Builder - September 2008 - (Page 9) V O L U M E 3 1 I S S U E 1 1 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 8 108 100 F E AT U R E S Fast Track 2008 For most builders, the industry’s current economic state makes survival seem like a lofty enough goal, to say nothing of growth. But the lesson that emerges from this year’s Fast Track report on the nation’s fastestgrowing builders is that both of those ends can result from the same means, namely, a willingness to adapt, thoughtful diversification, and creativity on all fronts. So while it may not seem like a good time to be focusing on anything beyond the next bank payment, these companies demonstrate that a change in direction may be the only way to avoid becoming a statistic. . . . . . . . .100 Off the Fence In an industry that seems to be at a standstill, the projects in this story prove that even in a market such as this, buyers are still out there—it’s just that it takes something extraordinary to get them down off the fence. These 10 projects gave customers the impetus to move, whether they were newlyweds wanting to buy a first home or empty-nesters in need of a good reason to uproot themselves. Whatever your target market, these projects offer some creative ideas to get buyers off the sidelines and into a new home. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 124 Hard Choices As builders look down the road ahead only to see increasingly eroding margins, unpaid debts and liens, and the looming specter of bankruptcy, it seems there is not a good option in sight. With pressure coming from all sides—from banks cutting credit lifelines to land not being worth the dirt it’s made of to ever-decreasing sales—many companies are left with no other choice than to shut their doors. Editorial director Boyce Thompson takes an in-depth look at the difficult conditions builders are facing and the ways they are attempting to respond. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Volume 31, number 11. BUILDER (IS SN 074 4 -1193; USP S 3 7 0-600) is published 14 times per year: monthly in Jan., Feb., May, June, July, Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., and Dec. and semimonthly in March and A pril by Hanley Wood, LLC, One T homas Circle, N.W., Suite 600, Washing ton, D.C. 20005, for the National A ssociation of Home Builder s and printed in the USA . Copyrig ht 2008 by Hanley Wood, LLC. A ll rig hts reser ved. Opinions ex pressed are those of the authors or persons quoted and not necessarily those of the N A HB. Reproduction in whole or in par t prohibited without writ ten authorization. Sing le-copy price: $12.00 (except House Plans issues, w hich are $12.95). Periodicals postage paid at Washing ton, D.C., and at additional mailing of fices. Pos tmas ter: Send address changes to BUILDER, P.O. Box 3532, Nor thbrook, IL 60065 -353 2. Member: Business Publications Audit, A merican Business Media. W W W.BUILDERONLINE.COM sep t e m ber 2 0 08 B U I LD E R ■ 9 http://WWW.BUILDERONLINE.COM
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