post Helping Homeowners Live in Their Element<p class="company">Landsea Homes</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

From kitchens to bathrooms and every type of room in between, the Ally Building Solutions team has all the resources needed to provide premium turnkey services. The team takes the pressure of finishing homes to a high standard off of clients, freeing them to focus on the structural and functional features of the spaces they build. Thanks to its seasoned team of professional design consultants assisting builders and their clients in putting together their interior product selections, the Ally team also educates project owners on the construction phases and everything they need to know about finishing their interior spaces in ways that make dreams come true.

Design consultations also include discussions on how design elements can be employed to increase the value of properties in ways that clients may not have considered before, giving them the option to choose the best route forward to suit their current budget and future investment. “A design consultant [guides project owners] all the way through from inception to completion of their project,” says Ann Marie White, the company’s Design Studios Director. Such a high level of professional support makes for a much more enjoyable client experience.

With four facilities in Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, and Fort Myers, Florida, the company has come a long way since its inception. These sites are complemented by five design centers spread across Orlando and one in Tampa. “We started on the ground floor. This has helped us through the years to be sensitive to what everybody experiences and make the business successful,” says Phil Spade, Vice President.

Naturally, Ally’s own facilities are every bit as well designed and finished as its projects are. Turning its main facility into a 165,000-square-foot headquarters complex five years ago, its footprint is complete with warehouses for appliances, flooring, and more. There are also fabrication outfits producing countertops and cabinets.

The location serves more operations than just its own, however. Ally also creates, stocks, and manages design studios for the individual partners it collaborates with. Partners typically choose between investing in an independent or shared Design Studio setup tailored to their unique business needs. These studios are typically easily accessible for customers and staffed by qualified Design Studio employees. In addition, partners benefit from Ally’s online homebuyer education portal, simplifying the overall design process by guiding customers through a step-by-step introduction module. Investing in a Design Studio partnership is as hassle-free and swift as can be.

With such a model in place, Ally understands that one point of contact makes projects flow better, on all levels. It is for this reason the team has developed what it refers to as bundled products and services. Thorough site inspections and hands-on job tracking also mean that clients are kept up to speed with how their projects are coming along. And beyond these services, Ally offers partners its full procurement, inspection, and distribution services alongside professional field managers. Moreover, a dedicated warranty department provides peace of mind regarding product selections and any possible returns.

Originally founded as Traditional Floorcovering of Florida, an installation firm, the company evolved into a complete service and consultation firm. Established by owner Steve Spade, a visionary leader and self-made expert who has been in the industry since the early ’80s, Ally Building Solutions first opened for business in 2013. When the chance presented itself for Ally to expand its operations to North Virginia and Maryland, the company jumped at the opportunity. A few years later, Central Florida arrived as its next big market, taking the team south along the coast into new territory.

Spade got into construction at 17, completing an apprenticeship in installation. “Ally Building Solutions is the next generation of my first company,” he explains. “Many of our original team members are still with me today. We have the finest talent in the industry and our dedication and commitment to excellence is the cornerstone of everything we do.”

With a firm resolve to succeed in the industry, Spade set out on his own, starting his first company only a few years after he started working. Known for his tenacity and drive, decades of hard work have turned Spade’s Ally Building Solutions dream into a respected leader on the Florida construction scene. After more than three and a half decades in the trade, he now continues running this sterling company, providing fellow Americans with top-quality craftsmanship.

As a proud member of several industry associations, including the Florida Home Builders Association (FHBA), the company’s leadership is committed to delivering services and products that align with national and local standards. “Our association with the FHBA provided us exposure, the opportunity to network with the customer as well as suppliers,” Spade says, underlining the benefits of attending the training and information sessions provided by the association.

Internally, Spade considers Ally’s team to be the company’s most crucial resource, and goes all out to ensure its people know they are valued. As the deciding factor for success, the people who work here contribute their talents, expertise, and insight in their respective fields to bring together substantial projects. Inspiring staff to help maintain a company culture of excellence also means creating a space where transparency and sharing ideas openly are fully supported.

By maintaining these standards, customers are met with a can-do attitude by people who feel appreciated and heard within their work environment. “What makes our team special is our camaraderie and belief in our mission to service the customer to a very high degree,” White says of the team’s commitment to support one another. Maintaining this tradition is essential to the company’s continued success.

Ally Building Solutions is also known for staying on top of technology, investing in new tools and equipment that elevate its offering. To this end, the company ensures that new technology makes life easier for staff, the business, and its customers. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software, mobile applications, tablets, and other technologies all help the team communicate faster and more efficiently.

By expanding into new markets, Ally Building Solutions plans to grow its local presence even further. In this way, it will continue deepening its expertise and offerings. Continued excellence and true partnership with its clients are non-negotiable drivers behind every project this company undertakes. Ally’s signature commitment to delivering customers a warm, personal touch alongside outstanding service and quality will continue to ensure its success well into the future.

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Providence Homes is proudly associated with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR® and Indoor airPLUS programs and the Florida Home Builders Association (FHBA), among other organizations. Its primary goal is to deliver quality homes that are more cost-effective to run from an energy standpoint while being healthier to live in. As a result, the typically high cost of ownership is significantly mitigated, making home ownership more accessible.

