The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
ProBuilt Homes poised for success
Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series of feature stories on the top-ranked companies of the 2016 Lake-Geauga Fast Track 50, a list of the area’s fastest-growing businesses based on a weighted average of sales and employment growth.
Founded in 2002 by George Davis, ProBuilt Homes is an award-winning custom single-family home builder in Northeast Ohio with main concentrations in Lake, Geauga, and Ashtabula and Eastern Cuyahoga counties.
The Mentor-based company has a full-time management staff of 13 and works with 33 trade partners employing 300 individuals. ProBuilt Homes, at 9124 Tyler Blvd., also builds condominiums but engages in no commercial or remodeling work.
“We’re a custom builder, we build homes from the ground up,” said Davis, who also serves as ProBuilt’s president. “Sometimes we even put in the roads that lead to the houses. We build on existing lots and sometimes we build on the clients’ lots. We also have our own building plans or we can custom design a plan or we can build the client’s plan.”
ProBuilt Homes ranked No. 2 on the 2016 Fast Track Established Companies list.
“When we learned we’d won, it was very rewarding and fulfilling. From about 2008 to 2013, what I call ‘The Great Depression’ of homebuilding, business in Northeast Ohio as a gross was down 77 percent,” he said. “Not only did we survive and were profitable through that, but to be, three years later on the other side of that, the number 2 fastest-growing company, is definitely a great honor.”
The Lake-Geauga Fast Track 50 honors the fastest growing companies in the two counties based on a weighted average of 80 percent sales growth and 20 percent employment growth over the previous five-year
period. To more fairly compare larger and smaller companies, the Fast Track 50 is divided into Established and Emerging categories with 25 companies on each list.
In addition to surviving the economic downturn, Davis, who lives in Concord Township and attended Case Western Reserve University, said ProBuilt’s unique approach and operation in an imperfect industry has also allowed the company to rapidly grow.
“Homebuilding is basically bringing the factory to a mudpit. Your car gets built in a nice, clean plant. We’re bringing the factory (to different locations) and building people the most expensive thing they’re going to buy in their lives in less than ideal conditions.
“When I started ProBuilt, I set out to make it more organized so it would be a better process and less stressful for the client,” he said. “We are the most organized builder. We have the most detailed specifications. We use a computer program to manage the projects that allows all of our employees and trade partners to collaborate in real time. When updates are secured, everyone knows about it.”
Davis knows, though, that every successful project, and thus company, starts and ends with the people.
“But more than anything, our success stems from our people,” he said. “More than anything, in construction it’s about the people that you have on your staff. Our sales staff is very knowledgeable, our construction managers have degrees. Everything is organized. That’s our advantage, our staff.”
“The most rewarding thing is seeing the product at the end of the project and seeing the family moving in to their home, and that we did what we’re supposed to do. We work hard to live up to expectations. Our standard features we try and make what 80 percent of the buying public would want, rather than going with that super lowgrade builder product, we negotiate on what they want in the house. I feel we give a better value, dollar for dollar.”
ProBuilt Homes has quadrupled in size since coming out of the economic slowdown. At its slowest, according to Davis, the company built 11 homes. Last year, ProBuilt Homes constructed 39 homes in and is on pace to complete 50 homes this year. ProBuilt Homes is nearly a $15 million company.
Davis, 44, said every crew — “partners, not subcontractors” — ProBuilt Homes works with continuously delivers quality, which leads to repeated business.
“We refer to them as Team ProBuilt,” he said. The electrician is just as important as the foundation crew. In the aggregate, Team ProBuilt is our suppliers, employees and the trade contractors.”
Every summer, ProBuilt Homes offers paid internships, this year offering one to a high school student.
Davis said internships are typically for those enrolled in construction management programs, adding that Lakeland Community College in Kirtland has had students participate the last two years.
“Construction definitely isn’t ‘blue collar’ anymore, in my opinion,” he said. “Many elements are very artistic and tech savvy. And there are voids that need to be filled. This industry is always going to need people. A lot of young men and young women can have great careers. It’s very honorable.
“The biggest thing we are doing to ensure continued success is making sure us local builders are working together to control the good land,” he said. “With national production builders, who have their place, you can’t make any changes. All you can get is cookie-cutter House A and cookie-cutter House B. Part of the American Dream is to build your custom house to how you live.”