Business View Magazine - Mar 2024

dedication and thoughtfully nurtured relationships with interior designers and architects, Pell emerged as the primary contact for labor needs. This marked a pivotal moment that propelled Sky House towards brand creation, and the organization continued its upward trajectory. Until getting married two years ago, Pell worked 16- hour days, seven days a week, playing contractor by day, and office administrator by night. “Before that, Sky House was my primary concern. That is all I did because I enjoyed it. And, when the buck stops, and you are the only guy…” Pell, as head of production, sales supervisor, and qualifying consultant, recognizes having systems and checklists in place before hiring is important.“A hiring strategy ensures a recent employee promptly assumes the workload.” Still conducting the first Zoom consultations, project cost analyses, and scheduling crews, Pell now has the freedom to be the chief editor, creative director, and problem solver.“Everyone still calls with issues or complexities. I come up with quick solutions and the team oversees things from there,” explains Pell. As a board member and past president of the local home builder association, Pell studies trends. “In 2020, we expected the industry to slow down, but the opposite happened. Here, the economy is insulated from other markets.” Banner Elk flooded with people no longer working in brick-and-mortar offices. “Remote employees want to live in a beautiful place.” Personal timelines are another aspect dictating the trade. Clients plan retirement for decades and market or interest fluctuations do not deter them. DEVELOPMENT SPECS The average build cost is $1.8million and ranges from 3,500 to 5,000 square feet, with four bedrooms and four bathrooms. Generally, residences are vacation or retirement properties, so the plan facilitates the function. Lower-level walkouts become recreation rooms, family rooms, and garages. Clients desire luxurious ensuites in each bedroom, complete with full baths 56 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 11, ISSUE 03