NAPLES, Fla., Jan. 22, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- London Bay Homes, best known for its luxurious, custom-designed homes located along the gulf coast of Florida, has received the prestigious America's Best Builder Award for 2008 from Builder Magazine. The award recognizes builders from across the country who excel at all aspects of their business and establish practices that elevate the industry's performance.
President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Wilson said, "We have built London Bay Homes upon a solid foundation that's focused upon the customer and our promise to provide them with truly captivating home designs and the very best experience possible," he said.
Founded in 1990, Naples-based London Bay Homes is building its custom homes, priced from $1 million to $10 million, in some of the most exclusive communities along the Florida gulf coast in cities such as Sarasota, Bonita Springs, Naples and Marco Island.
During the last 16 years, 92 companies have earned the distinction as America's Best Builder. Previous winners have included such large national homebuilders as Toll Brothers, Pulte and Shea Homes.
The panel of judges is comprised of previous award winners, building industry consultants and other homebuilders who have distinguished themselves within the industry. Builders compete for the award in five size categories based on the number of homes sold. In 2008, the judges only selected two award winners, London Bay Homes and Drees Homes of Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky. In the sixteen years that the award has been given, only six other builders in the state of Florida have received the award.
Builder Magazine Editor-in-Chief Denise Dersin said that London Bay Homes distinguished itself among the judges in several critical areas. "London Bay Homes embodied the exceptional management practices that have become a hallmark of this elite group of homebuilders," she said. "They possess a unique determination to create home designs that capture the imagination of their customers, while their passion for providing unsurpassed customer service has become one of their strongest cultural attributes," she said.
Judges examine a builder's financial performance, the efficiency of its operating systems and management practices, its construction quality programs and processes for delivering superior customer service. In addition, the judges evaluate design innovation, the effectiveness and creativity of the builder's marketing programs and its history of community involvement and building industry service.
During the last two years, London Bay Homes has posted remarkable success in the face of the downward trend affecting most of the industry. In 2006 it set a company record for revenue ($73 million) and only narrowly missed breaking that record in 2007 with $67 million in revenue.
Wilson cites the company's strategic planning and decision-making as the source of its success. "I think we have weathered this downturn so well because we anticipated the need to broaden our product offering and pricing, as well as the need to expand geographically," Wilson said.