Signing off just under 200 homes per year in some of the region’s loveliest communities, the company makes a noble promise. “We’re building homes that are better than ever. We feel like all of our practices are good for consumers, and are leaving homes better places for all,” says Robert Goettlicher, Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

“We saw that homes had to be healthier, cleaner, better for the environment. For us, sustainability is part of our process,” he adds, underscoring that there are several additional benefits achieved from meeting energy efficiency goals. With cost savings generally between 30 and 50 percent, investing in an energy-efficient home is also financially beneficial.

From real feedback collected by an independent customer satisfaction-rating agency on its behalf, Providence Homes knows that its customer satisfaction rates are typically even higher 12 months after customers take possession of their property. This is in stark contrast to the current industry trend where initially favorable scores exhibit a clear nosedive shortly after homeowners move in. At Providence Homes, relationships do not end on the day the keys are handed over; instead, new owners are taught how to optimally manage their systems while the team remains on standby for any possible issues, resulting in exceeded expectations.

Looking back at homes built during the economic upheaval around 2008 and 2009, the company saw that these were making their way back onto the market for less than their original purchase prices, so the team decided to step up and meet customers where it matters most—their wallets. While building costs are significantly higher now, the company balances the long-term math of cost of ownership in a way that makes better sense overall. “We realized how much better these homes performed, and that there’s really a market for these types of homes,” says Charles Roberts, Vice President of Operations.

While potential customers’ concerns can include material quality and longevity, the company’s commitment to good, solid value has proven to outperform such qualms. Yet, its vision of making its homes more energy-efficient took the team down an interesting and unexpected path of creating increasingly more healthy homes that also hold up better. “One can’t build energy-efficient homes without addressing the other concerns as well. They all go together,” Roberts adds.

In this hot and humid climate, where daily outdoor humidity levels can exceed 90 percent and temperatures can exceed 90 degrees during the summer months, the company places a chocolate bunny in the attic of each model home, and instead of melting in the midday heat, it remains unfazed and safely huddled away in the comfort of the enclosed attic, protected by first-in-class spray foam insulation. To achieve this level of cool comfort in blazing Florida summers, the team employs cutting-edge building science and top-performing materials. “It’s fun seeing people who come in gravitate toward the idea of chocolate bunnies being comfortable in attics during a Florida summer,” Goettlicher says with a smile.

With typical summer temperatures chasing the mercury up to around 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the attics of typical Florida homes, reducing ambient air temperatures in attics and implementing smart air conditioning design makes the living space beneath far easier to keep cool. Within this context, it stands to reason that optimal architectural design and sophisticated air conditioning systems are paramount to the company’s success. In addition, dehumidifying spaces that are hard to clear of extra moisture with air conditioning alone is another driver. “We design the air conditioning systems to take the latent [moisture] load into effect,” Roberts explains. Despite these measures, the climate can demand extra humidity mitigation support, which is where the company’s dehumidifying systems save the day, boosting existing systems and keeping occupants more comfortable.

While the height of summer is an intense time here, the area does not remain this hot year-round, with a cooler part of the summer making way for mild to chilly winters dropping as low as 30 degrees Fahrenheit. In response to this, Providence Homes designs all its homes to perform at their best within this full range.

Founded by Chief Executive Officer Bill Cellar, its formula has proven successful. Today, Providence Homes’ growth is truly inspiring. “It is my personal pledge to make a difference in the industry,” Cellar says on the company’s website. “The team has made it our personal goal to build every home with the same attention to detail and commitment to excellence we would with our own homes.”

Providence Homes typically serves existing homeowners looking to purchase a next or additional home, with house prices ranging in price between $300,000 and $1 million. Known as a builder of choice in one of the state’s most desirable communities after receiving considerable local and national acclaim, the company is well-versed in rendering some of the best quality wood frame homes in the country.

And hard work leads the way. The company is deeply appreciative of its tight-knit team of around 30, and long tenures are commonplace here, with some staff tallying over two decades of service. “We treat each other with respect, and we work hard to break down barriers between departments so we’re all working together,” says Roberts. Genuine respect and camaraderie between its departments means that everyone at Providence Homes belongs to the same family at work.

“The success and longevity we’ve had is thanks to the quality of our people,” Roberts says of the team’s dedication to working together, especially when the going gets tough. Always ready to pivot to meet the next market shift, the team gives the company the ability to adapt to and weather economic and market changes at a moment’s notice. “It’s a pleasure coming to work when you work with people who really like being around each other,” he adds, noting that staff enjoy spending downtime together as friends.

According to Goettlicher, it could be argued that the company’s culture is so well-developed because everyone gets to contribute in meaningful ways where they can make a real impact. “We always feel like we’re handing off the customer to the next expert as they progress through the building process. Everyone is doing their best,” he says, describing the freedom to express opinions here as refreshing. To maintain the company’s overall sense of continuity and the value that brings customers, Providence Homes believes that retaining its most valuable asset, namely its staff, drives its success.

Maintaining this continuity as the company moves up and ahead while achieving its fiscal goals remains its immediate priority for the foreseeable future. By following the trail it created for itself during the last recession and remaining a better firm that builds a better house rooted in a wholesome company culture, Providence Homes continues bringing lasting, positive change to a tough industry. “We feel like the opportunities are there for us to expand, and we’re in a position where we can be discerning,” says Goettlicher.

From ensuring improved indoor air quality to creating more comfortable ambient temperatures, Providence Homes leaves new homeowners with peace of mind knowing that their home has been planned and constructed with their best interests in mind.

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