BBN Vol. 29 No. 44
Brevard
Business
October 31, 2011
News
A Weekly Space Coast Business Magazine
Rick and Aimee Balda hone turnkey business for residential market By Ken Datzman INDIAN HARBOUR BEACH — As the design director for family business Balda Development & Construction, Aimee Balda approaches a project from a unique perspective using the skill set she honed years ago as a computer scientist. Those analytical and critical–thinking skills, and attention to detail, help her better visualize complex design solutions when working with her clients. She runs Balda Interiors, a full–service venture that caters to both the residential and commercial markets. But it is the residential–remodeling segment that is seeing surprising growth right now for her business. Renovation investment is one of the performers in today’s otherwise flat home–construction industry. “We do interior–design projects as small as a bathroom remodel to an entire addition on a home. The business is growing. We charge a flat–rate fee for our services and that seems to be really popular right now,” she said.
Balda is a computer science graduate of the University of Iowa and also holds an interior–design degree from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. Balda said she commuted from Brevard to South Florida to attend Art Institute classes on campus. She works alongside her husband, general contractor Rick Balda, president of Balda Development & Construction, a residential and commercial builder. “Working as a team in this industry, I believe we bring something unique to the table,” said Rick Balda, an electrical engineering graduate of Purdue University, also a graduate of Melbourne Central Catholic High School. “I handle everything that is ‘behind the walls’ and Aimee handles everything ‘in front of the walls.’ I think people find that attractive. And we are the two people who are on the job site ensuring the quality of the work being performed.” “We offer clients a turnkey solution,” she added. For Balda Development & Construction, Please see Balda Development, page 19
BBN photo — Adrienne B. Roth
Rick and Aimee Balda started Balda Development & Construction about four years ago in Indian Harbour Beach. They expanded with Balda Interiors, a full–service shop serving both residential and commercial customers. Their residential renovation business is experiencing solid growth. They are at the company’s headquarters.
Home–sale incentives, from cars to watercraft, work if price is right Home sellers around the country are sometimes eager enough to sell their property that they will offer buyers a car, a personal watercraft, or even a pet to sweeten the deal. Realtors say that while these enticements create buzz, buyers are more attracted by the right asking price than a gimmick. “We’re in a price war and a beauty contest,” says Tony Vehon, broker and owner of Weichert Realtors — Lake Realty
in Gold Canyon, Ariz. “Every home has to be priced right and look perfect. After that, a special incentive might drive traffic, especially if you offer something that grabs attention.” Vehon mentioned a client who made the home “move–in ready, selling it with new furniture, linens, and kitchen gadgets and even a car in the garage. The house sold, but the people who bought it didn’t actually want the car. They asked for a credit on the price instead.” Orhan Tolu, broker for Century 21 Realty Alliance in San Francisco, says buying new furniture for high–end listings or giving buyers a $2,000 gift card at an
interior design studio can attract attention. “To create some news, the sellers sometimes throw in a Mercedes or a boat if the home sits on waterfront property,” Tolu says. Martha Thorn, a sales agent with The Thorn Collection at Coldwell Banker
PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID BREVARD BUSINESS NEWS, INC.
