by Michael Bonts
Special To Realty-Builder Connection
Growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Michael Lenahen, president of Aurora Custom Homes, was fascinated by the homes being built in his neighborhood.
That curiosity, wanting to know the entire whys, hows and whats of residential construction sparked a very successful career.
“I wanted to know how do they do this. To know everything about building these wonderful homes. How do they solve problems in the construction process? This led me to study architecture,” recalls Lenahen, who resides in Sawgrass.
He attended Catholic University in Washington, D.C. with an undergraduate and Masters degree in architecture in 1978. Immediately following graduate school Lenahen entered the construction industry in the northeast as a superintendent for Ryan Homes, Inc., one of the top five homebuilders in the nation.
“I spent seven years developing my skills in all areas of single family and multifamily residential construction, including new home sales,” he said.
He was transferred to Florida in 1983 to oversee the company’s expansion into the Jacksonville market. Ryan eventually merged with another big builder and closed down operations in Florida to concentrate on other markets. Some closer to headquarters in Northern Virginia.
In the mid-1980s Lenahen’s career took another turn while working with SeaCoast Builders as vice president and construction manager for single-family homes in the Ponte Vedra Beach area. He then put his talent to work building custom homes in resort communities for the Stokes-Johnson Custom Homes in Marsh Landing, Deerwood and Amelia Island.
“This was a wonderful experience, but in 1990 I decided to concentrate in the high-end custom home market as the original founder and part-owner of Benchmark Homes of Ponte Vedra,” he said.
In developing a building firm from the ground up, Lenahen said he “assembled an experienced team of professionals, who could deliver a high-quality custom home to the marketplace.”
He also said he became very sensitive to the importance of listening to the client.
“As a result Benchmark Homes established itself as one of the leading custom home builders in the area,” said Lenahen. “I learned to assume nothing. The homebuyer would soon be the homeowner. You have to ask questions about their lifestyle and build accordingly.”
It has been almost eight years since Lenahen left Benchmark to form his own company. Based on low volume and individual attention to the client, his goal was to form a one-on-one relationship between the builder and customer, a bond that Lenahen felt was a too often missing ingredient in the relationship.It has been almost eight years since Lenahen left Benchmark for form his own company.
“The desire to build a strong relationship of comfort and trust with a builder of high integrity, proven experience and performance. We believe this is the hope of everyone seeking to build the home of their dreams,” said Lenahen. “This means getting involved as a builder before the design phase. It goes back to the listening to the client, understanding their lifestyle or needs in a home.”
He strived a creating a true custom building experience with Michael Lenahen Custom Homes, Inc. in the Plantation, Sawgrass and Beaches area. Known as a client advocate, Lenahen believes in getting involved early in the process.
“He truly believes in building homes where the person living there can say this home is me,” noted Bill Fitzgerald, one of Lenahen’s clients.
The evolution into Aurora Custom Homes in 1997 signified a long-term commitment to the value of individual customer satisfaction.The evolution into Aurora Custom Homes in 1997 signified a long-term commitment to the value of individual customer satisfaction.
Robert Kelly is construction superintendent for Aurora Custom Homes.
“Our mission is to raise the standard of customer satisfaction through the building process, to promote an enjoyable and interactive experience for our clients have the end result homes of un-compromised quality and elegance by our attention to even the smallest detail,” said Kelly.
The first step Lenahen takes with clients is to get a profile of their lifestyle. The profile allows him to build the home around the family. They strive to make the home flow around the people who will occupy it.
“We have no models. No specs. Through our personal involvement in each phase of a home’s development, combined with the efforts of our team of skilled craftsmen and professionals, we deliver exceptional quality beyond expectations,” said Lenahen.
(Michael Bonts is communications director for the Northeast Florida
Builders Association.)