Growing up, Andy Lett never imagined he would geek out over data spreadsheets, let alone work in an office. Nevertheless, Lett has worked his way up to general manager at Schuber Mitchell Homes, overseeing an operation of 200 homes a year with more than 30 employees in Springfield, Missouri—at just 30 years old.
Lett was Schuber Mitchell Homes’ first intern in 2015 and found his spark in the systems side of purchasing in 2018, working to close more than 150 homes a year at the time. He’s been named BUILDER’s 2025 Builder on the Rise—an award, now in its second year, selected from dozens of submitted entries. The award honors those with fewer than 15 years of home building experience.
Together with senior director of operations Aaron Eidson, Lett helped secure the builder’s acquisition of Cronkhite Homes in August 2024, which expanded the company's footprint into the Springfield market.
“Everyone in leadership believed he was the best person to lead the newly acquired company due to his process-driven approach, his ability to foster a positive culture, and his commitment to Schuber Mitchell’s core values: excellence, integrity, unity, generosity, growth, and fun,” says Kit Eaker, the builder’s director of land, entitlement, acquisitions, and development.
Schuber Mitchell Homes—No. 77 on the 2025 Builder 100 list—ended 2024 with 804 homes closed and is building in 37 communities across four states.
“Andy has been instrumental in helping Schuber Mitchell become a leader in ‘affordable luxury’ homes by leading and growing our systems team that allows us to scale and productionize the company,” says CEO Joe Harris. “Schuber Mitchell wouldn’t be one of the fastest-growing and scalable home builders in the Midwest without amazing young leaders like Andy.”
A Quick Climb
Lett stepped into the role of general manager after learning various aspects of the company, starting as an intern while still in college and working with purchasing, negotiations, budgeting, and more as time passed.
“He helped implement the process for tracking house costs, maintaining a build schedule, having permits in place on time, and developing budgets for each home elevation,” says director of finance Susan Smith. “As we grew, he became the systems manager, managing a growing team that develops budgets based on ever-changing building costs, reporting the changing budgets monthly to management for sales pricing, and releasing work orders based on the production schedule.”
Aside from the tracking and planning that building quality homes requires, Lett says it has been the people who have formed his passion for the home building industry.
“It’s really cool to be a part of something meaningful,” he says. “There’s gratification in seeing it go from plans and paper to an actual house that someone is living in. It’s the power of the home. It’s where families grow and memories are made.”
And while passionate about creating the houses that people love, Lett also enjoys the numbers and specs.
“I love knowing the construction side too,” he says. “How many two-by-fours that go into a specific house, or whatever it might be.”
A System for Success
Three years ago, the builder changed enterprise resource planning systems. Lett jumped into the challenge. It was another chance for Lett to lead by example.
“Andy played a key role in launching our system in January 2022, ensuring a smooth and effective transition. He also led his team to develop the most accurate takeoffs for our house plans, setting solid budgets and pricing that continue to benefit the company today,” says Eaker. “His ability to break down complex problems and create long-term, scalable solutions has been a game-changer for how we operate.”
Settling into his role of leading the Springfield market, Lett still likes to touch base with his systems team.
“I'm most proud of seeing my old systems team grow,” says Lett. “As I was working on the acquisition, I couldn't share details a lot of times, but them being self-sustaining and just really owning it … it was really rewarding to help them succeed by creating a culture where they’re empowered to do so.”
Eidson says Lett has proven himself more than capable of succeeding in the challenging building industry.
“Andy is the kind of leader that everyone wants to work for. He has high integrity, he models the standards he expects from his team, and he takes great care of those in his charge.”
