Ideal Homes Selected as Professional Builder's 2010 Builder of the Year
Madison, WI – December 11, 2009 — Ideal Homes of Norman, Oklahoma has been named
Professional Builder’s 2010 Builder of the Year for their energy efficient housing, finances, and dedication
to improvement.
Ideal Homes earned this honor from Professional Builder due to several business practices,
but their most distinguishing factor is their energy efficient homes that have been setting industry
standards for others to follow. They first differentiated themselves in the early 90s by installing
more efficient HVAC systems than what their competition was using, which then allowed them to market
their homes as being more energy efficient. By 1996, Ideal began adhering to Energy Star standards,
including construction of a Healthy House demonstration home, and their competitors had to follow along
with the more efficient products that consumers wanted. Ideal then took on the Department of Energy
Builders Challenge to construct one of the first Zero Energy Homes by a production builder for the entry-level
market, and this home was featured in the May 2006 Professional Builder. Currently, Ideal’s
homes are 36 percent below code-built homes for energy performance – twice as efficient as Energy Star
standards! As President of Sales Vernon McKown tells people, “We use energy efficiency to give customers
a logical reason to make an emotional decision.”
Being an industry leader required that Ideal become financially sound despite the market conditions
that have impacted every homebuilder. President of Development, Gene McKown, went into business with
his son Vernon and Vernon’s friend Todd Booze, and the three of them became equal partners in Ideal
Homes agreeing that none of them could hold any personal debt, whether it was credit card debt, car
loans or mortgages. They agreed to become very conservative with their loans, keeping leverage ratios
for the home building company at 2:1 and for the land company at 1:2; this allows them to have almost
no debt on land with a viable goal to have no debt on specs. Although their financially conservative
management may have constrained growth during the high times for homebuilding, it has largely accounted
for their continued success as the industry suffered.
Ideal’s efforts to constantly improve involve a focus on enriching their internal staff and slowing
the turnover rate. An 11-step hiring process was developed that utilizes each individual’s strengths
and personality, ultimately creating a more complete team. The goal of this is to retain their quality
employees and allow them to excel in their areas of expertise, while a company profit sharing plan was
also implemented. In late 2008, Ideal Homes began working with AVID Ratings to survey their homeowners
and provide reporting insight.
About Ideal Homes
Ideal Homes is an entry-level and first move-up builder in the Oklahoma City metro area consisting of
15 communities and five product lines ranging from 1,000 square feet to 3,250 square feet with prices
starting at $110,000 and going up to $320,000. They were named America’s Best Builder in 2007, and for
more than 15 years the U.S. Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, the American
Lung Association, and numerous third-party manufacturers and research groups have turned to Ideal Homes
to test the latest and most innovative building technologies. Since 1990, more than 6,000 families have
invested in an Ideal home.
About AVID Ratings
Founded in 1993, AVID Ratings is a full-service customer loyalty management firm, providing customer
loyalty research, organizational strategies, employee training, and proprietary solutions to the home
building industry. Serving over 220 companies throughout the United States and Canada, AVID maintains
the largest homebuyer survey database in the home building industry. AVID assesses homebuyers’ experiences
and then provides focused business solutions and training to improve referrals, margins, and long-term
customer loyalty.
For more information please contact Brian Nelson, Senior Client Service Manager, AVID Ratings, 608-824-2527
or email brian.nelson@avidratings.com.
