Feature Client Interview: Acadia Homes & Neighborhoods

 

 

 

Company: Acadia Homes & Neighborhoods Gregg Goldenberg, President and CEO Jon Roby, VP of Construction Thomas Olson, CFO Greg Villines, Dir. of Purchasing and Estimating Mark McClintock, Purchasing Manager New Home Price Range: $160s to low $500s Primary Building Locations (counties): Cherokee, Cobb, DeKalb, Forsyth, Fulton, Jackson Website: www.AcadiaHomes.us

We recently sat down with the folks at Acadia Homes & Neighborhoods to chat with them about their company and the current state of metro Atlanta’s housing market.

A New Builder for a New Time
Gregg Goldenberg, President and CEO of Acadia Homes & Neighborhoods describes the founding of the company, “In 2004, I looked around Atlanta, and realized that this town didn’t need another builder; it needed a land developer.”  Gregg began developing subdivisions for home building companies.  “Five years later, everything came full circle and what this city certainly didn’t need was any more lots to build on; it needed builders.”

Gregg believed he knew what was required to be successful as a home builder in the New Economy.  In 2010 he took his business plan to an investor that had secured 1,700 lots in the  metro Atlanta area.  It was a good fit for both parties and Acadia Homes & Neighborhoods was created.  Gregg assembled a team of home building veterans that bring over 50 years of combined experience to the company.

Experience is Key
Jon Roby is the VP of Construction for Acadia, and comes with many years of experience working for several production builders. “The thing that makes us successful is being able to put the best house on a location at a price point that our customers want,” Jon said.

“Everyone at Acadia is battle tested,” says Jon. “The learning curve here is really short. Our staff is filled with home building veterans.  Everyone here can put the pieces of the puzzle together in their head.” 

All that experience has Acadia poised and ready to take advantage of the fact that Atlanta and the surrounding areas are still considered prime relocation markets. As companies move to Georgia, or relocate their employees, “those people want new homes,” says Gregg. “New homes are still far more affordable in Atlanta than in many other parts of the country. That makes Atlanta a magnet for relocations. And that,” he said, “is great for building new homes!”

The Right Product in the Right Location
Acadia currently has 15 communities, with new homes ranging from the $160’s to the low $500’s.  Their business model involves building homes that today’s home buyers want, in highly desirable locations, on building lots whose prices have been reset to match the New Economy. 

They understand that home buyers’ preferences and attitudes are different than five years ago.  And, even though the market is ripe with resales and foreclosures, Gregg believes that, “people prefer new to resale whenever possible”.

In 2011, Acadia closed on 51 homes.  They are on track to sell 166 new homes in 2012.  This success can be attributed to experience and the ability to give home buyers what they want.  “We have the know-how and the flexibility to put the right product in the right location.” says Gregg.

Acadia has positioned itself so that they are not a Semi-Custom Builder or a Semi-Production Builder. “We are a Market Based Builder,” said Gregg. “Some companies will turn down deals because they don’t have the right product to put on a particular lot. If we don’t have the right product line that will fit, we will develop it.”

An Integrated Building Process
Greg Villines, the Director of Purchasing and Estimating, has been busy implementing a new resource planning system for the company. It is clear to see that Greg is excited about the new program “that is totally integrated from sales to warranty,” he says. “Once the pricing has been established, Purchase Orders are created and we have total job costing.”  By not adding additional administrative costs, Acadia is able to offer more value to its customers.  This also prepares them to scale very quickly as they add new subdivisions.

We asked Greg what Acadia’s home buyers look for in their new homes. “They want options in tiles and flooring. They also like having allowances for lighting.”  Additionally, customers want options with regard to floor plans.  Acadia has such a large gallery of plans to choose from that their customers are able to find what they want fairly easily.

 

“As a builder, the foundation of the house has to be right. To make sure that our foundations are perfect, we use Herbert Construction Company.” —Gregg Goldenberg, President and CEO, Acadia Homes & Neighborhoods

The Right Trades
Acadia relies on their subcontractor Trades to adapt to the multiple house plans that they build.  They also need Trades that are comfortable building their houses that are in the $160s and all the way up to their houses in the $500s. 

Gregg Goldenberg says, “Herbert  Construction Company can quickly and efficiently build our simple foundations, and then easily take care of our very difficult foundations that are on challenging sites.”  He added, “Very few companies can do both, and do them well.”

Sean Morris, Builder at Acadia has utilized Herbert Construction for his basement foundations.  “Since we began using Herbert Construction Company, I no longer have to spend a lot of time on my foundations.  I am able to concentrate on other parts of my job.  They are absolutely fantastic.” 

Sean added, “I completely trust their judgment on basement wall heights and any suggestions that they make.  They have pointed out things that have saved me a lot of headaches down the road.”

Gregg Goldenberg says, “Herbert Construction is a very professional company.  I recommend them to anyone looking for a great foundation contractor.”

We enjoyed chatting with the folks at Acadia Homes & Neighborhoods.  We greatly appreciate their business and hope that 2012 proves to be a great year for them and the entire housing market.