published: Friday, July 03, 2009

Pep Talk

Lennar appoints Parker Vice President of Sales in Orlando

CLERMONT -- Lennar's Central Florida Division, which builds new single-family homes and town homes in 31 Lennar communities in Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando, Polk, Osceola, Orange, Lake, Seminole and Brevard counties, has appointed David Parker vice president of sales in Orlando.

Mark Metheny, president of Lennar's Central Florida Division, said the University of South Florida graduate joined Lennar five years ago as a construction manager. "Dave Parker is an energetic and innovative sales manager who plays a big role in Lennar's growth in the Orlando area," Metheny said.

Lennar builds homes in 14 Orlando-area communities.

For more information call 888 317-7489.

Architects to design interiors at Village Crossroads Retail Center in Lady Lake

LADY LAKE -- Cuhaci & Peterson Architects LLC, based in Orlando's Baldwin Park, and designs more than a million square feet of retail space annually throughout the U.S., was recently awarded a contract to design retail interiors at the Village Crossroads retail center in Lady Lake.

Lonnie Peterson, chairman of Cuhaci & Peterson Architects LLC, said the interior design projects include the Irish Café, with 2,300 square feet of space, and a Gold-In-Art jewelry store with 1,700 square feet.

For more information call 407 661-9100.

HCR appoints Nicholas Vitani

MOUNT DORA -- Handex Consulting and Remediation, SE, LLC (HCR), which ranks as the one of the leading specialists in environmental cleanup and remediation projects in the Southeast and Northeast, has appointed Nicholas Vitani, P.G., senior project manager in its Mount Dora office.

Irvin R. Heath, president of HCR, said Vitani has more than 22 years of extensive experience as a consultant specializing in petroleum, industrial, and hazardous waste, environmental assessment, remediation, emergency response, and financial management, including the resolution of right-of-way issues, and other critical activities.

Prior to joining HCR, Vitani was employed by PBS&J as an environmental consultant responsible for management of the Florida Turnpike Enterprise statewide hazardous materials response contract, and has directed numerous emergency response and cleanup actions for the Turnpike, Heath said.

Vitani earned his B.S. and M.S. Degrees in Geology from Baylor University in Texas. "Nicholas is an experienced Geologist with an excellent background and broad set of specialized skills," Heath said. "We expect him to play a major role in our continued growth in Central Florida," he added.

For more information call 352-735-1800 ext. 127.

About HCR:

HCR is headquartered in Mount Dora with offices in Tallahassee, Tampa, Delray, Fla. and in central New Jersey. HCR has over 120 employees serving clients that range from state environmental protection agencies, industrial and commercial firms to some of the largest U.S. major and independent oil corporations and convenience store operators. Due to potential stimulus project work, HCR is also focused on providing services to the transportation and construction business sectors. As HCR's record shows, the company can perform all environmental component work.

Centex Homes' Sullivan Ranch named the largest new residential development in Lake County

MOUNT DORA -- Sullivan Ranch, Centex Homes' unique "country-close" community spread over 300 acres of rolling hills and oak hammocks east of U.S. 441 and south of S.R. 46 on Round Lake Road in Mount Dora, was recently named the largest residential development in Lake County by an Orlando trade magazine.

Carol-Ann Barody, director of operational marketing for Centex Homes in Florida, said Sullivan Ranch features paired villa homes priced from the $140s and three, four and five-bedroom single-family homes priced from the $170s.

Barody said two model villa homes and four single-family model homes are open daily at Sullivan Ranch.

The gated Sullivan Ranch community features a community clubhouse with swimming pool, jogging and walking trails, dog park and a large playground with interactive water feature, Barody said.

For more information call 407 661-1416.

U.S. Department of Labor sues defunct Tampa, construction company to protect participants' 401(k) assets

TAMPA -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) has sued Blanchette Construction and its owners to restore assets to the former company's 401(k) plan.

