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Like
many businesses, Saluda Realty and Construction started modestly. After
a
long career in the construction business, following the construction
trade
of his father and grandfather, Roy Eargle moved to Saluda in 1981 to
retire.
But driven men must persevere. So Eargle got his NC real estate
and
General Contractor's licenses and went to work buying property and
building
homes. Roy's son, Grier, started in the family business in
1987.
Soon, they were building in subdivisions in and around Henderson and
Polk
counties and buying little used commercial property in downtown Saluda.
With
their combined business acumen and construction knowledge, the business
flourished.
Not only was Saluda attractive to Roy Eargle for his retirement, but it was and continues to be appealing to a host of others as well. The beautiful rolling hills and spectacular views, coupled with the proximity to larger towns, make it a perfect location for a second home. In fact, Saluda now enjoys the triple market of second homebuyers, commuters and retirees. Its nearness to larger towns like Asheville, Charlotte and Greenville/Spartanburg means that people can either easily escape from the city to a mountain retreat, or take advantage of the larger towns' entertainment and shopping resources with little inconvenience. As the Eargles' business grew, they also noticed a growing demand for log homes. As chance would have it, one of Roy's high school friends was the founder of Columbia-based Southland Log Homes. It didn't take long for Saluda to sport a beautiful model log home and become an authorized Southland Log Home dealer. Southland Log Homes are pre-engineered, pre-cut custom homes offering 30 stock floor plans that can be modified, or Southland can design and cut totally customized homes. Southland has name recognition and is considered on the forefront in the log home industry. Although Saluda Realty and Construction is happy to build stick homes, 90 percent of its business comes from building the old-fashioned way: with logs. "The log home is not what it was 20 years ago," says Grier. "The stereotypical log home is small and drafty with air blowing between the gaps in the logs. Most of our homes range in price from $90,000 to $500,000 and range in square footage from around 1,000 square feet to over 4,000 square feet. We build a number of the 1,000 to 1,500 square foot homes for the second-house market and have built a couple of 500 to 600 square foot homes for individuals who were downsizing," says Grier. "We do hardwood or old pine floors throughout the house, a large stone fireplace or two, sweeping covered porches that take advantage of the lot's view. Many of our homes are designed with cathedral ceilings with exposed beams, lifts and glass in the gables." Southland offers two log choices: Stockade or Dove Tail Style. The Dove Tailed log is square 6x12 with dovetailed corners, rough on the outside and smooth on the inside and comes in white pine only. The Stockade Style is 6x8 with stockade corners, round on the outside and round or flat on the inside and comes in either white or yellow pine. Of course, there are many more decisions to make than what type of log will be used to create that mountain retreat. "Most people have an idea of what they want; they just can't express it in terms of a workable plan," Grier says. "With our experience, it usually isn't hard to draw it out of the customers and give them what they want." It typically takes about 45-60 days of planning and paperwork to get to the building stage. "Barring extreme weather, it then takes on average five to six months from the time the logs arrive at the site to completion of the home, ready for the homeowner to move in." Grier continued. Grier Eargle says that most of the people who come to him for a home seek Saluda out for a reason. "The people, who come to see us don't want to be in a town," he said. "They want two or three acres, no gates or sidewalks, traffic or crime. We don't have fancy supermarkets or malls and we don't have a golf course, but we do have beauty and quaintness with 'old-timey' stores and a two-block main street in the National Register of Historic Places. I think they seek out Saluda for the same reasons my dad did. It is old-fashioned, charming, peaceful and friendly." There is plenty of opportunity for a builder in this seemingly sleepy little town. With 640 residents and the immediate surrounding area having a population of only 2,500, looks are deceiving. Grier points out that in a recent North Carolina State survey, Polk County was fifth in personal income, While the country has few employment opportunities, it does have a thriving second-home market. "In the Saluda market, there isn't a lot of resale activity with existing homes comparable to new homes." Grier says that now Saluda Realty and Construction is building between 18 and 24 houses per year, but hopes to increase that number to 30 a year without losing the attention to detail and high quality craftsmanship for which the company is known. "Log homes are strong in the second-home and retirement markets," he says. "When people think of the mountains, they think of the rustic charm and soundness of a log home." In the past five years, the company has grown substantially and increased its staff to handle demand, equip itself for future growth and stay technologically competitive. With 25 people on the payroll, Saluda Realty and Construction employs a construction supervisor, a customer relations person, a bookkeeper, four construction crews, and two full-time cabinetmakers. "We have tripled our output in the past five years," Grier said. "To increase speed and efficiency, we invested in cranes and boom trucks and other specialized equipment and tools. We are networked into CAD architectural software, but one thing that hasn't changed is our employees' attitude and work ethic." One other aspect of Grier's business is his cabinet shop. "It's not a fancy kitchen showroom by any means, but we've cranked out a lot of custom cabinetry down through the years. Customers enjoy visiting the shop and seeing their kitchens or other cabinetry being built to their specs" In an industry that is noted for its high turnover, Grier shares one of the secrets to this company's success: "It's easy…our typical construction crew of three to five employees who enjoy each other's company, who are well trained in log construction and who have worked together for years, makes for a highly successful and productive combination. The benefit of its open-door management style is effective in retaining good employees; it creates mutual respect between the employer and employees." Supporting continued growth and identity in the industry, the company has been smart in its commercial investments. Several years ago, it saw opportunity in vacant historical buildings in the downtown Saluda area. "I've always thought this place was going to catch on someday," Grier says. "Twelve years ago many of these buildings were vacant. We purchased and restored the old Pebble Dash Building, the Old Saluda Depot and the Old Gulf Building, most of which are on the National Register, and rented them as shops. Now they are productive. We will start restoration of the Old Saluda Telephone Exchange in the future and hope to have it placed on the National Register as well. The face of the town is changing as other property owners start to restore and improve their buildings." As the largest real estate company in Saluda, Grier Eargle takes pride in his company's contribution to the prudent growth of the place he has chosen to raise his family. "We have a certain way of doing things," Grier said. "You have to trust your people. We all live and work here; I see past customers and clients every day." |
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Offices: |
Email: Grier@SaludaRealty.net - President CEO Roy@SaludaRealty.net - Senior Vice President FaithAnn@SaludaRealty.net - Bookkeeping Gary@SaludaRealty.net - Project Manager |
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