This week “on the blog” we are getting to know the builders of Viniterra.  First up is Rob Carter of Southern Traditions, a residential construction company founded in 2003 by Robert and Megan Carter.

Personal:

• Nearly 20 years experience in the construction industry
• BS in Building Construction from Virginia Tech
• Expertise in all aspects of residential building
• Married 22 years to Megan Carter
• Children are Clare (18), an aspiring writer at Virginia Tech, Katie (14), a freshman in the Center for the Arts at Henrico HS, Matthew (12) a 7th grader at Holman Middle who plays lacrosse and basketball.

1. .    You build homes in diverse neighborhoods throughout central Virginia.  What do you enjoy about building at Viniterra, specifically?   We love Viniterra because it is a convenient location to both Richmond and Williamsburg, and it is a truly unique neighborhood.    With the golf course and winery, it offers amenities that few other communities can match.    The large lot sizes accommodate many different home styles and some “elbow room” for its residents.

2. What is your most popular floor plan?  What do you think draws people to that plan?     The Rustic Refuge has been our most popular floorplan over the past 2 years.   We built this for the Homearama in RounTrey in 2015.    It has great curb appeal, a versatile floor plan that appeals to many different family profiles because of its first floor master, 3 additional bedrooms upstairs, open concept, vaulted family room and screen porch.  In total, it’s 3,200 square feet.  (See it here: http://www.southerntraditionshomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Rustic-Refuge.pdf)

3. Online reviews about Southern Traditions say you “take the stress out of building.”  How do you accomplish that?   We look at the building process as a partnership between Southern Traditions and our clients.    We really try to make the experience as enjoyable as possible.   We have a project manager on site every day so they know the job is being carefully monitored, and we have an experienced designer helping our clients coordinate all of the features that go into their homes.

4. What single experience best prepared you to become a builder?   I still feel like I learn something new every day, but I got a good start out of college.   I studied Building Construction at Virginia Tech, and they did a great job setting me up for a successful future in the building industry.

5. How are you “different” from your competitors?    I think we have a different business model from a lot of our competitors because we are willing to travel.   We have jobsites as far as 1 ½ hours outside of Richmond.    For a company as small as ours we have invested in the manpower to oversee these projects and make sure we can be successful working in a large geographical area.    We don’t have a large office space or decorator center.    I tell my clients that my office is their jobsite.

6. What professional accomplishment are you most proud of and why?   I was elected president of the Homebuilding Association of Richmond in 2013, and I’m also proud that we have built award winning show homes in the past five Homearamas in Richmond.   I feel like this has really helped to expand our company brand and make us more recognizable.

7. What do you want people to think of when they hear the name of your company?     A custom builder who prides themselves on quality, attention to detail, and making our clients happy.

8. When you’re not building, how do you like to spend your free time?   Spending time with my family.   We enjoy various watersports at Smith Mountain Lake near Roanoke during the summer.   We like to go skiing in the wintertime.   I also enjoy coaching my son in lacrosse and basketball.   I love going to the movies.

To learn more about Southern Traditions, visit their website: http://www.southerntraditionshomes.com