By Michelle Lerner Scripps Howard Service
Residential Brokerage near Tampa, Fla., says sellers in her area have offered personal watercraft along with a property, and one offered a custom–made fishing cart to buyers. Please see Incentives, page 16
BBN
SPECIAL FOCUS
Balda Development & Construction Continued from page 1 home remodeling is pacing the company’s growth while the demand for new custom homes in the county has been lukewarm for the last couple of years. “We’re doing some serious renovation work right now,” said Rick Balda. “We are thankful that the remodeling part of our business, especially the design work, is really strong. It’s helping us adapt to the slowdown in the new home market. It’s not unusual for 10 or 12 contractors in the area to bid on one new home project.” The Baldas formed their company four years ago, after moving here from Denver, Colo. “I had the opportunity to work on a condominium project in Brevard and leave Denver,” said Rick Balda, who acted as the owners’ representative for the complex, which eventually was sold to another party. “Brevard is where we wanted to raise our family.” Their company started building custom homes in the county just as the market began “sliding south,” he said. But what grew out of their residential building arm has proven to be a catalyst for their company’s growth today, said Aimee Balda. Design services under Balda Interiors has expanded because of their growing number of customer referrals. “The calls we received from people inquiring about the various fabrics and products we used on the different buildings that we own, as well as our other projects in the community, kept coming into the office. The inquiries actually turned into house calls. So we decided to offer full design services and that’s been a great fit for our company,” she said. Their corporate office at 1924 S. Patrick Drive is an example of Balda Development & Construction’s renovation and design work. The two–story facility shines with quality features. Their company is also a certified green builder. Aimee Balda holds LEED accreditation through the U.S. Green Building Council, a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Aimee Balda is a LEED Accredited Professional. She earned the certification years ago when the Baldas designed and built their home. “We did it completely to green specifications. We received LEED Platinum certification on the house through USGBC, based on the
design and meeting various green–building requirements.” LEED Platinum is the highest USGBC rating for either a home or a commercial structure. The growing sustainable–building market supports a third of the design and construction work force in the U.S., according to a study released by McGraw–Hill Construction at the 2011 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Toronto. The event was held in early October. Green building typically costs more up front, but generally pays off over the long term in energy savings and maintenance, for example. “Right now, consumers are pretty budget conscious,” said Aimee Balda. “But we always mention it and explain the benefits of green building. If the customer isn’t interested, that’s fine.” While some design firms focus their efforts on home projects of sizable scope, Balda Interiors has carved a niche welcoming customers across a broad spectrum. “No number is too small for our firm. If a customer, for example, has $5,000 to spend on his or her home, I’m going to work to give them the biggest $5,000 ‘wow’ they can get for their buck.” She added, “I have a personal passion for designing. I’m not going to put my name on a finished product that doesn’t totally please the customer.” Aimee Balda says women physicians in the region make up about 60 percent of her design business. “They do not want to spend their weekends redoing part of their home. They want to enjoy time with their family.” Balda Interiors offers customers a virtual design service, too. “I’ve done work for people in New York and other areas of the country.” Aimee Balda first worked in the telecommunications business during some historic times for that industry. The technology market experienced a powerful growth cycle starting in the mid–1990s before imploding years later. Manufacturers’ inventory, including volumes of fiber–optical components, stacked up in warehouses around the U.S. and abroad. There were few buyers. She was part of a team in an engineering laboratory that tested telecommunications equipment. “Voice over Internet Protocol was really hot at the time. We were doing rollouts for customers such as AOL and NetZero,” Internet service providers. Aimee Balda was in charge of making sure those customers got online easily “because they were using our
Embry Ridfle Undergraduatepick and Graduate degree programs in up BBN Aviation, Aerospace, 9/26/11 Business, and Management page 6 SPACE COAST CAMPUS
equipment.” She said she worked for a number of different startup ventures during the technology boom. Her career in the field spanned 15 years. “It was exciting. I loved my job and learned a lot. But I’ve always had a desire to be involved in the design and construction fields, and I could see the career change coming.” Going to work every day at the engineering laboratory, Aimee Balda said she “always carried a copy of ‘Architectural Digest’ in my laptop bag.” Some women prefer diamonds and jewelry for their birthday gifts from their husband. When Rick Balda asked his wife about a recent birthday celebration, she had only one request — a trip to the Kohler Co. facility in Wisconsin. The 36,000–square–foot Kohler Design Center opened in 1985, in the city of Kohler, as a visitor–information center. Today, it’s a working product showroom resource for homeowners, designers, architects, and anyone interested in experiencing the latest kitchen and bath innovations. “It’s an awesome facility,” she said. “There is plenty to do there. We both spent my birthday there and had a great time.” The center attracts people from around the nation, to the tune of more than 160,000 consumers, builders, architects, and designers each year. The Baldas say kitchen renovation is one of their most popular requests from customers. “We are remaking a lot of kitchens right now,” said Aimee Balda. “Homeowners are investing in upgrades.” There’s a lot to be gained through remodeling besides increased functionality, new appliances, efficient systems, updated decor, or additional space. There’s also the increased value your home receives when you make improvements, according to the National Association of Remodeling Industry. Wisconsin isn’t the only trip the Baldas make to check out new products. They travel to a different country every year on vacation and while there talk to manufacturers and form relationships. “We scour the globe for products. As the market picks up in the future, I can see us getting more into merchandizing. It’s going to be exciting,” said Aimee Balda.
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