A HOME-GROWN SUCCESS STORY
It takes guts to launch an independently owned homebuilding company these days. After all, the country is still struggling to recover from the most severe housing downturn since the great depression. And homegrown operations are being increasingly squeezed by national and international conglomerates with the resources to buy and bank undeveloped property even in a down economy.
And when those so-called Wall Street builders gear up, they build homes by the thousands, leveraging economies of scale and offering homes at prices that local operations simply can’t match.
Why, then, did Landon Homes, which was founded earlier this year by a pair of native Jacksonvillians, instantly post sales that caused the big guys to sit up and take notice?
A lot of it has to do with the people involved, their passion for building, their empathy with buyers and their insiders’ knowledge of where great deals can be made on highly desirable property.
Landon Homes, then, is a modern American success story about a pair of local boys who’ve made good – and are making good again – the old fashioned way.
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When Dennis Ginder was a youngster living on Jacksonville’s working-class Westside, his dad delivered concrete to communities developed by Chester Stokes, a Northeast Florida building industry icon whose name, even then, was synonymous with quality construction.
Ginder, who admired Stokes and was fascinated by homebuilding, graduated in 1995 from the University of North Florida with a degree in construction management.
Over the next 16 years, he worked as an estimator, an assistant superintendant, a project manager and eventually a division president for several national builders, earning his own reputation as one of the region’s best and most committed builders.
Big Builder Magazine named him an Apex Award winner in 2006 while in 2010 the Jacksonville Business Journal listed him among the region’s 40 Under 40, a compilation of Northeast Florida’s brightest young professionals in an array of fields.
But best of all, in Ginder’s opinion, he and Stokes were able to become fast friends and fishing buddies. They shared a dedication to the industry and a passion for helping families achieve their dreams of home ownership.
“Still, I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d have an opportunity to actually work with a guy like Chester,” Ginder says.
For Ginder, that opportunity came earlier this year in the form of an unexpected phone call from the iconic Stokes. Would he be willing to leave his high-level position with a major international builder, form a partnership and start a home-grown venture?
Ginder, who had done virtually everything in the business except own his own business, didn’t hesitate for a moment, despite the shaky economy. He and Stokes founded Landon Homes, named for Ginder’s 7-year-old son. “We’re all about a little guy who loves to play ball and hang out with his dad,” Ginder says.
But for a company named after a little guy, Landon Homes started off in a big way. In an era when every builder is struggling for sales, unknown Landon Homes racked up impressive numbers almost from the moment the phone lines were installed.
How? In part, Ginder and the savvy Stokes had the inside track on 48 lots, many of which back up to picturesque Moultrie Creek, in heavily wooded Oakbrook, a community near St. Augustine that’s been a buyer favorite for 20 years. All homes are on half-acre lots – a rarity these days – and amenities include tennis courts, a clubhouse, a pool, a ball field, a playground and nature preserves.
Landon Homes quickly snatched up the lots and began offering spacious single-family homes ranging in price from the $230s to the $240s. Even with prices remaining depressed, that’s a hard price to pass up for a spacious, well-built home on an expansive lot. So it’s no wonder that 25 were sold right out of the gate.
The company is now also building at Payasada Estates in Ponte Vedra, Grand Champion in Daytona Beach, Ashley Oaks in World Golf Village and Verano at Bartram Park, where it’s offering affordably priced townhomes.
“We had an idea better times were coming,” says Ginder, who expects to close on 40 to 50 homes in 2012. “When the government starts telling you things are getting better, they’re looking in the rear-view mirror. We’re out there every day listening to buyers.”
In fact, Landon Homes has grown so quickly that it has already hired a construction superintendent, an estimator and an office manager.
But the first employee was Jacki Matthews, a veteran new-home sales consultant who has worked for Ginder at several previous stops. “Dennis always does the right thing, the right way,” says Matthews. “As a salesperson, that makes my life so much easier.”
Plus, Matthews says, during the boom, buyers were turned off by “big-box” builders who treated them like numbers and refused to be flexible when asked to make alterations. “With us, you’ve got the owner working with you building your house,” she adds. “We appreciate every customer and treat them with the respect they deserve. When you do business that way, word gets around.”
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As for Ginder, he says operating his own company is more difficult in many ways than managing the regional division of a building conglomerate. But he doesn’t miss the focus groups, the studies or the red tape.
“Our plans are based on what our customers have told us they want,” Ginder says. “Basically, we build homes with open floorplans, lots of natural light, big kitchens and family rooms and plenty of closet space. And if it’s not quite what you’re looking for, we’ll work with you to meet your needs.”
In fact, Ginder personally conceptualizes most of the plans Landon Homes offers based on his in-the-trenches knowledge about what features Northeast Florida buyers prefer. He describes his company as offering semi-custom homes at production home prices.
In addition to flexibility, variety and quality, Landon Homes’ goal is to deliver a memorable homebuilding experience through communication, honesty and integrity. Plus, the company offers a 10-year warranty through Bonded Builders Warranty Group. “We want to build relationships that last long after the sale,” Ginder says.
Despite his years of experience, Ginder can still get a bit emotional when talking about his customers. “We recently had a young couple buy a $120,000 townhome,” he says. “And there were six people at the closing. Both sets of parents came, because they were so happy for their kids. And the buyers were in tears. That kind of thing is what makes this business so rewarding.”
Part of Ginder’s love for the industry is reflected in his wil-lingness to give back. In 2013, he’s scheduled to assume the presidency of the Northeast Florida Builders Association. So, between managing a growing business and leading one of the region’s largest trade associations, his free time will be limited.
“How big do we want to get?” Ginder pauses before answering. “Naturally, I want to get as big as we can manage. But I like our culture, I like who we are. When we get so big that we can’t be who we want to be, then it’s time to stop growing.”
LANDON HOMES
1515 C.R. 210 W, Suite 203, St. Johns, FL, 32259
904-824-2166
landon-homes.net