ICI Homes, a regional builder with a national presence, has the mindset of a local builder in Jacksonville. That’s due in part to the company’s emphasis on customer satisfaction and insistence on excellence. It’s also due to the leadership of Division President Don Wilford.
Wilford is a third-generation builder and a longtime member of NEFBA. Not only has ICI distinguished itself as a homebuilder by being named in the top 100 builders nationwide by Builder Magazine, but Wilford has been recognized for his contribution to the community and the industry.
He was named mentor of the year by the State Attorney’s Office (2005) and was the recipient of the national mentor of the year award (2006) from the National Mentoring Partnership organization in Washington.
NEFBA honored Wilford with the Dick Baker Award for humanitarian and community service (2005) and as its member of the year in 2006. Wilford also received a gubernatorial appointment to the Construction Industry Licensing Board and served as its vice chairman.
Wilford serves on both the NEFBA and the Builders Care boards of directors.
With that level of involvement and contribution, Wilford speaks from experience and with authority about surviving the downturn and the role of NEFBA as a vehicle for a strong industry.
“NEFBA is a remarkable institution,” Wilford said. “We learned valuable lessons about survival from NEFBA — about how to stay alive and strong — over the last several years. In my 40 years in the business, I’ve worked in many other markets and with other home builders associations. NEFBA is by far the best.”
The motivation to become a Pinnacle builder was simply good business, according to Joseph Blanco, systems operations/purchasing manager for ICI’s North Florida Division.
“When we first made the determination to work toward this goal of having 90 percent of our subcontractors belong to NEFBA, our first challenge was to identify which of our subs were NEFBA members and which weren’t,” he said. “NEFBA’s membership director provided us with a list of our contractors who were members, and after a few months of contacting the ones who weren’t yet members, it was a matter of educating them on the benefits of membership.”
Now Blanco checks NEFBA’s Membership Directory and Buyers Guide as the first step in selecting contractors.
Sales Manager Lisa Sarraf said ICI is dealing with a welcomed challenge these days.
“We learned a lot during the downturn,” she said. “We learned to work better, smarter and with fewer people. Now that business is picking up steam, the challenge is to put what we’ve learned into practice and to pace our growth. With 2,400 units in Tamaya coming online, Nocatee and other large projects in progress, we see the Jacksonville area as having immense opportunity.”
Wilford sees this as a golden era of opportunity on several fronts, particularly young people searching for a career path and entrepreneurs with training and experience in the construction trades.
“The construction industry has suffered a larger-than-normal attrition rate among skilled workers and managers due to people leaving to find employment,” he said. “And, with the slowdown, young people were not entering trade programs so there’s now a six- to seven-year deficit. NEFBA’s apprentice program and the construction management program at the University of North Florida both offer stable, lucrative career opportunities in a business that is once again growing.”
Wilford credits NEFBA for the high standard of professionalism in Northeast Florida. During his tenure on the Construction Industry Licensing Board, Wilford said very few contractor violations were from Northeast Florida.
“NEFBA’s influence raised the standard of ethical, professional conduct in the industry in this area,” he said. “I believe that’s something NEFBA members and leadership can be proud of.”
NEFBA’s charitable programs, too, reflect its high standard of philanthropy and giving back to the community, Wilford said.
“Builders Care is a prime example of how we touch lives by helping eradicate substandard housing and restoring not just a dwelling but quality of life for those in need,” he said. “We also have our charitable foundation and other avenues for making a difference in Northeast Florida. NEFBA has a big heart, and our members reflect that individually and through the association.”
NEFBA’s Executive Director Corey Deal agrees.
“NEFBA has made a contribution to the quality of life in Northeast Florida through its members,” he said. “I believe members like Don Wilford and ICI Homes make this association the standard-setting, outreaching influence it is. Don is always willing to help above and beyond what is asked of him, and we salute him for being an outstanding contributor to this association and for his company’s support as a Pinnacle Award builder.”