When Phil Chamberlain and Jon McCreery partnered up, neither one knew just where their relationship would lead them. More than fifteen years later, it is clear that they each brought elements to the equation that have solidified and strengthened the bond. We have rarely seen such a relationship--one that combines the best of both partners with a constant striving for excellence in every area.

Phil, who painted his way through college, later started his own painting business. After moving to Memphis, he, got his start in construction when he met a prominent area builder. "The government moved me here as an air traffic controller, but in 1981, I lost that job. I bought a house from a local builder who was my next door neighbor, and he taught me the business. I started with two or three houses per year, and by the mid-80s, I was building about 25 houses a year. In 1988, Jon and I joined forces."

Jon's start was somewhat different. "I met a framing contractor when I was 15. I was pumping gas that summer. He told me when I wanted a real job, to let him know. I looked him up and for about the next eight years I worked for him after school and during the summers. I put in foundations and framed houses. I learned not only how to build, but all about hard work. I remember once telling him I was tired. He said, 'It'll be five minutes before the concrete truck gets here, so go ahead and sit down.' He did me a big favor teaching me about hard work at such an early age. Later, when Phil and I became friends, I did some framing for him and he did some painting for me and, before long, we partnered up on some houses."

Their first year together was a real learning experience. They didn't like being in a subdivision where each lot belonged to a different builder. Jon explains, "We learned that if we bought the entire subdivision; then every dollar spent on improving the quality of the communities where we built homes benefited our customers."

The Chamberlain and McCreery partnership works well because of a unique bond between them ... their faith in one another is a valuable aspect of their relationship. Phil says, "We have very few rules or guidelines in our partnership ... Jon does his thing, I do mine. One rule we do have is that if we don't both agree that something is a good deal, we walk away. If I think it's great, Jon might say 'I don't like it and I don't even really know why'--that's good enough. There are plenty of opportunities out there, so we just move on."

Hard work and persistence is a mainstay of Chamberlain & McCreery. Jon says, "Most companies will try something out and when it doesn't work, they just move on to something else. We just don't give up ... we keep working on it until it succeeds."

Chamberlain & McCreery is a leader in utilizing the most modern technology in communications and in marketing. "Project managers have laptop computers and send in daily field reports to tell the production status of each home. We can tell a buyer instantly just how much customization we can do on a particular home. If we haven't framed it, we will customize a floor plan totally if that is what they want." They also encourage suppliers to have e-mail capability. That speeds communications with orders and makes it easy to keep suppliers apprised of any concerns, or scheduling or policy changes.

Another aspect of Chamberlain & McCreery's success is their thorough planning. The construction coordinators, who are also on computer, lay out the construction schedule of each house at the very beginning. They know on the front end exactly when each phase will be completed. This gives home buyers an accurate move-in date, eliminating the typical disappointments many new home buyers experience. Unlike many companies, Chamberlain & McCreery can tell their electrician in advance not only when he will be needed, but when he must be finished.

In today's highly competitive homebuilding market, Chamberlain & McCreery, Inc. has been paying attention to what consumers want. Home Concepts is a full-service retail design showroom providing both homebuyers and the general public a unique opportunity to experience custom designed home and finish-out by utilizing displays, product placement, and point-of-purchase set-ups to make decision making easier. In addition to point-of-sale displays, Home Concepts offers the benefit of professional design guidance in the selection process.

Both Jon and Phil are dedicated family men, spending their leisure time coaching youth sports. Jon coaches baseball, basketball and football, and is very active with the Germantown Youth Athletic Association. Jon and wife Donna have four boys. Phil has two boys, one in college and one graduated from college and is working with the company. In addition to youth athletics, the Chamberlains also enjoy hunting and boating.

As active members of the Memphis Area Home Builders Association, Phil and Jon demonstrate a professionalism that is a credit to the industry. Their reputation for excellence is widely known. Phil and Jon believe that participation in the local Association is important to the industry. Phil serves on the Board of Directors for the local, state and National Associations. Phil, who was named Builder of the Year in 1996 and Builder of the Month in May 1998, points out the value of the detailed educational information available to builders on any area of the business. Chamberlain adds, "Also, they monitor the industry for areas of concern and keep an eye on legislation that will affect home buyers."

Jon and Phil are quick to praise their suppliers. States Jon, "Our subs and suppliers are amazing. Their ability to stand up under intense pressure for years is phenomenal." In researching this story, we found that Chamberlain & McCreery's suppliers speak just as highly of them. Phil comments, "Our employees are really outstanding. We have a team of people who perform day in and day out. We just can't say enough good things about our staff."

Jon adds, "Our sales/production efficiency per employee is more than double the national average. That shows numerically that, as a 'team,' we're very efficient in what we do. The biggest part of my job is finding ways to get leaner, faster, stronger, better, smarter. We're just not satisfied with where we are."

We believe Chamberlain & McCreery's commitment to excellence is responsible for taking them to the pinnacle of success as one of the Mid-South's finest home building companies.