OAKBORO — A new development will begin construction in January and will be built by the 2020 builder of the year. True Homes, of Monroe, was named the 2020 Builder of the Year by Professional Builder Magazine and will be the builder of new homes in the Forest Creek development in Oakboro.
True Homes builds primarily in North Carolina and South Carolina with a focus on the I-85 and I-40 corridors. In 2020, the company closed 2,000 homes year and had revenue approaching $500 million, according to the magazine.
Stanly County will see the True Homes team in action in 2021 as the company was announced as the builder for the planned Forest Creek development in Oakboro. Joseph Burleson of Whitley Real Estate in Locust is the developer of the site, which will feature homes starting around $250,000.
“We congratulate True Homes on this national recognition,” said Burleson. “It’s not a surprise to anyone in real estate in this area that they are winning this type of award. We are excited to see their work in our community in 2021.”
Forest Creek will likely see its first home sales in spring 2021 after an initial group of lots will be released to True Homes in December. Burleson says he anticipates construction to begin in January and the total development to be 180 homes.
“The need for more homes and inventory is apparent to everyone in the real estate business in Stanly County, and I plan to fulfill that demand,” said Burleson. “We attribute this to the last several years of a great economy and also the wonderful news that the Charlotte Pipe and Foundry project is finally coming to fruition.”
Burleson also praised the Town of Oakboro for their assistance in getting the project underway and noted he is working on developments in western Stanly County and eastern Cabarrus County that will also begin in 2021.
Stanly County will see True Homes teams working in Oakboro in January. The company’s web site says it is focused on teams with character, competency and commitment. That culture has resulted in recognition for the business, as it was named one of the Charlotte area’s best places to work for the past four years by the Charlotte Observer and was named the number one place to work by Zippia in 2017. Professional Builder Magazine focused on the culture of True Homes, not just business size and sales volume, in making it the magazine’s 2020 selection as builder of the year.
True Homes was co-founded by Indiana natives Dan Horner and Mark Boyce in 2007. In one of the reports used to determine Pro Builder’s awards, Scott Sedam, president of TrueNorth Development, said, “True Homes’ leadership team is one of the most open, supportive, involved, and engaged we have found. Even in well-run companies, there is often a certain distance between senior leadership and those who do the day-to-day work of the company. We found no hint of that at True Homes.”
The success of True Homes comes during a time of uncertainty for many industries. However, 2020 was a growth year for the company with closings up 19% and revenue up 12%, according to the magazine. Horner and Boyce are no strangers to trying economic conditions as the company was founded in 2007 at the beginning of the Great Recession. In a press release, the company acknowledged the challenges of running a business in 2020 and credited their customer relationships and their employees for the recognition.
“It is especially meaningful that this recognition occurs in the year of 2020, when we have all faced the crucible of adversity,” said the company. “This as a milestone moment that we can all celebrate.”