by Fred Seely, Editor
Whats the hardest part in starting a construction company?
"Figuring out what to name it," said Matt Roberts, at least half-seriously.
And yes, most new company owners would agree with that.
"We didn't want to use our names," said Roberts' partner, Chris Wood, "and we wanted something that would be remembered."
They finally settled on Riverside Homes "because you're always around a river in this part of the world," said Roberts.
That being out of the way, the pair plunged into the homebuilding business last summer and today have four homes going up, and one custom home under construction in Durbin Crossing.
The two worked for national companies and found a common bond: they each wanted to own his own company. So Roberts, 35, and Wood, 25, found a good place to start.
Wood's parents are Rick and Susie Wood, the Durbin Crossing developers, and Wood and Roberts wanted to open a construction company. They obviously didn't have to look far.
"We're right on the schedule we set up," said Roberts. "We worked hard on a business plan and things pretty much have fallen as we hoped."
Problems?
"The name," he said with a laugh. "More than that, we didn't realize how much time it could take to develop plans. There are a lot of variables when you're dealing with others. Architects, for instance."
Wood added, 'No one knew who Riverside Homes was. We had no clout."
Today, they have dibs on 96 lots in Durbin Crossing, the giant development in northern St. Johns County. They've just hired two workers and soon they'll have an office, rather than a post office box.
They have a model ready in Durbin Crossing called the Wheaton, a 5-bedroom, 4-bath house with around 3,500 square feet with a 3-car garage.