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 (pronounced Brody) Inc., a small building and construction company which builds upscale custom homes.
They opened the company in 1976. She’s the president, he’s the vice president.
They believe communication and being open about the business with each other is what has kept them going for so long.
“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.”
They will even work with the homeowner on placing furniture so the design ensures that everything fits.
Because they are such a small company, they are very hands on. Each person in the company has a special strength that is used to the company’s benefit.
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 recently brought on a new employee, Rob Hubbard, who is the project superintendent. He picks up where Rinzler leaves off and helps out in the field.
The company builds about 10-20 homes a year. Prices range from about $300,000 to $2 million. They build all over Duval and St. Johns County.
“What we primarily do is build on the homeowner’s property,” said Sharon. “Ordinarily what we do is the client will come to us and they are either in the process of purchasing a piece of property and would like our opinion whether they think this property is feasible to build on. We will give them our opinion and then take it from that ground zero all the way through.”
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.
Currently they are building in an oceanfront community, Sea Colony in St. Augustine.
“We have some property there, so we can do custom building and they can buy our piece of property there,” said Sharon.
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.
Both Sharon and Dick owned their own company prior to Browdy and Browdy, Inc. Separately, they had both met local developers Jimmy and Richard Jaffa, who helped them and others form their own companies.
Sharon called hers Sharon and Sons. Dick called his 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.
“We complement each other,” said Dick.
Sharon manages the business affairs and Dick helps the clients design the perfect home. They both deal with the clients, but in different capacities.
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.”
The company is also very involved in the Northeast Florida Builders Association.
Dick was president of the organization in 1985 and was named 2001 NEFBA Builder Member of the Year. He currently chairs the Duval County Housing Finance Authority.
They live in Epping Forest and have three grown children and one grandchild, Jake, who is 18 months old.
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.”