Discover how Old Greenwich Builders crafts dream homes with unrivalled attention to detail
Based in Denver, Colorado, Old Greenwich Builders (Old Greenwich) is a highly respected and skilled residential construction firm, renowned for creating exceptional homes. By fostering an approach to construction based on collaboration and communication with clients to understand their goals, it delivers projects that exceed expectations. Combined with the team’s expertise, this approach results in the highest quality projects, carefully tailored to the exact needs and preferences of each client. Chris Withers, President, sheds light on the origins of Old Greenwich and its core operations.
“I founded Old Greenwich in January 1999, with a focus on high-end residential, new homes, and remodels for discerning, demanding customers. In fact, I made a
conscious decision to avoid commercial and spec projects. In 2003, I took on a business partner, Cress Carter, who holds an MBA and is well-versed in running businesses. Cress helped to create and construct the infrastructure of the company while I taught him how to be a competent builder, so our skills complemented each other very well. However, once he turned 65 a year and a half ago, Cress retired,” he begins.
“Cress and I explored many of the spec projects that were being built in Denver in 2004. We were surprised by how low the bar was, and we observed and quickly realized that we could deliver something significantly better. Given our strong reputation for the professionalism with which we run our business, we gained a lot of respect from our architect and design partners. Over the years, we have received numerous awards and accolades from various magazines, which we proudly displayed on our website. However, we recently decided to remove the list to streamline our website, a move inspired by the approach of the famous Seattle architecture firm Olson Kundig, whose website simply displays photographs of its work. We are currently working on the next update of the website which will add five new beautiful homes, including one that was awarded, ‘Home of the Year’ by Colorado Homes and Lifestyles magazine.
“Indeed, in our 25 years of business, we have completed approximately 300 projects, generating circa $250 million worth of business. This figure was achieved by staying faithful to our simple mantra: to consider a project a success, we must earn a reference from the client – otherwise, we view it as a failure. This way, our satisfied client base acts as our sales force, referring us to their friends and family. As a result, we don’t rely too much on advertising and are currently booked and busy for the next year and a half, with additional projects booked further down the line,” he goes on.
Exemplary service
What truly makes Old Greenwich stand out from the competition is the undivided attention each customer receives from its employees. “Despite being great builders, some of our competitors have as many as ten jobs in progress simultaneously, with only three supervisors spread out among them. This can result in clients not getting the attention and level of detail they deserve. In contrast, at Old Greenwich, we assign one dedicated supervisor to a project at a time. The attention to detail that results from this is complemented with a professional, cutting-edge computer system that enables us to always remain on top of our budgets and timelines. Since the creation of Old Greenwich, I have emphasized that providing clients with plenty of attention and ensuring our staff are always available is a vital part of our culture. By avoiding supervisors jumping from one project to another, clients receive the best service from employees who are dedicated to their project,” Chris explains.
As the conversation goes on, Chris shares a significant shift in Old Greenwich’s working culture that was triggered by the pandemic. “To handle the management tasks for each job, each employee has a dedicated workspace at their home and at their work site, which includes their computer, blueprints, and a printer. This somewhat unconventional way of managing with no office, per se, was initially implemented during the pandemic, when we decided to work remotely and close our physical office to limit the spread of the virus. Prior to that, we had a beautiful, 3000 square-foot office that was costing us a significant amount of money but was under-utilized. Moreover, my preference is for employees who are assigned to a specific on-site job to dedicate their full attention to the project, which is facilitated by working at the job site. It was not without trepidation that we made this transition to remote working but the result is happier, more productive people at Old Greenwich.
“Additionally, this setup has proven to be very cost-effective, as a small investment of $500 per printer for each of our seven employees, which is significantly cheaper than paying $7000 a month in rent for an office space we barely used,” he enlightens.
Superior products
Presently, Old Greenwich is working on a $26 million house with architect Alvarez-Morris, who Chris has known for around 20 years. “Alvarez-Morris was set to work on this project with another builder who would have charged the client significantly more money. Thus, Alvarez-Morris recommended us to the customer as an alternative because he believed we would deliver a superior product and likely use many of the same subcontractors as the other builder. Consequently, the client selected us for the project, which is expected to last three years. Currently, two of our supervisors are managing the job, which is in the framing stage. This project encompasses a 20,000 square foot, international style house, which is a specialty of Alvarez-Morris. Featuring extensive board-formed concrete walls and rich reclaimed wood siding, this property will be one of the nicest in Colorado when it is completed,” he ends.
Through Old Greenwich’s devotion to each client, countless more people are sure to benefit from exceptional homes tailored to their needs.