Fischer Homes—No. 31 on the 2022 Builder 100—announced major changes in the company's leadership, naming a new CEO emeritus, CEO, and chief operating officer.
Bob Hawksley, a 28-year veteran of Fischer Homes and the current CEO of The Fischer Group, has been named CEO emeritus. Tim McMahon has been promoted from president and COO to CEO, and Jay Smith has been promoted from executive vice president of operations to president and COO.
Fischer Homes chairman Greg Fischer—whose father Henry, founded the company in 1980—said Hawksley was the first non-family member to serve as CEO of Fischer Homes.
"Bob has been a very important part of our company for many years," says Fischer. "He helped define the culture and define who we are. I am eternally grateful to him for what he has done for our company as well as for what he has done for me. I started at Fischer when I was 18, so Bob is right there with my dad as far as how much he has helped me personally."
Hawksley plans to retire in February 2023 but will continue to provide guidance and support to McMahon while remaining as a member of the company's board for three years.
Fischer also states that McMahon and Smith have had tremendous impacts on Fischer Homes and have positioned the company for continued growth.
"We've had a lot of success in the last three years, showing tremendous growth, and I attribute a lot of that to the leadership of Tim and Jay," continues Fischer. "They have set us up to springboard to the next chapter, and I'm excited about the future and feel fortunate to have both of them leading our team."
The transition has been years in the making and positions the company for sustained growth in the years to come.
"These changes did not happen overnight," says McMahon. "Bob Hawksley and I have been working with Greg Fischer and our leadership team since 2014 on how we can expand the footprint of the organization and seamlessly transition leadership; this has been a well-thought-out, long-term succession plan. Our goal now is to continue to execute our proven profitable expansion strategy that we have successfully executed over the past eight years.”
In the past five years, Fischer Homes has grown from 19,500 homes built to 32,000 homes with a rise in annual revenue from $637 million to $1.5 billion, reports the builder. The company is a top builder in Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, and Louisville and also has a presence in Dayton, Columbus, Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Atlanta.
"Our future growth is based on the historical principles and culture that have been in place at Fischer Homes since it was founded in 1980," adds McMahon. "Jay and I both bring 35-plus years of experience to our new roles, but it is our tremendous team and established culture that will ensure our continued success. At Fischer Homes, we have always focused on taking care of our customers and each other, our teammates. This philosophy will remain a key differentiator for our organization.”
