 Overcoming Downturns, Kenar Celebrates 30 Years in Business SCHAUMBURG, IL, February 4 – Kenar Homes, a Schaumburg-based builder, announced today that it would soon reach the milestone of 30 years in business. It started out as a four-person firm with big ideas back in April 1978. Three decades later, Kenar can boast of being a “Top 50” Chicago homebuilder that has designed, constructed, and sold more than 6,000 homes in 30 different Chicago-area communities. That accomplishment seems especially noteworthy given the intensity of the current real estate downturn. How has Kenar maintained such apparent stability in the face of inevitable recessions—including the almost equally fierce 1990-92 downturn? “There are many reasons for our success, but I’d put company focus on the top of the list,” said Ken Struck, Kenar’s owner and founder. The company has concentrated on building in the Chicago suburbs, avoiding the temptation of ‘going national.’ “We didn’t want to venture into areas where business can sometimes be volatile. Chicago tends to be a stable market, and it’s been very good for us,” said Struck. Narrowing the focus still more, Kenar has mainly built on in-fill locations in well-established suburbs such as Crystal Lake, Glen Ellyn, Burr Ridge, Elgin, Woodridge, and Romeoville. These locations benefit from being close to schools, transportation, shopping, dining, and other infrastructure. “When times get a little tougher, the more exuberant, pioneering locations seem less appealing to people. Homebuyers are less inclined to want to spend the time and money to relocate somewhere new, on the edge of the metro area,” said Struck. “We put our communities in locations that people value yesterday, today, and tomorrow.” Struck also attributes Kenar’s success to a professional, highly seasoned staff. The company decentralizes power, giving project managers in each development full decision-making authority to serve, soothe, and satisfy homebuying customers. “You need highly responsible and experienced people to deliver that level of service, and we’ve had that here with employees that serve—on average—15 years,” said Struck. And what better way to satisfy customers than with a design center, where an expert consultant offers homebuyers ways to personalize and “finish” the interior design of their new purchases. Kenar was one of the first local builders to create a center dedicated to meeting people’s design tastes and needs. Kenar’s interior designer works with customers for several hours by appointment only, giving the new buyers a sense that they’re building a home that’s truly their own. Although Kenar vaunts a long tradition, the company doesn’t feel bound by it—the staff has been committed to using the latest and most advanced sales tools to reach and service customers. That has meant, first of all, the Internet and a well-regarded website (www.kenarhomes.com). And that also involved buyer referral programs that entice owners to recruit friends, family members, and colleagues to buy into their communities. Struck is honest about his company’s success. “The recent downturn has affected everyone in real estate. Last year, our sales were only half of what they were in 2006. However, we’re still doing extraordinarily well because we never lose our focus on building beautiful, high quality homes in locations people want to live. And we never lose confidence in the economically stabilizing power of home ownership, how people always go back to it regardless of short-term conditions. With this focus and confidence, we’ll be building great homes for another 30 years—at the very least” concluded Struck. For more information about Kenar Homes, call (847) 352-0100 or visit online at www.kenarhomes.com. ### *Prices and standard features subject to change. For updated information, please contact D&B Marketing at 630.782.8125 or mamedeo@thinkdandb.com
|
