SummerHill Homes
Poised for Growth and a Master at Creating Distinctive Bay Area Communities
By Nancy Bronstein
Award-winning home builder SummerHill Homes has been a master at creating distinctive new Bay Area communities from Marin County to the East Bay to Silicon Valley since 1976. While other home builders might struggle in one of the country's most challenging building markets, SummerHill Homes has thrived. A company known for attracting and retaining the building industry's top professionals, there is another component SummerHill executives point to when describing their distinguished business model.
SummerHill Homes' Joseph M. Head, President and CEO (right), and Scott Menard, COO, in front of Woodmark at University Park in downtown Palo Alto (Photo by Bruce Schneider)
"We build where we live," said President and CEO Joseph M. Head, who was recruited to SummerHill Homes in 1999. "We are an analytical group and a strong and dedicated team, but when we add in an experiential, intuitive level to the data research, a fine balance is achieved." The intuitive level comes from the company's intimate knowledge of its core market area. "Most of our executive team was born and raised right here in the Bay Area, and that, in my view, is what gives us our edge. When we have a discussion on the market, we are literally talking about the places where we grew up and where our children now go to school. It's that interactive element that makes us different."Committed to building exclusively in the immediate Bay Area, SummerHill begins by handpicking sites in select areas. The majority are under-utilized infill sites. "We chase the demand as infill builders," said Head. "Our job is to figure out how to make the transition from the current use of the site to the new use we envision. It's how we grow. It's how we locate residential opportunities."
Bella Monte, a small-lot detached community in San Jose, features homes up to approximately 2,241 square feet. (Photo courtesy of SummerHill Homes)
Set in the secluded Belmont Hills, Cambridge's distinctive townhome-style condominiums enjoy a perfect mid-peninsula location. (Photo courtesy of SummerHill Homes)
The process requires dedicated upfront planning and a clearly defined vision. "We spend time up front making sure the design has high impact - from inner-relationships with its neighbors to graceful aging of the building - so our homes will look as good in 5 or 10 years as they do when first built," said Scott Menard, SummerHill's COO. "Our communities are designed to stand on their own and blend seamlessly into their specific neighborhood settings."
Pierce Ranch presents magnificent executive-style, single-family homes that match its stunning setting in San Jose's lush Almaden Valley. (Photo courtesy of SummerHill Homes)
The formal living room, with dramatic volume ceiling overlooked by the second-story loft, is a memorable introduction to Pierce Ranch's Residence Two. (Photo courtesy of SummerHill Homes)
The company's project-based management model means that architectural and senior management time is heavily invested in each community's design. "Additionally, we spend a lot of time with our customers, making sure we're with them every step of the way during the sale, escrow and customer service processes," said Menard. The walk-through that is done before any new home is turned over to a home buyer covers every corner of the home with a detailed six-page checklist. "This aspect of our work is crucial," Menard continues. "It's why our buyers refer us to other friends and family over and over again." While sustainable building conversations become more prevalent, it's nice to note, SummerHill is a company that has built green with innovative style and distinction since green was just another color. "We're already there and have been for quite a while," said Menard. "We did it because we wanted to be responsible builders offering energy-efficient homes." SummerHill Homes has been Energy Star rated for years and expects to become officially green certified within 6 months. With their coveted reputation and rapidly expanding customer base, SummerHill Homes is now poised for growth. Over the next 3 years, they plan to deliver 250, 400 and 600 homes, respectively. This shift to expansion while other companies are lowering their housing production has come slowly, accompanied by long-range, meticulous planning.
An intimate knowledge of SummerHill Homes' core market area guides the executive team in all aspects of company operations. From left to right, front row: Scott A. Menard, Reyad M. Katwan, Sherry Jellin, Elaine Breeze, Steve Biller; back row: Adam Tennant, Jon N. Revells, Santos Alvarez, Tad Holland, Robert P. Hencken, Douglas L. McDonald, Mark P. Retherford, Dale Baker, Katia Kamangar, Joseph M. Head. (Photo by Bruce Schneider)
In an historic downtown Palo Alto neighborhood, Woodmark's luxury condominiums feature handsome, award-winning designs inspired by the surrounding homes. Woodmark is adjacent to Heritage Park, and downtown Palo Alto and Stanford University are just minutes away. (Photo courtesy of SummerHill Homes)
For the past few years, the firm has been systematically scoping out, analyzing and purchasing a patchwork quilt of well-situated properties throughout the Bay Area, including South San Francisco and Fremont, among other locales. "We're definitely in growth mode now," said Menard, "and we've been getting ready for this for quite a while. There's a desperate need for housing in the Bay Area, and we're ready to expand our geography a little bit. Areas we might have once thought out of our reach, like the Martinez to Concord corridor or Walnut Creek, will now play very well for us." Providing valued security to their growth plan, the firm already owns or controls all the land they're planning to build on in the immediate future. SummerHill, whose homes are distinguished by their rich character, dramatic architectural styling and exceptional attention to detail, continues to amass both national and regional awards for excellence in architecture and urban planning, including 13 coveted "Best in American Living" awards from the National Association of Home Builders, as well as 30 Gold Nugget Awards from the Pacific Coast Builders Conference. "We take great pride in what we build," said Head.
Bay Area-based SummerHill Homes has a national reputation for creating Communities of DistinctionSM for more than 30 years. Visit summerhillhomes.com, or call (800) 585-0085 for more information.
July 2007 Builder Architect Edition Issue
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