Jumping 34 spots to No. 113 on the 2023 Next 100 list, Northern Virginia-based Van Metre Cos. has earned the recognition of this year’s Biggest Mover. The privately held, family-owned developer closed out 2022 with 457 closings and $408 million in revenue, compared with 346 in 2021 and $278 million in revenue.
Brian Davidson, group president of new homes at Van Metre, credits lot position and great employees for the company’s success in 2022. For the start of 2023, Davidson says the company is continuing to thrive as the need for more homes is prevalent.
“Resale listings are at an all-time low, so demand is greater than supply,” he notes. Earlier this year, Van Metre Cos. also launched a new company dedicated to developing land.
To accelerate future growth, Van Metre is focusing on streamlining the home building process for 2023 and beyond. He says, “We are working on simplifying the process. The more we can leverage automation and take away the pain points of the process, the more it will give us a competitive edge.”
By year’s end, Davidson says Van Metre is aiming to enhance its “build your own home” tool. “This tool will allow home buyers to price out a house much the same way that the car manufacturers are using for cars,” he says.
The user-friendly platform will be beneficial to prospective buyers, but Davidson ensures that customer service will remain a focus of Van Metre's. “We always make an effort to do the right thing for our customers,” he says. “We care about them and our role in the community.”
When asked what he foresees happening in the industry in coming years, Davidson points to labor shortages and supply chain issues as continuing concerns for home builders. To combat supply issues, he explains, “I see more builders buying materials direct or the advent of ‘super subs’ who handle multiple disciplines.”
