Savannah, Georgia–based Landmark 24 Homes, founded in 2009 as a collaboration between brothers Jerry and Jack Wardlaw and Steve Hall, has earned the distinction of the Biggest Mover on the 2024 Builder Next 100, moving up to the No. 116 spot from No. 158 last year.
The private, local builder closed 415 homes in 2023—including 315 detached and 100 attached homes—generating revenue of $156 million. In 2022, the builder closed 305 homes and generated revenue of $114 million.
The builder has 16 active communities, offers three product lines and 30 floor plans, and employs 70 employees. While Savannah and the surrounding area remain the builder’s focus, Landmark 24 Homes also operates in South Carolina and southeast Georgia along the Georgia-Florida line. Eric Sanford, director of operations, says the builder has grown at a pace of about three to four new community openings per year and has 3,800 lots.
“A lot of [our growth in 2023] has to do with the way we streamlined our business and our operations to become more efficient; [we] really focused our attention on cycle times and our team,” Sanford says. “In 2024, we carry the second largest market share here [in Savannah], while we compete against the three largest builders in the country.”
Sanford says Landmark 24 placed a continued focus on high-quality features in its homes in 2023, which allowed the builder to increase its average sales price on a year-over-year basis. Additionally, the builder has adopted a “lot premium strategy that allows us to put values on our lots [and] our homesites,” he says.
In 2024, the company launched its own mortgage company, providing more value and benefit to customers.
“[The addition of the mortgage company] has put us in a position right now where we’re going to be right around the 390 to 415 home [closings] this year from the way it looks right now,” Sanford says.
Moving forward, Landmark 24 Homes is committed to its hometown market, which is poised for future demand growth. In 2022, Hyundai announced plans to build a $5.5 billion manufacturing facility near Savannah that would employ 8,100 workers. The construction is 75% done and slated for completion by 2025
“We know that in Savannah and the outskirts of the counties that outline Chatham County or Savannah, that’s where [we’re] seeing the most growth,” Sanford says. “So, ultimately that’s where we’re establishing our land positions at right now.”
The home builder is also active in the community, having served as the St. Jude Dream Home Builder for the city for the past two years. The company has started internship programs with Georgia Southern University and Savannah Technical College and has two salaried construction superintendents that graduated from the programs.
“We’ve really put a focus on the community outreach aspect to build our brand and give back. [Our owners], Jerry, Jack, and Steve, created [the culture],” Sanford says. “Our employees love it. It means the world to them that every day they come in and we’re not just building homes, but we are giving back to our community that we call home ourselves.”
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