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, the lawsuit alleges that the defendants violated provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) when they withheld employees' contributions to the plan but failed to forward the funds to the plan. The suit alleges that the defendants commingled those funds with the general assets of the company.

The Labor Department suit seeks a court order to require that Stephen Blanchette and Anita Blanchette restore all losses, including interest or lost opportunity costs, and that the defendants be permanently barred from serving as fiduciaries in the future to any employee benefit plan subject to ERISA. In addition, the suit asks the court to appoint an independent fiduciary to distribute the proceeds of the plan to eligible participants and terminate the plan.

"Workers have a right to expect that their retirement contributions are being handled for their best interest by their employers, and when employers break that trust, the Labor Department must step in to protect workers' legal rights," said R.C. Marshall, regional director for EBSA in Atlanta, Ga.

Blanchette Construction operated in the Tampa area until it closed in 2006.

Employers with similar problems who are not yet subjects of EBSA investigations may be eligible to participate in the department's Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program. Participation requires employers to make workers whole but allows them to avoid EBSA enforcement actions and civil penalties as well as any applicable excise taxes.

In fiscal year 2008, EBSA achieved monetary results of $1.2 billion related to pension, 401(k), health and other benefits for millions of American workers and their families. Employers and workers can reach EBSA's Atlanta Regional Office at 404 302-3900 or toll-free at 866 444-3272 for help with problems relating to the private sector retirement and health plans. For more information, visit www.dol.gov/ebsa.

SBA's Patriot Express Loan Initiative delivers $315 million to 3,750 vets, military community

WASHINGTON -- In just two year's time, the U.S. Small Business Administration's Patriot Express Pilot Loan Initiative has supported more than $315 million in loans to more than 3,750 veterans and their spouses who are using the SBA-guaranteed funds to establish and expand their small businesses. As a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which raised loan guarantees to 90 percent, and eliminated fees temporarily, the number of Patriot Express loans increased to record levels in April and May of 2009.

Patriot Express, launched June 28, 2007, builds on the more than $1 billion in loans SBA guarantees annually for veteran-owned businesses, and the counseling assistance and procurement support it provides each year to more than 200,000 veterans, service-disabled veterans and Reserve members.

"This commitment to more than 25 million veterans across the country, and the thousands returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is something we at SBA take seriously," SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills said. "The Patriot Express initiative, in conjunction with other SBA programs, goes directly to the needs of our veterans who want to start, or already have their own businesses. This critical access to capital helps them grow their businesses and create good paying jobs in their communities."

Patriot Express is a streamlined loan product based on the agency's highly successful SBA Express Program, but with an enhanced guaranty and interest rate. The Patriot Express loan is offered by SBA's network of participating lenders nationwide and features one of SBA's fastest turnaround times for loan approvals. Loans are available up to $500,000 and qualify for SBA's maximum guaranty of up to 90 percent.

The Patriot Express loan can be used for most business purposes, including start-up, expansion, equipment purchases, working capital, inventory or business-occupied real-estate purchases. Local SBA district offices will have a listing of Patriot Express lenders in their areas. Details on the initiative can be found at www.sba.gov/patriotexpress.

Interest rate maximums for Patriot Express loans are the same as those for regular 7(a) loans: a maximum of Prime + 2.25 percent for maturities under seven years; Prime + 2.75 percent for seven years or more. Interest rates can be higher by two percent for loans of $25,000 or less; and one percent for loans between $25,000 and $50,000.

Patriot Express is available to military community members including veterans, service-disabled veterans, active-duty service members participating in the military's Transition Assistance Program, Reservists and National Guard members, current spouses of any of the above, and the widowed spouse of a service member or veteran who died during service, or of a service-connected disability.

Patriot Express loans have been approved in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam and generally range from $5,000 to $375,000 in individual loan amounts. The average loan amount is almost $85,000. Nearly 15 percent of those loans have gone to military spouses. After loan applications are approved by the bank, they are submitted to SBA for approval. Most applications are approved by SBA within 24 hours.

