Page 4 - Ashton Woods Trail Blazers 2017

CEO CORNER BY KEN BALOGH
WE DON’T JUST OPEN DOORS.
WE KICK THEM DOWN TO CREATE POSSIBILITIES. The Year in Review
It gets harder every year to not sound like I’m bragging when I talk about what we’ve done, and this year is certainly no di erent. In a year when the industry struggled with rising costs and a shortage of labor, we continued to experience record growth. We launched a new brand, signi cantly grew our workforce and came together to help those in need in the aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. It was a year in which the hard work of our past paid o in the kinds of projects we were able to take on, the caliber of people we were able to hire and promote and the amount of recognition we received for building homes that continue to enable our sales growth and inspire homeowners. And if that weren’t enough, Builder and Developer magazine just announced that Ashton Woods was selected as Builder of the Year. If that sounds like a great year to you, it was.
You should all be proud because each and every one of you helped us to get here.
Starlight Shines Bright
Like the true trailblazers we are, whenever we set our minds on doing something, our company doesn’t go at it halfway. We hit the ground with both feet rst, and we never look back. That’s the way it’s been with Starlight Homes. Last year, we saw an opportunity to do something big in the rst-time homebuyer market. We launched a new brand that introduces the idea
of homeownership to people who never imagined they could own their own home, let alone a home with the level of design we o er. Starlight has so far exceeded our expectations. We now have 12 active communities with nearly 20 more in the pipeline. We’re helping a lot of people realize their dream
of nally owning a home, and that makes us all proud.
Coming Together After the Storm
As busy as we all were, we also found the time to help others in need. In the wake of the storms in Houston and Florida, we all came together to create a fund with a company match for our team members who sustained damage. It is just another example of how we see a challenge, and we meet it head on. And it’s also one of the reasons why, this year, we committed to partner with HomeAid® America, an organization that helps build new lives for homeless individuals and families. It’s why I joined their Board of Directors and why several
of our DPs are engaging our divisions in partnerships with local HomeAid chapters. A lot of companies contribute to charitable organizations. Teaming with HomeAid allows us to do real hands-on work where we help people directly in a very personal, meaningful way and make a real di erence in their lives. I’m excited for you all to have an opportunity to roll up your sleeves, have some fun with your teams,
and work with this inspiring organization.
Starlight is making the dream of home ownership a reality for families across the country
Ashton Woods Atlanta and Corporate teamed up for HomeAid Atlanta’s “Care Day” project