MBA alumnus in national spotlight for home construction business
With popular shows like Fixer Upper and Property Brothers, the home construction industry is booming across the country. Right here in Richmond, one MBA alumnus is receiving national attention for his success with Spruce Construction and Redbud Homes & Properties.
“We get into the smaller houses, modify them in a really nice way, and then our clients have an almost completely new house in the area that they want,” said Jordan Hutchins, GB’12, owner of both companies.
Upon entering The Richmond MBA, Hutchins admits he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. At the time, he was working for a large home builder, but dreamed of doing something more.
“I was really design oriented and creative minded, I knew I needed to get the financial and economic background to make me a better professional,” Hutchins said. “After I graduated, I knew I wanted to do my own thing, so I decided to start my own business.”
First came Spruce Construction, a home renovation company that has upgraded dozens of homes in Richmond’s near West End neighborhood, then Redbud Homes & Properties, a rental company that rents out homes upgraded by Spruce.
“The MBA gave me a lot of confidence to take that leap,” Hutchins said. “I’m a creative person, and marrying that with the MBA, it’s given me great experience to help grow my business.”
Hutchins also says he chose The Richmond MBA program because of its vast alumni network, which he knew would help him launch a business and establish a client base.
“I still talk to a lot of my classmates, and we get together periodically,” Hutchins said. “A lot of us have started our own businesses, and it’s a nice network of friendly and professional relationships to support each other.”
The company’s unique style of modernizing older homes has attracted the attention of national magazines and blogs like Southern Living and Young House Love.
“We want our homes to feel like they’ve always been there,” Hutchins said. “We try to build really beautiful houses that use great materials, and that fit in the landscape, so they become part of the community.”
That commitment to helping others and investing in the Richmond community was clear when Hutchins was a student, according to Dr. Richard Coughlan, associate professor of management.
“Jordan is one of the best listeners I have ever met. During the MBA program, he displayed a humble approach to his studies, always eager to learn from his classmates and our faculty. This same trait is one of the key drivers of his success in business today,” Coughlan said. “He attends to his clients’ needs with an open mind, asks insightful questions and maintains an uncompromising commitment to quality.”
But Hutchins says he can’t take all the credit, his wife is a designer and project manager for Spruce and Redbud.
“She handles the design component to give our clients the whole package in one place,” Hutchins said.
He believes being able to work with his family inspires what he does every day.
“The great thing about construction is that it is tangible. You can see your lasting impact,” Hutchins said. “I want to leave a legacy, and it’s nice to be able to drive my kids around and say, ‘Hey, there’s something that Dad built.’ It’s really rewarding.”