SBA has veterans' business development officers in district offices in every state and territory able to provide military community members full access to the SBA's range of programs and services. There are also eight Veterans Business Outreach Centers located in: Albany, N.Y; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Lynn Haven, Fla.; Edinburg, Texas; Sacramento, Calif.; St. Louis, Mo.; Boston, Mass.; and Flint, Mich.

In addition to district offices, SBA's resource partners SCORE, Counselors to America's Small Business, Small Business Development Centers, and Women's Business Centers provide local and online assistance with: writing a business plan, financing options to start or grow your business, managing the business, expanding the business and selling goods and services to the government.

For those who are already small business owners and who expect call-up, the SBA and its resource partners have expertise to assist with preparing their businesses before deployment, managing their businesses, selling goods and services to the government, obtaining other SBA financing and financial assistance, and obtaining loans for economic injury, Military Reserve Economic Injury Disaster Loans (MREIDL), loans of up to $2 million are available for small businesses sustaining economic injury because an owner or essential employee has been called to active duty as a military reservist.

The SBA and its Office of Veterans Business Development (OVBD) provides comprehensive assistance, outreach and support to veterans. Each year the SBA assists more than 200,000 veterans, service-disabled veterans and reservists. Visit www.sba.gov/vets for more information.

HUD to offer housing assitance to 4,000 Americans with Disabilities

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has joined President Obama's in his commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the Supreme Court's Olmstead decision by announcing that it will offer rental assistance to 4,000 non-elderly families with disabilities, including 1,000 vouchers specifically targeted to those transitioning out of nursing homes and other care facilities. Through its funding notice, HUD is seeking comment from public housing authorities and others to ensure this critically needed assistance is distributed and administered in the most effective manner possible.

The announcement coincides with the tenth anniversary of the Supreme Court's ruling in Olmstead v. L.C. & E.W. which affirmed the rights of individuals with disabilities to live independently. To commemorate this landmark decision, President Obama declared 2009 the Year of Community Living.

"As individuals with disabilities leave institutional care, it is essential that they have housing options that will allow them to live independently," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. "As we prepare to launch this initiative, we also want to make certain that we get input from local housing experts, disability rights advocates and others who can help us target this assistance to those who need it most. We also recognize how important it is for HUD and HHS to coordinate our resources to enable community-living for those individuals that live with disabilities."

HUD's Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) will make $30 million in voucher assistance available to support approximately 4,000 Housing Choice Vouchers for non-elderly disabled families. HUD is making a 1,000 of those vouchers available specifically for individuals transitioning out of nursing homes and other institutions. These vouchers directly support a $1.75 billion initiative of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to help persons who reside in health care settings move to community-based living. While HHS' Money Follows the Person (MFP) program offers health care, case management and other services to qualified families, it does not include funding for housing. HUD's funding initiative is designed to fill that gap.

The remaining 3,000 Housing Choice Vouchers are available to assist any non-elderly disabled family. The Department is encouraging local housing authorities to give strong consideration to using some or all of these vouchers to provide housing for those non-elderly persons that are living in the community, but are at-risk for institutionalization.

Visit www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov for more information.

Get ready for the turnaround; now is the time to rebrand

Leading brands understand that trust is the key to ongoing success. They make brand promises that directly connect with their target markets and cultivate relationships by identifying what is most important and relevant to those groups of people.

Once this is established, the brand focuses all of its energy on fulfilling those promises.

Weak brands are unsure of what to promise. Because they are confused, they confuse the marketplace and their target audience. Brands that do not have a clearly defined promise are forced to live in a world of reaction instead of leadership.

What does your brand promise?

If you want to be ready when the market turns, answering this question would be a good place to start.

The Brand Promise - Seek Unique

In March, Builder magazine identified the top five U.S. builders from 2008 as D.R. Horton, Pulte Homes, Centex Homes, Lennar and KB Home. A month later, Pulte acquired Centex to become the largest U.S. home builder, further consolidating the market.

