Professional Builder (1993) articles from July 2006

Professional Builder (1993) archives from July 2006

Maximizing Referrals.(sales management )
July 1, 2006... By Paul Cardis, NRS Corp. How to turn customer information into sales With housing starts on the decline, home builders need to hustle just to stay even with last year's sales. Sure, advertising and marketing are still crucial for...

31 Flavors of Leadership.
July 1, 2006... By Rodney Hall, The Talon Group Advice from building industry leaders There seems to be no shortage of books and articles on leadership these days. The field is populated with some impressive authors: Rudy Guiliani, Ram Charan, Ken...

School District, Developers Collaborate.(Hillwood Residential and Mabrey and Partners team up)
July 1, 2006... By Sara Zailskas, Staff Writer Texans team up to prepare for kids in new community 2,500 acres. 8,000 homes. Seven public schools. Heartland, a Dallas-area development that kicked off construction spring 2005, is a rural master...

New Book Helps Development Approvals.(Breaking the Development Logjam: New Strategies for Building Community Support)(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2006... By Felicia Oliver, Senior Editor Community support is critical for development projects. But neighbors often greet plans with suspicion. "Even projects notable for their attention to civic consciousness, environmental sensitivity and...

Understanding Buyer Motivations.
July 1, 2006... By John Rymer, New Home Knowledge John Rymer Customers do not always tell us about key underlying motivations for purchasing a new home. For example, I know that many people decide to purchase a home based on the perceived prestige...

New Player, New Court?(John Laing PLC acquires Emaar Properties)
July 1, 2006... By Bill Lurz, Senior Editor, Business Emaar Properties' cash deal for California Giant WL Homes thrusts a different -- and hungry -- animal into the market. Expect to see John Laing signs pop up on A-rated home building sites in your...

Great Workplaces.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... By Felicia Oliver, Senior Editor Building companies that make customer and employee satisfaction job one The Judges Erik Froelich , chief operating officer, Cambridge Isenhour Homes in Winston-Salem, N.C., 2005 NRS Award Winner...

Hire, train and retain.(WCI Communities Inc.)
July 1, 2006... By Felicia Oliver, Senior Editor This mantra kept WCI Communities' retention numbers up amid change and acquisition Recruitment and Retention In spite of rapid growth through acquisition and the expansion of existing businesses,...

Pulte's 'Top Guns' create a legacy of leadership excellence.(Company overview)
July 1, 2006... By Felicia Oliver, Senior Editor Mentors develop top talent, promote them and 'build more' Training and Leadership Development Ranked No. 1 on Professional Builder's Giant 400 list and honored as the first public national builder...

The Little Red Book that Could.
July 1, 2006... By Felicia Oliver, Senior Editor Six Sigma and 'The Pardee Way' create a distinctive culture of excellence Cohesive workplace culture and social responsibility Pardee Homes has implemented Six Sigma, a painstaking methodology that...

Choosing Great Workplaces.
July 1, 2006... By Felicia Oliver, Senior Editor The judges' criteria --and what you can learn from entrants Judges selected the featured companies from among 55 entries based on the following: Innovative recruitment and retention practices ...

Shopping Software.(purchasing building related software)
July 1, 2006... By Jennifer Block Martin, Contributing Editor Why researching the many building-related software options on the market now will save you time and money later. Off-the-shelf software sounds easy to use, but anyone will tell you it's...

Bigelow Homes.
July 1, 2006... Mike Venetis, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Aurora, Ill. Solatube Tubular Skylights Mike Venetis www.solatube.com Although today's buildings rarely have enough natural light, it's possible to change that with...

Modular and Green.(Innova Homes)
July 1, 2006... By Susan Conbere and Asa Foss, For the PATH Partners How a North Carolina modular builder found his niche. David Bennert is co-founder of Innova Homes, a small building company in Asheville, N.C., that builds about six homes a year....

Bathroom Fixtures.
July 1, 2006... By Rhonda Jackson American Standard Rhonda Jackson The Cascada Furniture Collection from American Standard provides stylish bathroom storage. This contemporary vanity sports three large drawers and a birch solid and veneer...

Tips to Be Square.(Pella Corp. gives training on installing windows to contractors)
July 1, 2006... By Jennifer Heyns, Contributing Editor How to battle out-of-square windows and bad flashing. Improper installation of windows and doors is the No. 1 problem in the construction industry right now, says Cordell Burton, Installation...

Where the Money Is.
July 1, 2006... By Scott Sedam, TrueNorth Development Do you have the guts to go after it? In my April column, "Your Choice in Cost Control," I challenged the traditional builder mentality of slashing overhead first whenever margins tighten. I asked...

