Business View Magazine May 2023

44 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 5 second half of 2023, only the ‘crafty’ builders that anticipated market conditions and those with a tested system in place that their clients can rely on can continue to turn healthy profits. For Level Craft Construction, an established and highly successful custom home renovation and new construction builder, based in Atlanta, navigating these unpredictable market conditions has been seamless. Continuing to lead the local market with top-tier projects, both completed and under its construction belt, Level Craft Construction has been able to pivot to changing housing conditions while relying on its loyal client base and impressive relationships with top local vendors and suppliers. “We have been growing and growing,” Virginia Van Lear, Owner of Level Craft Construction says. “ I started building in 1996 and we have had Level Craft since 2006 and in that amount of time we have changed and grown our business model, leading to the development of several different departments.” “Our bread and butter are custom home renovations and we do not do anything under about $400,000 which means they are full home remodels,” Van Lear outlines. “The next thing we do is custom home builds [which falls under the category of ] new construction. We also build out neighborhoods for investors and we are currently building out two neighborhoods with a third one going in soon,” she adds. Van Lear notes that the business also included a multi-family homes category built out for investors. “ These are mainly condominiums, townhomes, apartments, and duplexes.” She also relays that another key area of Level Craft’s business is its continued work on the commercial side. “We build out commercial spaces which include restaurants and [similar projects]. We have a lot going on,” Van Lear states. When asked how the company can keep up with so many diverse areas and multiple projects, Van Lear reflects, “We do all of it well. The reason is that we keep the same systems in place for everything. We rely on a lot of communication, we use a mobile app that has daily contact within our team and with our homeowners and our clients,” Van Lear also highlights that they built cost plus that enables them to bill only for the work that is done. “ We don’t bill for anything that we didn’t do. If you do it, you are going to charge for it.” This is an example, Van Lear outlines, of how the company is putting the client first and working on keeping strong relationships with its subs and clients. Van Lear is not a novice when it comes to starting and running her own company. Right out of college, armed with a Fine Arts degree, she started an art gallery at the age of 21. “I started an art gallery in a trendy little hip neighborhood in Atlanta and I did not like it. I had to be there all the time and there were a lot