Since 1988, Ivory Homes has been Utah’s Number One Homebuilder and was recently recognized as the 2021 National Home Builder of the Year by ProBuilder Media. The family-owned business has completed more than 23,000 new homes in 70+ communities. Homebuyers value the prime locations, exceptional designs, and quality construction offered by Utah’s most successful home building company.  Ivory has also garnered a reputation of a company of integrity, honoring a home buyer’s purchase price when the contract is signed even with ever increasing costs.

Ivory Homes turns to FOCUS for site civil services. James Jonsson oversees the company’s residential construction division. He regularly interacts with FOCUS engineers for drainage design, site elevations, and lot staking for dozens of active Ivory projects. “Right now, we have about 65 communities, and FOCUS touches every single one,” says James.

James appreciates the constant communication from a helpful, friendly team who can see the bigger picture regarding grading and drainage. He describes how a developer will commonly develop a project with a drainage and grading plan that neglects to consider the individual homes. “Different builders come in and start building without giving thought as to how the homes will affect the drainage pattern of adjacent properties,” he describes. “It’s really the wrong way to look at it. Fortunately, our collaboration with FOCUS has shown us it is possible to produce a site-specific grading plan that takes into account when all the homes are built, and the project is completely built out.”

There’s a shared thread of looking at business long-term and providing value to customers. James and Ivory Homes team members carry a card that reads: We care about your home today and its value tomorrow. James believes FOCUS strives for that same viewpoint of providing a valuable service that will last.

The Overland master planned development is over 1,200 acres.

Another shared philosophy is that of being a part of something better. In 2019 Ivory Homes introduced a Workforce Housing Priority program to reserve affordable homes for our community’s critical workforce providers. Professions include first responders, teachers, nurses, police officers, veterans and military, and even Ivory Homes’ subcontractors and suppliers. Ivory Homes recently shared details of the program with FOCUS staff during an in-house seminar. One of Ivory’s largest communities, Overland in Eagle Mountain, was master planned by FOCUS and features housing affordability opportunities at Overland Cottages.

Understanding the challenges of a residential contractor and speaking a common language is something James values. He recognizes an engineer’s mentality is very linear (mathematical and precise) while residential construction can get pretty abstract. “FOCUS listens and gets it,” reflects James. “They speak our language and understand what we’re trying to do.”