A Builder Branches Out
12.01.06
Based in Millersville, Md., PCS Homes says it’s continuing a family tradition of building quality homes while staying ahead of market trends by diversifying its offerings and branching out into new areas. CEO Jim Thomasson Sr. and his sons Mark, Michael and Matthew Thomasson established the company in 1981. Five years later, another son, Jim Thomasson Jr., joined the company.
Today, Mark Thomasson serves as executive vice president of development, Michael Thomasson is senior executive vice president of land acquisition and financing, Matthew Thomasson is executive vice president of construction, and Jim Thomasson Jr. serves as president. Their sister, Cynthia L. Thomasson, joined the company in 1991 and is executive vice president of the purchasing department.
“[PCS Homes] is family owned and operated, and it has been since the get-go,” says Jim Thomasson Jr. “We pride ourselves in that.” The company has stayed close to its roots in Anne Arundel County, but has expanded to offer town homes, single-family and luxury custom homes in Maryland, Delaware and North Carolina.
“We wanted to diversify geographically,” Thomasson explains,” but we also wanted to stay in our core area.” Anne Arundel County encompasses communities in the Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Annapolis, Md., corridor, he adds.
Expanding its Offerings
Initially, the company offered town homes and affordable single-family homes for first-time buyers, with price points ranging from the $110,000s to the low $300,000s. “We have branched out lately and diversified into the luxury single-family market,” Thomasson says.
That’s because, as the housing market has slowed, the company has found the need to target move-up and luxury homebuyers in addition to its original target market. “The housing market has slowed, but there’s still strong demand,” he says. “Affordability is the key factor. It’s really kind of pushed [first-time buyers] out of our areas.
“That’s what has really limited the first-time homebuyer market for us, so we’ve had to kind of adapt to this marketplace and [move] into the luxury market.”
Today, PCS’s homes run the gamut from garage town homes to garden condominiums to luxury homes. “It all depends on the market and where you are,” Thomasson explains. “We start as low as the $110,000s and go up to over $1 million for our luxury homes.”
New Markets
PCS Homes recently developed a mixed community of garage town homes and twin homes in its newest market. “We started in the heart of Dover, [Del.],” he says. Clearview Meadow offers 300 homes starting in the low $200,000s.
“We’ve just opened that up and are just beginning sales,” Thomasson says. Eventually, single-family homes starting in the $260,000s will be added to the community. “That will be forthcoming,” he says.
In Easton, Md., located on the Eastern Shore, PCS just completed a community of 48 town homes known as Douglass Landing. “That is another community where we just had our models open last month,” Thomasson says.
The community features two-story town homes located near Easton’s historic downtown, he adds. Douglass Landing also offers a feature that’s becoming increasingly popular in many markets, Thomasson notes. “One of the unique features we have is a model that has a first-floor master bedroom,” he says.
“We’ve had a lot of interest in that. That type of layout has become more and more popular.”
Diversifying its Products
Along with expanding geographically and targeting new markets, the company has also grown organically. In 1995, PCS Homes added the PCS Commercial division to the company. “Again, it was for diversification,” Thomasson says. “We wanted to diversify the product type for our homebuilding operations and, again, wanted to stay in our own backyard.”
The commercial group got its start when PCS Homes decided it had outgrown its existing offices in Millersville. “We ended up building our own offices,” he says. “We were so successful that we found other opportunities close by that were similar in design and development.”
Since PCS Commercial was launched, the company has developed and owns more than 125,000 square feet of office and commercial space, Thomasson adds. “We’ve also done two hotels that we own and operate,” he notes. The Holiday Inn Express Annapolis Hotel is located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, while the Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites is in Delmar, Md.
PCS also offers residential rental, Thomasson notes. “Probably since the early ’80s, we’ve had rental town home properties,” he says, estimating the company maintains roughly 30 rental homes.
Standing Behind its Homes
As it continues to grow, Thomasson says, PCS Homes is maintaining its focus on quality. “We stand behind our products,” he says, noting the company has a zero-defect policy.
“When [buyers] are signing off on their final walk-through, that house is 100 percent complete,” he explains. “That’s very important to our customers.”
The company’s close relationship with its subcontractors helps it ensure quality, Thomasson adds. “We look at our subcontractors as partners, and we stress long-term relationships,” he says.
“What that enables us to do is to give us consistency and continuity in the quality of homes we build,” he says. “The end-result is a consistent quality and process and procedure. That helps us deliver the product in a timely fashion.”
Although PCS Homes has received numerous awards over the years – including recognition by the Home Builders Association of Raleigh and the Suburban Maryland Building Industry Association – it is most proud of the accolades it’s received from the Quality Builders Warranty Corp., the insurance company that provides its warranty service. The company has received the Award for Excellence in Quality Service, the Millennium Award for Excellence in Customer Service and the Golden Achievement Award for Excellence in Customer Service.
Since its inception, Thomasson says, PCS Homes has met all of the quality requirements outlined by the Quality Builders Warranty Corp. “Knock on wood, to date, we’ve had zero defects in our structural warranty,” he says. |
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