Energy Buzz.(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... Staff Zeroing in on energy's past I'm writing in response to May's article about Zero Energy Homes ("A Zero Energy Home for the Rest of Us"). This is a nicely written article; however the headline is wrong. During the last energy...

Details.(Professional Builder Benchmark conference focuses on construction company management)
July 1, 2006... Paul Deffenbaugh, Editorial Director One of the great things about home builders is the amount of information they share. In some industries, that would be viewed as corporate madness, but builders view it as a way of doing business. ...

Winner on the Water.(Newland Communities contracts Bayfair Properties and Niles Bolton Associates for building a master planned housing community)
July 1, 2006... By Bill Lurz, Senior Editor, Business These rear-loaded townhouses excite buyers with vaulted spaces and ground-floor master suites. Tampa, Fla.-based builder Mike Morris grabbed a plumb when he got hold of the site for Anchor Cove at...

Privacy, Please!(building design trends and forecast)
July 1, 2006... By Bill Lurz, Senior Editor, Business Two design concepts deliver high-density living and keep prices low -- without compromising privacy. In many markets across the country, land and construction costs are pushing home builders toward...

Transforming community.(Matrix Development Group Inc. develops high-density living community in Oregon)
July 1, 2006... By Laura Butalla, Senior Editor How an Oregon builder developed high-density living within the limits of a retirement community. King City is a retirement community built more than 40 years ago along the Tualatin River in Oregon. Years...

Roofing-Tile Rebound.(supply and demand)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... By Laura Butalla, Senior Editor Although roofing tile is hard to come by, relief is on the way. Since hurricanes Charley and Ivan struck Florida at the end of 2004, roofing tile has been in short supply. Hurricane repairs are...

PATH, HUD partner to showcase concept homes.(Partnership for Advanced Housing Technology, Department of Housing and Urban Development)
July 1, 2006... By Rhonda Jackson, Staff writer The Partnership for Advanced Housing Technology has partnered with HUD and several private sector businesses to build two concept homes that transform and grow with the changing lifestyles and needs of its...

New Partnerships.(Professional Builder forms alliance with DesignLens.com)
July 1, 2006... Niles D. Crum, Publishing Director, Building and Construction Group I am delighted to announce that Professional Builder has formed an alliance with DesignLens.com , which in the last six years has become a beacon point for the housing...

Codes from Chaos.(SUPPLEMENT: Custom Builder)
July 1, 2006... By Matthew Power, Senior Contributing Editor Standardized building codes in states along the hurricane-battered Southeast Coast have become an essential tool in rebuilding. When a state sets out to adopt a standard building code, the...

Sharper Edge.(SUPPLEMENT: Custom Builder)
July 1, 2006... By Jennifer Heyns, Contributing Editor More glass, better energy efficiency, stronger protection and more -- here's a roundup of window industry trends Last year's devastating hurricanes and the growing demand from custom-home owners...

All Green.(SUPPLEMENT: Custom Builder)
July 1, 2006... By Paul Deffenbaugh, Editorial Director The average house in the United States is 32 years old. Despite the record number of new homes added to the housing stock over the last few years, that number, according to a report by the Joint...

The Case for Going Green.(SUPPLEMENT: Custom Builder)
July 1, 2006... By Felicia Oliver, Senior Editor Custom builders are learning that green-built means quality, high-performance construction that home buyers can't resist. There are many myths about sustainable, ecologically friendly building...

Lasting Beauty.(SUPPLEMENT: Custom Builder)
July 1, 2006... By Ann Matesi, Contributing Editor Crafting a coastal home that will weather a lifetime Building a home that stands up to the harsh conditions that characterize a coastal construction site requires the right combination of time-tested...

D. Dorrance & Son Custom Homes.(Casco Windows)(CertainTeed Weatherboards)(Kohler WaterTiles)(American Standard Furnaces)
July 1, 2006... Michael Dorrance, Vice President, Elgin, Ill. Casco Windows www.cascoonline.com Casco Industries offers wood and vinyl windows and door products. The product line encompasses double-hung, casement, slider and awning-like windows,...

Finely Tuned Features.(SUPPLEMENT: Custom Builder)
July 1, 2006... By Ann Matesi, Contributing Editor High-tech equipment and elegant custom finishes co-star in a lavish home theater. When it comes to in-home entertainment one of the most in-demand amenities for custom residential buyers today is a...

Products.(SUPPLEMENT: Custom Builder)
July 1, 2006... Staff Concrete Forms Staff Reversible and Easy to Install Tritex 11¼-inch Xillix brand insulating concrete forms incorporate a 7½-inch core in a fully reversible form with no top or bottom or corners, making...