In regards to branding, how well do you think consumers understand the differences between the leading builders in the country? What brand promises distinguish any one of these builders from the others?

Now switch gears, pun intended, and compare the brand promises of Mercedes Benz, BMW, General Motors and Ford.

Mercedes focuses on its German engineering. BMW calls itself "The Ultimate Driving Machine." In comparison, GM and Ford both lack a clear and distinct promise of what their customers should expect from those brands.

Next, let's assume the average new home sells for $250,000 and the average new car sells for $25,000. It seems logical that the larger purchase -- by more than 10 times -- should make a deeper, longer-lasting impression on the buyers, right?

In reality, the opposite is true. Many home buyers can't remember who built their home two years after purchasing it, but they sure know what kind of car they're driving.

The demand for differentiation has never been higher. Our brains are hard wired to seek the unique and to define and recognize distinctions. It's a basic survival skill imbedded in our DNA.

When we are unable to distinguish and identify differences, we become confused, frustrated and potentially fearful and trust is reduced.

As you prepare for a more vibrant market, now is the ideal time to concentrate on developing a brand promise based on differentiation. Take advantage of a slow market to revisit what you are all about. What do you stand for? What is it that lives deep in your gut that continually motivates you?

Begin by answering three essential questions:

-- Who are you?

-- What do you do?

-- Why does it matter?

The answers to these three simple questions are very important for your business. Once you have a clearly defined response to each of these questions, you'll be well on your way to articulating a differentiating brand promise. To help you, here are a few of my favorites:

-- "Think Different" (Apple)

-- "Expect More. Pay Less" (Target)

-- "Just Do It" (Nike)

The Power of Design -- Design Creates Desire

Differentiation doesn't stop with a brand promise, it begins there.

Once you have a strong brand promise, it's time to give it creative life. That's where the power of design comes in. Design is the key to leveraging the brand promise into unique experiences and associations.

The reality is that design manifests itself in every aspect of the home building industry, from exterior architecture, interior design, merchandising, signage and all levels of visual communication, its contribution to the success and profitability of a company is beyond debate.

The home building industry can learn a lot from leading brands like Apple and Target. These brands recognize that in order to sustain and grow market share, they must add value and differentiate themselves, and they are doing it through superior design. For these companies, design has become a critical strategic and tactical weapon. At the same time, it also plays a crucial role in reducing costs by producing things with fewer parts and creating greater efficiency.

Design offers one of the most powerful strategies for breaking through the commoditization logjam. Design creates desire. Consumers may not know what they want, but they know it when they see it. That's the power of design. It produces an immediate, emotional reaction to visual imagery, and it motivates action.

Design is the ultimate tool that a company has to have in order to be competitive in today's marketplace. At the end of the day, design is about creating better experiences for people. The most important byproduct of producing better experiences should be better profits, as well.

As the home building industry continues to evolve and adapt to new challenges, watch for the design leaders to become the next market leaders.

Preparing Branding for 2010 and Beyond

Halfway through 2009, it is worth going back to branding basics now in preparation for the eventual market turnaround that is now coming into focus. When buyers finally come out of hibernation, you will need to help them understand what makes your company different and what makes it better.

Differentiate and guide your brand with an authentic brand promise. Create desire and sustain your brand with the power of design. By establishing this trust and style now, you could help make your company even more successful than ever before.

David Miles is president of Miles Strategic DNA, a real estate branding company based in Denver. Named as one of the 50 most influential people in the home building industry by Builder magazine in 2004 and 2006, Miles has earned numerous local, state, national and international creative awards, including 86 gold awards and more than 400 silver awards from The Nationals, National Association of Home Builders's (NAHB) annual sales and marketing awards program. He is a frequent speaker at NAHB conferences and for the Urban Land Institute, the Seaside Institute and PCBC. For more information, e-mail Miles, contact him at 303 586-6709 or visit his Web site at www.milesdna.com or NAHB.org.