Arthur Rutenberg Homes has a new franchise in Richmond, Va., and it is starting its first home. Richmond BizSense reports:
Matt Ellington and C. Ryan Fanelli have launched a local franchise of Arthur Rutenberg Homes, a 65-year-old Florida-based brand that’s been expanding across the country with franchises now in nine states.
Ellington, a native Richmonder and Virginia Tech grad, was in his seventh year leading his own Ellington Homes brand when Fanelli, an agent with locally based Commonwealth Commercial, approached him about going in on an AR Homes franchise together.
“I came across the company and really liked (its) idea of bringing some sanity to custom homebuilding,” said Fanelli, who previously worked for Ryan Homes. “I approached Matt about partnering to bring it to Richmond, because it’s an exciting concept and Matt builds beautiful homes.”
Since buying the franchise in October 2017, with Fanelli on board as a minority investor, Ellington said they’ve been learning the company’s processes while also designing a model home, now under construction at Tuckahoe Creek.
