Divco Custom Homes – Business Focus

From beaches of white sand to the otherworldly Everglades, Southwest Florida is home to some of nature’s most remarkable landscapes. It makes the region a bucket list place to live in one of the fast-growing states in the USA. In some of Southwest Florida’s most desirable locations, such as Naples, Marco Island, Miromar Lakes, and Bonita Springs, residents are enjoying homes as awe-inspiring as their surroundings. Many of these creations are the handiwork of one of the area’s leading custom home builders – Divco Custom Homes.

Located in Naples, and in operation for over 40 years, Divco Custom Homes is a turnkey design-build firm focusing solely on luxury, custom, residential properties. The company has built over 1,500 homes in Southwest Florida throughout its history and specialises in flawlessly bringing its clients’ grandest visions to life.

From Concept to Completion

Working from concept to completion, Divco acts as the general contractor, architectural designer, interior designer, and builder of each project. This integrated design-build process is not only convenient for clients, but also acts to reduce costs and expedite delivery.

“At Divco, we start by developing a custom design for each client, without charging them, because we want to ascertain whether the project is feasible for their budget,” says Dave Chernin, Divco’s Executive Director of Design and Business Development. “Once we have a design, we can provide 3D renderings for clients to review and approve, before we send that off to our subcontractors to get a fixed price. If that price matches client expectations, we draft and complete a construction agreement.

“In the meantime,” Dave continues, “clients will meet our interior designer, as well as being appointed a liaison who can guide them through the construction process. Our Head of Construction, Ron Glace, oversees our superintendents in the field to make sure everything meets our requirements, and soon enough, the work is complete and we can hand over the keys.”

Consistently smooth, Divco’s design-build process is largely a result of the company’s commitment to forging strong relationships, both internally and externally. For Dave, Divco’s people-focused approach filters down from Owner & CEO Stephen Kauffman.

“Stephen is very involved in the day-to-day workings of the business, and we’ve had relationships with some of our subcontractors for over 25 years,” Dave reports. “Uniquely, in 40 years of operation, Steve has never been in litigation, which is very rare in this industry and something that brings us great pride.

“It’s our relationship-driven approach that has facilitated this achievement,” Dave adds. “Relationships are very important to us. Many of our clients have embarked upon multiple custom projects with us and we view them more like family and friends than customers.”

Something Miraculous

Working alongside Dave, Divco boasts a team of highly skilled professionals with diverse capabilities. To complement its workforce, the company makes use of the latest technology and has recently embraced the benefits of 3D architectural visualization. Overseen by Senior Designer and Visualization Specialist Santiago Cajiao, the technology offers clients the ability to virtually walk their prospective home before a shovel hits the ground.

“It’s a really captivating, hyper-realistic way to showcase a design,” Dave declares. “When you design a home, you start with initial plans on paper, but as soon as you transfer it to 3D, something miraculous happens.

“With the help of visualization technology, prospective clients can even visit our website and take a 3D walking tour of a flagship design model I have created called The Poseidon. It really is the best tool for generating excitement.”

Though Dave has designed mixed-use projects, resorts, churches, and office buildings in his career, he particularly enjoys the more personal and creative practice of designing homes. However, despite Dave’s substantial expertise, he is quick to credit every Divco design as a collaboration.

“Divco homes have a quick turnaround, so you can do several projects a year, but each one is a pretty intimate experience,” Dave explains. “We work very closely with our clients, and they are an active part of the design process. When they walk around the property after completion, clients are reminded of all the decisions they made in creating this place they now get to call home.”

A Natural Solutions Provider

Among Divco’s ambitious recent projects are a modern development in Pine Ridge and three-storey properties in Miromar Lakes and Fort Myers. In all cases, Dave is pleased to see clients embracing the full and expansive power of Divco’s capabilities.

“Recent projects we’ve worked on have been a lot of fun,” Dave remarks. “Our Enzo model, for example, has many distinctive design features, including a pool on the second floor with a cascading infinity edge.

“Around 15 years ago, we found that a lot of people were set on Spanish Revival architecture, but that’s all changed. Our clients are comfortable exploring designs outside their comfort zone and embracing the kind of modern architecture that Divco excels in.”

Divco’s reliable, integrated approach to business has been greatly beneficial to the company in overcoming challenges of late. The fact that uncertainty over interest rates and various geopolitical concerns have only had a minor impact on the business is evidence of its resilience, but also its innate ability to solve problems.

As a custom home builder, Divco is a natural solutions provider, capable of navigating both client demands and external forces with equal dexterity. It is, for this reason, that the company will remain committed to its successful core concept whatever the future holds.

“Divco has been performing at a high level for 40 years now,” Dave concludes. “The company is a proven success, so we just need to keep doing what we’re doing.”