Business View Magazine | Volume 8, Issue 7

37 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 8, ISSUE 7 ASHLAND CUSTOM HOMES remodeling during the downturn in 2007/2008, when nobody could sell their house or move, and the banks wouldn’t finance anything. At the time nobody could qualify, or houses just wouldn’t appraise. People weren’t moving around like they are now. During that time, out of necessity, we got into some remodeling. Now we like to keep a bit of that in our portfolio. It adds some diversity in our offerings.” Not wanting to compete with other contractors for smaller jobs, Ashland generally prefers to take on remodeling projects which are larger and more complex. COVID-19 has presented some interesting challenges to the day-to-day operations of the company, but the team has been able to keep moving forward and get the job done, although sometimes later than expected due to supply and labor delays. Webb admits, “Both the labor and the material streams have been pinched a little bit, and that has resulted in an increase in the overall time to construct. The one thing that I’ll say it has done for the good is that, in the as well, such as solar panels, insulation, and increased HVAC efficiency. Currently, Ashland Custom Homes is working in the new development of Stevens Grove in Matthews, North Carolina, just outside of Charlotte. Over the past four years they have built 14 unique custom homes in this community, but this isn’t always the way the company operates. Webb notes, “Outside of this neighborhood experience, it has been a mix of us finding the lots and marketing them and/or building on them, or people coming to us with their own lot. With Charlotte’s current housing market, there is also a fair amount of tear-down projects, where people buy an old house that’s on a beautiful lot, tear down the house and build a new home on it. Good lots are very hard to come by.” Several years ago, Ashland Custom Homes made the foray into high-end remodeling projects, a service they still offer. Webb recalls, “We got into