2006 08 01 ROOF "Perpetual Partners" MAGAZINE
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- © Barton James Christner
Photography by:
BARTON JAMES CHRISTNER
and DAVID W. ROOFText by:
DAVID W. ROOFI'd like a dollar, for every time I've heard someone say they could never work with their spouse. It's been said that husbands and wives don't work well together. Well, forget that notion for just a moment, as I can report meeting a couple who work together and like it.
Not only do they like it, but together are building a successful development company. What's more, they live together and raise a family together. In every sense of the word, together Paul and Lisa Scarmazzi are the PARTNERS.
A little background means a lot
Remembering where you come from comes in handy some times. For example, take their company name. Hawthorne Street in Canonsburg, PA was the site of their first development. In fact, their home is one of those first 6 single family dwellings. Paul related that as a youngster he played kick ball on the playground of the former Hawthorne Elementary School that is now their backyard. The name clicked for both of them and so they became the Hawthorne Partners.
There were also the professional backgrounds that Paul and Lisa brought to the venture. Paul had spent 17 years in the mortgage banking industry. Lisa's professional background was in the creative world of interior design. While they didn't know it at the time, Paul's work with one client, Epcon Communities would eventually lure them to the development industry.
Was it dream or desire?
So, what was so attractive about residential development for a couple of young professionals already successful in their chosen fields? Why move from the relative safety of banking and a peaceful harbor like creative design to the rather speculative world of new home development? Why suits to khaki's and denim? Why go from an office environment to a business that comes complete with heavy equipment, piles of construction material and a lot of dirt? Why leave all the comforts of indoors where it's warm in the winter, cool in the summer and clean all the time, to trudge around construction sites in all kinds of weather and yes, always with a lot of dirt. Maybe, it was the desire to follow a dream.
Swimming with Sharks
It wasn't impetuous, but such a move will still be considered by many to be a bit gutsy. After talking with Paul and Lisa for awhile, it became very easy to understand why they jumped from their tried and true worlds to one comparatively unknown to them. There were really a number of reasons, not the least of which was to experience the success and sometimes failure that ownership holds. That combined with the entrepreneurial edge that they both posses and some basic knowledge set them on their way, from that first development to where they are today. They're quick to point out that it has not been without some trying moments and a lot of on the job learning. Paul's explanation of their coming of age, in a tough business, might make you smile and cringe at once, "we were like a couple of guppies swimming in a shark tank".
The Vision
There’s a common bond connecting nearly every industry today, to provide exemplary customer service. Nice people like working with other nice people. For the Hawthorne Partners, being nice and caring about their customers comes naturally. Over lunch at the Pike Street Inn, Paul said "we're not trying to be the biggest, just the best". Being the best means proving yourself in an industry that has some pretty big competition. A sure way to becoming the best is, caring about the people you serve.
“Building a community before the first stick goes up,” is the way Lisa described the Hawthorne approach.
The Reality
“Soon after incorporating Hawthorne Partners, Paul and Lisa entered into a franchise market area agreement with Epcon Communities in 2000 and acquired land for their inaugural community. Construction of their first home began in the third quarter of that year. The model home at Villas of Parkwood Estates in Moon Township was opened in May 2001.
To date, `Partners' has developed 3 communities that have been focused on providing homeowners with a lifestyle that is second to none. "By combining single story architecture with condominium services, our residents can enjoy a carefree lifestyle that they deserve and desire", said Paul.
The condo communities of Villas on the Green and the newest, Villas at Arden Mills provide a level detail in the community and exterior architecture that is not found in the area. Hawthorne's standard offerings are many of their competitor's upgrades. Lisa explained, "many of our customers are downsizing and want all of the space useable and functional in their new home". Buyers also want to know that their home will be what was promised. "Our residents hold us to a very high standard" said Paul. Hawthorne's Quality Mark program reviews and documents how each new home is built so that every new home owner may rest easy in the sense of knowing that everything was done as specified.
A life changing experience
Epcon Communities attract people who live active lives. They may be a young couple buying their first home or a couple of empty nesters no longer wanting the hassle of cutting grass or shoveling snow Either way, it's a life changing experience
that the folks at Hawthorne want to make easier. According to Paul, "we view their move as an emotional decision rather than a financial one". From Christmas shopping sprees at Shaker Woods, to Paul and Lisa preparing and hosting dinner parties for residents, every homeowner will experience a warm, caring community spirit.
It's all in the partnership
They shared a dream, a desire and a vision. Paul and Lisa Scarmazzi together have built 3 cohesive, affordable communities that cater to a carefree lifestyle. Together "a couple of guppies" found their way through the shark tank. Projections indicate, Hawthorne Partners, Inc. will have 80 new home starts this year. So is that it, the dream's come true? According to the Partners, there are more communities to build and that's even "before the first stick goes up"