OWENS CUSTOM HOMES From his home base of Jay, Florida, Shon Owens of Owens Custom Homes & Construction. Inc. has spent the last 20 years developing a sterling reputation as a home builder – one satisfied customer at a time. A low volume of homes under construction at any given time ensures the company’s ability to provide white glove treatment to its clients. Owens Custom Homes has also maintained long-term relationships with the majority of its subcontractor base, allowing the builder to produce at a higher level of quality. While he deserves a lion’s share of the credit for starting his business and setting the standards for its success, Shon is quick to credit his grandparents for their influence on him. Louise and Fadiel Pittman opened Pittman Building Supply in the 1950s, and the family business is still in operation today. Shon has owned and operated Pittman Building Supply in Jay since 2009. A graduate of Jay High School, Shon was just 25 years old when he built his first house while working as an estimator at Pittman Building Supply at the Pace location. Not too long after, he launched his own company and vowed from Day 1 to hire the best people available.
“You are only as good as the people who work with you,” says Shon. He takes great pride in the fact that his lifelong friend, Cary Upton, serves as the company’s Lead Superintendent and Field Manager of Junior Superintendents – Travis Gunn and Will Seib – who are already highly invested in the company’s way of doing business and its future. Shon knows all too well that inthe-field construction activities rely heavily on a strong in-house operation which is why he places a high premium on the work of his Office/Business Manager Jeanne Brown, Customer Support Specialist Angel Nowling, Estimators Carlton Henderson and Jerrold WareEhlers, and Lender Liaison/AP Professional Denise Nolen. “You know, when COVID hit in 2019, a lot of companies started cutting back on employees and reevaluating how to do business in the new climate,” says Shon. “We knew it was going to take more people to keep up with the changes in the way we ordered and accessed materials. So, we hired some additional highly
qualified people to join our team and stayed ahead of the game.”
and creates jobs, and fuels our economy,” says Shon.
You should know that Shon Owens the builder is the same Shon Owens who serves as the Mayor of Jay. “I am a community-driven person,” says Shon. “So, whether I’m building homes or working with my fellow City Council members to secure funding for infrastructure or even a new recreational park for the citizens of Jay, I feel my mission is helping people.”
By the same token, Shon the builder and Shon the elected official each know the value of staying ahead of the infrastructure needs of a growing community, particularly in the school system, which is welcoming 100 new students this year – a whopping 20 percent increase. “Growth has its challenges but then again, it’s a matter of staying proactive and anticipating the needs.”
Speaking of the new park for the Town of Jay, those references are not hypothetical. Since Shon took over as Mayor five years ago, Jay has been awarded more than $4 million in community enhancement grants. The most recent one funded demolition of the outdated city park and construction of a new updated park consisting of ballfields, a stadium for youth sports games, and an amphitheater for community entertainment events, just to name a few. “While the park will be a source of fun and entertainment for our citizens, I also love that all the work is being done by local people, which sustains
Shon is also concerned about affordable housing, especially with the dramatic increase in mortgage interest rates spurred by the Federal Reserve’s inflation-fighting initiatives. “I appreciate all those people who have the means to build a new home,” says Shon, “however, I’d love to see that dream available to everyone in our community.” For more information about Owens Custom Homes & Construction Inc., visit the company’s web site at owenshomeconstruction. com, call 850-554-0701, or email Jeanne.brown@ owenshomeconstruction.com.
Owens Custom Homes – CGC1508796 54 | SEPTEMBER 2022