| Innovations |
For builders who have adopted new building science technologies, the market is looking bright. In the past year, the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) has met many builders who have increased their business by using factory-built systems or manufactured components to improve the building envelope.
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| Best Practices |
Understanding what customers already know and what made them visit is the key kickoff to a great sales presentation.
You can take the road less traveled in home building that will show you how to maintain your profits without destroying the margins of your suppliers and trades and trashing the relationships that took years to build.
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| Plans and Projects |
The master retreat can really be whatever the homeowner wants it to be; adding a library, exercise area or other specialty nook can complement this private homeowner's master suite.
High above Draper, Utah, resides the master planned SunCrest Community by developer Terrabrook. Residents have spectacular views of two valleys — Salt Lake Valley and Utah Valley — on either side of the Wasatch Mountains.
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| Perspective |
What makes a great company? We answer the question with an example in this month's issue. The Professional Builder 2007 Builder of the Year is Shea Homes, and it exhibits all the characteristics of what makes a great company. While many believe those characteristics include strong strategic planning, great execution and fabulous controls, there are other aspects of greatness I think go overlooked.
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| Best Practices |
Excellent performance is the result of an excellent process. Take a look at great sports teams. They are hailed for executing the basics at levels higher than the competition, and the best teams always seek ways to get better. They also have leaders who use process improvement to push the team to higher performance levels.
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| Emerging Issues |
Shea's eight divisions spread across several states. While product design varies from state to state and community to community, the merging of art with sound building science remains a constant.
Professional Builder has chosen Shea Homes as the Builder of the Year for 2007. Once you walk through Shea's doors, you feel like you're home with friends. A large, private company, Shea builds more than 6,000 homes a year in eight divisions across the Western United States, along with one self-contained division in North Carolina.
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