With starts down and cancellations up, builders no longer expect a home run with each new community. Now, they'll settle for base hits, for doubles, and even for walks that finally get that languishing spec house and its shrinking margins off the field. Veterans look at the rookies and shake their heads. “They've never been through a downturn,” they say, wise from years of ups and downs. “They'll never make it.”
BUILDER 2007-09-06 13:02:54
In a dreadful economy, a handful of builders is finding ways to keep moving forward, profitably.
BUILDER 2008-09-12 18:08:39
Experience has never been more valued than right now, as builders deal with the double whammy of robust competition and weakening sales. In our eighth annual Fast Track list, we examine the secrets of fast-growing builders'success—and what they're doing to keep the pace.
BUILDER 2006-09-12 12:21:25
CYCLISTS, ESPECIALLY THOSE who compete in the Tour de France, learn early to pace themselves. Go too slow, and they'll lack the velocity to make it up a steep slope. Go too fast, and they'll lose control on a hairpin turn. The best have both the speed they need to win short sprints and the stamina to carry them through races that stretch over days and weeks.
BUILDER 2004-09-09 11:14:15
It's the growth rate, not the size of the company that matters in Builder's annual list of fastest-growing companies.
2008-04-03 16:41:00
FEW BUILDERS CAN COMPLAIN ABOUT THE RIDE THE housing market has taken them on during the last decade. At times, it's been almost as if speed limits haven't existed, as low interest rates, buyer demand, and price appreciation have combined to accelerate builders' growth well beyond their expectations.
BUILDER 2005-09-12 07:21:29
No wonder the uphill climb at mile 21 of the Boston Marathon is known as "Heartbreak Hill." The builders we chose to highlight this year in our annual Fast Track list of fast-growing builders know that type of pain.
BUILDER 2003-09-09 13:25:03
True to form, the intractable, growth-hungry companies on our Fast Track list continue to astound with their triple-digit revenue growth. The top 10 on this year's list boast an average 150 percent increase in gross revenue over the past three years. And as a whole, the 95 builders listed had an average compounded annual growth rate of 45 percent. Compare this with the growth in the value of new single-family construction for last year--which grew less than 10 percent--and you get the high-growth picture.
BUILDER 2004-03-01 14:11:55
A LAND-USE BILL THAT went into effect in Oregon on Dec. 8 shouldn't have a major impact on residential development there. But in a state where land is a “theological” issue, no measure can ever completely settle the debate about its use.
BUILDER 2008-01-08 16:02:16
Use these tips for a FAST implementation:
BUILDER 2004-05-11 21:17:14