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Naples, Florida, U.S.A., Jan 23, 2008 - (Hugin via ABN Newswire) - NAPLES, Fla., Jan. 23, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- British natives Mark and Stephen Wilson have put the American homebuilding industry on notice by winning the prestigious America's Best Builder award. The award, presented by Builder Magazine, went to the brothers for their business success at Naples-Florida based London Bay Homes.
Mark Wilson graduated from the Manchester School of Business with a degree in Building Engineering and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA). After relocating to the United States Mark and Gemma Wilson founded London Bay Homes in Naples, Florida in 1990, where Mark now serves as the company's President.
Stephen Wilson attended Bristol University and earned his MBA from the London Business School. He was most recently with the Royal Bank of Scotland before relocating to the United States in 1999 to join London Bay Homes as its Chief Financial Officer.
London Bay Homes builds custom, semi-custom and intimate luxury neighborhoods, priced from $1 million to $10 million that reflect the charm of European Villages along the southwest Florida gulf coast.
The company's success stands in sharp contrast to the downward trend that has hit the American homebuilding industry. In 2006, London Bay Homes set company records for sales and posted $73 million in revenue, and in 2007 it narrowly missed setting another record with $67 million in revenue.
During this period of industry decline London Bay Homes has maintained its level of profitability and reduced its gearing - all in clear contrast to most large U.S. homebuilding companies. The company's decision to work with high net worth investors has enabled it to maintain its long-term investment focus. "We are in a very strong financial position and our affluent customers are still in the market for high end real estate," Mark said.
Stephen added that the favorable exchange rate between the British pound and American dollar has led other Brits to the company's doorstep. "We have historically done a good deal of business with customers from the United Kingdom and today, we are continuing to see a lot of interest in our high-end homes from British visitors," he said.
Brad Holbrook, one of the company's clients from the United Kingdom said, "We found the process with London Bay Homes to be unique because of the personal involvement and commitment of the entire staff," Holbrook said. "In many cases, their expectations of quality exceeded our own, and that made our experience extremely rewarding."
Builder Magazine Editor-in-Chief Denise Dersin said, "London Bay Homes embodies the exceptional management practices that have become a hallmark of this elite group of homebuilders. They possess a unique determination to create home designs that capture the imagination of their customers, while their passion for providing unsurpassed customer service has become one of their strongest cultural attributes," she said.
Since 1992, a total of 92 companies have earned the distinction as America's Best Builder. In 2007, London Bay Homes was one of only two companies that qualified for the award.
