Number five - Editor's Page

Custom Home, Jan-Feb, 2004 by Leslie Ensor

It's an elite group--so far only five builders have been named CUSTOM HOME'S Custom Builder of the Year, our annual profile of one of the industry's top performers. You may have wondered how they were chosen.

The editors meet and talk with many, many custom builders throughout the year, and we are always on the lookout for builders who dazzle us with the quality of their houses and the success of their businesses. I can't say that we have a formula for choosing which will become the Custom Builder of the Year, but the choice is based on some basic criteria and some journalistic gut feelings.

First the basics: The designee must have a first-rate reputation for building good houses and good client relationships. This is a builder who dominates his slice of the market; the one to beat if you're competing in that niche. He (or she) has got both craft and production procedures well in hand. He's not only strong in the field, though. His is a well-honed business, with a professional approach to systems and policies. He's a team builder whose employees understand the company's goals and contribute to reaching them. And he's a coach, a leader who helps his employees develop their talents and achieve their own goals.

This year's Custom Builder of the Year, Terry Wardell, easily met our basics test. He stands out not only for what he has made of his company, but also because he is continually trying to make it better. Terry's search for excellence in all areas of his business and his willingness to seek out and take on challenges when he could have just as easily coasted is custom building at its best.

Terry's is also a very good story, the kind of success story we think sets a standard for the industry. It's one that established builders can identify with, younger builders can gain inspiration from, and everyone can learn from. Here's the Cliffs Notes version: A young guy with a gift for carpentry and a great personality gets hooked on building houses and 35 years later finds himself the owner of a multimillion-dollar business. OK, so I've left out a few details, and the story is definitely in the details. But you can find them in our 2004 Custom Builder of the Year feature, written by senior editor Bruce Snider, that starts on page 76.