Savannah Developers

Working one on one with its clients to ensure it is meeting their needs, Savannah Developers has become a leading premier general contracting and land development company. Headquartered in Addison, Texas, Savannah demonstrates its capabilities by taking opportunities created by the revitalization of neighborhoods in urban and infill areas. Savannah and its partners are best known for developing first-class projects and have extensive experience in residential and commercial development, including — but not limited to — gated communities, midrise condominium flats, townhomes and student housing.

Savannah was established in 2000 and operates primarily in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. The company stands out in the industry by not only providing building and development services, but also by building and selling its own products. “Savannah looks for infill opportunities in and around work and entertainment centers,” says Steve King, president of Savannah. “This usually requires that older economically obsolete structures be revitalized. It can be a difficult niche to operate in but we enjoy it and have found success with it.”

Diversity in development

When the company first began, Savannah cut its teeth in single-family, detached-home neighborhood developments. Over the years, the firm has migrated over several markets and created new opportunities for itself. With the ebb and flow of the construction industry, the Savannah team enjoys discovering new niches with residential being the bulk of its business.

As a general contractor, Savannah has built up a reliable network of subcontractors that the company turns to for all scopes of work on every project. The company is usually involved in three to four projects at any given time. “Our company culture is pretty simple,” says King. “We want our employees to feel as though they are operating their own business. The field personnel execute the budget and schedule demands of each project and as a result, end up operating their own profit centers. We like to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit.”

Student housing has become a large portion of Savannah’s business plan over the last eight years. The company has delivered several projects, including Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. “We’re exploring new opportunities at campuses around the state,” says King. “We enjoy this market segment and plan to continue to have it be a major part of our portfolio over the next several years.”

A strong team

King is a co-founder and active principal in Savannah Developers overseeing all acquisition, development, construction and financial activities.  After graduating from Louisiana State University with a bachelor’s degree in construction technology, King began his career in the Dallas area with Centex in the early 1980s. Before Savannah, his corporate career spanned 15 years, providing a broad range of experience that led to a division president position with Weyerhaeuser in the Northern Virginia market.

Throughout his career, King has been involved in the design, development, construction and sales of various single family, multifamily, condominium, townhome, student housing and medical office projects totaling more than $3 billion.

Timm Baumann, chief financial officer and director of real estate development, is an active principal at Savannah. His responsibilities include strategic planning, lot and land acquisition, finance and capital management, bank and investor relations, and in-house legal. Timm graduated from Central Michigan University with a degree in accounting and finance.

Dave Williams is a co-founder and active principal in Savannah, serving in the capacity of executive vice president. He oversees construction activities and engineering, land development, product development and value engineering, hard-cost budgets, estimating, subcontractor acquisition, warranty administration, hiring and managing project managers, and building permit acquisition.

Williams graduated from University of Kansas and began his career with Ryland Homes in the late ‘70s.  Before Savannah, his corporate career spanned more than 35 years providing a broad range of experience in positions such as division construction manager at Sovereign Homes, division construction manager at Ryland Homes and a regional construction management position at Fairfield Homes.

Over his career, Williams has been involved in the design, development and construction of various single-family, multifamily, condominium, townhome, student housing and medical office developments.

With a strong team and track record, Savannah is looking to combine steady growth while maintaining the work environment and small-company feel with which it currently operates. Savannah Developers is a strong testament to the entrepreneurial spirit that bodes success in construction and development.