by Michele Newbern Gillis
Staff Writer
Keeping the lines of communication open has kept Sharon and Dick Browdy in love and in business for over 26 years.
Sharon and Dick own Browdy and Browdy Inc., which builds upscale custom homes.
They opened the company in 1976. She’s the president, he’s the vice president.
“Our niche, because we felt we had to find a niche to stay in business and to compete with the big guys, is that we do what other builders don’t do,” said Sharon. “Our niche is to involve ourselves as much or as little as the client wants us to. We will do it all or we’ll do a portion. We can take it from a blank sheet of paper all the way through, even to the point of decorating should they want us to.”
Sharon has more than 30 years of experience in color coordination and interior design and Dick has the same amount in the building industry.
“My husband and I are partners,” said Sharon. “My son, David Rinzler, is the construction supervisor and he has been with the company since its onset. He handles all of the construction and everything out in the field. One of the principles of the company is always talking or working with the homeowner.”
Rinzler is a state certified building contractor and is the real estate broker for Atlantic Coast Brokers, a separate real estate company which they use to sell property they own or some of houses they have built.
They live in Epping Forest and have three grown children and one grandchild.
When they are not working, they enjoy traveling.
“We love going to new places,” said Sharon. “Our favorite place we went was the Grand Canyon. We also enjoy going to New York because we love going to Broadway shows. We both love popular music and show tunes. We also enjoy attending the concerts here in Jacksonville.”
They have built homes in such communities as Mandarin Cove, Mandarin Hollow, Deerwood, Deercreek, Marsh Landing, Sawgrass Island, Epping Forest, Eagles Landing, Eagles Roost, Julington Hill and The Plantations at Ponte Vedra.
Sharon explained how custom home building really gets the creative juices flowing because each customer is different — therefore, each of the homes is different.
“You have to get inside the individual’s head to figure out what they want and need,” said Sharon. “You can conform the house to what the buyer wants.”
Rather, Dick said, than building a home and making the buyer conform to the house.
Separately, they had both met local developers Jimmy and Richard Jaffa, who helped them and others form their own companies.
Sharon’s was Sharon and Sons. Dick’s was Browdy Brothers.
Eventually, they met through the Jaffa affiliation and fell in love. After they were married, they merged the two companies and formed Browdy and Browdy (pronounced Brody.)
Sharon manages the business affairs and Dick, who once was president of the local builders’ association and currently chairs the Duval County Housing Finance Authority, helps the clients design the home.
They say it’s not a problem working together all day and then going home together at night.
“It’s not a job or a career, it’s a lifestyle,” said Sharon. “If we need to be here until 9 p.m. at night or spend a Sunday afternoon walking through a client’s home, then we do.”