Gossett Jones Homes

Most stories of emerging homebuilders begin with a career of climbing the corporate ladder of a production homebuilder, only to spin off into a new company with a new name. Not this one.

Gossett Jones Homes (GJH) came out of the gate swinging, and oddly enough during a time when most others were leaving the field. “When Jared and I decided to join forces in the recession, I could count every active builder in town on my right hand,” says Matt Jones, co-founder of GJH.

The humble beginnings were of two entrepreneurs looking for work during the worst of times in a city both loved: Austin, Texas. “The choice was easy: either move somewhere to find a job, or create something in town to stay,” Jones says. “There were very few jobs in Austin for recent grads in 2008.”

Six years later, GJH is now an award-winning progressive home builder and developer that was recently voted into the Inc 500 fastest growing companies in America.

The company was officially founded in 2010 by Gossett and Jones. By 2013, it had already been named Custom Builder of the Year and Second Fastest Growing Company in Central Texas by the Austin Business Journal. A year later, GJH has been recognized as No. 427 in the entire country in regards to its growth rate, ranking No. 17 in the construction industry alone.

Gossett and Jones chose Austin because the duo saw an opportunity. “There was not much going on at that time,” Gossett details. “We sought out Central Austin because people were moving here from the suburbs and from out of town. With South By Southwest, the Austin City Limits Music Festival and even Formula One Racing all in one city, everyone wanted to be as close as possible to downtown, but there was no one building here.”

GJH’s early success solidified Gossett and Jones’ decision. “We built our first home in 2010 and sold it before it was even finished,” Jones explains. “We quickly went from one home to several, because the neighborhood and industry embraced what we were doing. Every single home we built in our first year pre-sold, before we finished them, which really validated our hypothesis.”

“Once the credit market eased up a bit, we were able to tackle some higher priced homes,” Gossett adds.

GJH built up a strong team, which included reliable trade partners committed to high standards of craftsmanship and some of Austin’s most talented young architects and designers. “We continued along that path, and in late 2012 prices started to get expensive here again,” explains Gossett. “We saw a need for our quality product, but many people could no longer afford a single-family home in these sought-after neighborhoods.”

However, Gossett and Jones did not give up. “We saw this as another opportunity,” Jones states. “We were providing exceptional service and quality in our single-family homes, but the real estate market was not where we needed it to be. So, we found some infill parcels of land just on the outskirts of downtown and were able to build condos and townhomes. It was the same quality and finish as our single-family homes, but since they were located in an area where we could achieve slightly higher density, we were able to reach a more affordable price point.”

Acknowledging the market

Perhaps it was because Gossett and Jones witnessed Austin’s growth firsthand that the decision to reach multiple markets was non-negotiable. Gossett and Jones divided products and services into two different brands: GJH Custom and GJH Urban.

The GJH Custom brand is entirely service-oriented, offering luxury custom home construction and remodeling. GJH Custom plays the role of a guide, helping clients execute on dreams of a custom home and utilizing relationships and resources to provide every client with a truly memorable experience. GJH Custom combines a concierge level of customer service with award-winning design and craftsmanship.

The GJH Urban brand offers an urban product and lifestyle, bringing both single-family homes and multifamily developments, including duplexes, condos and townhomes, to Austin’s urban core. These cityhomes provide buyers the quality craftsmanship and luxury finishes that GJH is known for, in close proximity to the amenities of Austin’s urban core. “We are giving a piece of luxury at a more affordable price for our buyers,” says Jones.

Innovation is a core tenet of GJH. “We embrace sustainable materials and the latest technologies in order to provide both functionality and lasting value,” Jones elaborates. “We also spend more time than most in the design stage with our architects and design partners to ensure we build something both beautiful and unique.”

The result has been a product that rises above industry standards in quality and energy-efficiency. GJH’s latest cityhome project received a HERS rating of 59, which is 41 percent more efficient than a standard new home. Based on average estimates for single-family homes in the U.S. developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, this means a savings of $1,257 per year in utilities for clients.

Many People, One Promise

These high standards are not merely aspired to by Gossett and Jones. GJH’s entire team of 12 are all committed to delivering on the company’s brand promise: providing a luxury home of superior quality and lasting value, built around genuine customer care and inspired design. That hard work was recognized in 2014, as GJH was awarded Best of Houzz Customer Satisfaction by Houzz.com.

“There are many different moving parts that have to work together to achieve the highest level of customer service and quality,” Gossett details. “Operationally, we have full-time in-house construction managers and purchasing managers that are ambassadors in protecting the integrity of our brand promise. Because we don’t contract out third-party construction managers, we can execute on that promise with confidence. Finally, with a trusted network of long-time trade partners, the entire team works as one to meet GJH quality and service standards. We believe our trade partners are an extension of our company.”

As far as the future goes, Gossett and Jones could not be more excited for all that is in store for GJH. “Our vision and future goals are all tied to connecting people to the urban lifestyle and being an innovative industry leader as a home builder and developer,” Jones explains. “With that vision in mind, we haven’t lost sight of our roots and continue to service our customers and provide value for all of our stakeholders in everything we do.”

It is evident that Gossett, Jones and the entire team at GJH have a clear vision for the company’s future. With a positive mindset and a true passion for the industry, Gossett Jones Homes will continue to provide award-winning custom homes for Austin’s beautiful communities.