Housing Giants - December 10, 2008 - (Page 24) f e at u r e Hear Jeff Rutt’s take on what the housing industry will look like in the next 10 years. construction waste on job sites — including drywall, scrap lumber and cardboard — and leaving it on the ground as a kind of mulch. “I learned that gypsum, a byproduct of drywall, has some value as a nutrient for the soil,” says Rutt. “That’s how we got our permit from the state Department of Environmental Protection. By cultivating [the drywall waste] back into the soil, the lawns will be greener, and we won’t be filling up landfills.” Regular Product Development Review (PDR) meetings gather people from various parts of the company to present ideas that either provide more value at the same cost or the same value at a lower cost. “It can be something as small as moving a door or changing the way we do our trim,” he says. “It might save $7 a house or $700 a house, but when you multiply that times 200 homes, it adds up.” Another big emphasis at Keystone is to make the home-buying experience less stressful for customers, particularly the selections process. About seven years ago, the company implemented a Webbased program called KeyChoices that 24 HOUSING GIANTS.12.10.08 Photography by Jeff Fusco www.HOUSINGGIANTS.cOm http://www.housinggiants.com
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