july2017

94 95 and we bid to those three or four subs per line code and nobody knows whether they’ve got the job or whether they haven’t,” he states. “They have to be ac- curate in their bidding and the takeoff on every job.” That devotion to tight business management is a hallmark of the company’s ethos and partially comes from having had to weather the shocks, just years after its founding, of both 9/11 and the Great Reces- sion, neither of which did much good for the luxury custom home market. “So, what we needed to ensure we built, was a solid company with good business principles, tight management, and tight control on expenses and how we did business,” Murray says. He also believes that since, lately, construction and general contracting has gotten “a bad name in a lot of circles, where it’s ‘twice as much money and three times as long as the guy says to begin with,’ he wants to make sure that his company does the opposite. “We want to be upfront, truthful, and correct in what we say, and do what we say. My office staff is excel- MURRAY HOMES REDEFINING STYLE At Contemporary Cabinets, our strength is in building a relationship with our clients while developing a product of exceptional quality. We believe that great service and outstanding quality are not expensive, they are priceless. Great design is the first step to beautifully hand-crafted cabinetry. Equally important is the use of premium materials and construction methods. Our capabilities are as expansive as our opportunities to express our client’s personal style in almost every way. www.contemporarycabinetssrq.com 941-486-8137 www.abbottsconstruction.com Marine Construction n Demolition n Septic Tank Installation & Repair n Site Preparation PREFERRED VENDORS n Window & Door Design Center www.wddcfl.com Demand has driven possibilities with customiza- tion in the home building industry. From classic to ultra-modern,Window & Door Design Center offers industry-leading architectural products to accentuate your style. Balance form and function with impact-re- sistant materials solutions including; Vinyl, Alumi- num, Fiberglass,Wood-Clad, Solid Wood, Stainless Steel and Solid Bronze. n Abbott’s Construction Services, Inc. www.abbottsconstruction.com n Contemporary Closets www.contemporaryclosets.com lent in what they do and how they run their jobs, the site guys, the subs, and the expecta- tions of the client.We differentiate ourselves in who we employ in terms of facilitating the build, the design, the customer service - the whole experience of construction.” Today, business is booming for Murray Homes. The only potential threat on the horizon, Murray says, is the possibility that the availability of raw land and/or buildable teardowns may dry up. “As a result, you have to look at the next location,” he muses. “So I think it’s possible there will be new markets in terms of distance from where we currently are now. I think the opportunity in providing a high-quality, small-scale subdivision–you see a lot of that in Naples, an enclave of high end houses – I think that is an opportunity.” Meanwhile, Murray’s immediate focus is to continue to foster the synergy between Murray Homes and Murray Realty. “I think the primary goal for me is the collaboration with Murray Realty, and taking advantage of the growth within the real estate side, which ul- timately has a very good knock-on effect with my construction side,” he says. “The busier we become with realty, the busier we naturally become with homes.” In the end, while location, location, location may still be important, Murray Homes proves that running a tight ship, creating a quality product, and providing top-notch customer service is still the best recipe for success.