Steven Petruska

COO

By Carl Levesque

Pulte Homes 2006 rank:2

1986 rank:5

For Pulte, the 1990s were characterized by the company's feverish expansion of its geographical footprint. In that decade, Pulte's market total went from about 15 to 40. COO Steven Petruska's career path reflects that expansion.

Petruska, whose first executive post came at age 28 as the South Texas division's vice president of finance, launched the Las Vegas division, now a popular market for almost all national builders. With a mere $10 million investment, “We were able to produce 300 homes and be very profitable,” he says.

As a testament to Pulte's emphasis on customer care, in 2000 Petruska carried the division through its first J.D. Power and Associates survey with flying colors. Pulte finished tops in the market and has won every year since.

Going forward, Petruska talks of Pulte's continued expansion plans. “There are still markets that we're not in that we'd like to get into,” he says. He also expects to spend time taking the Del Webb active adult brand to new markets.