Local home builder’s goal is to improve people’s lives. They chose a bank partner with the same goal. 


When your business purpose is to improve people’s lives and build value in your communities, you make every effort to understand your neighbor’s needs and goals—then act on them. That’s the case with Main Street Homes, the largest private home builder in Richmond, Virginia.
 
Whether they’re helping a customer navigate the design of their new home or choosing a neighborhood’s amenities, Main Street Homes is always focused on figuring out a better way.
 
The work they do—and the heart they put into it—has made for a thriving business. Thirty years ago, the company built eight homes in its first year of operation. Today, they average anywhere from 300 to 400 homes a year. Homes average in size from 2,000 square feet to 6,000 square feet.
 
Fill a need
Vernon McClure founded Main Street Homes in 1996. Over the years, he’s had his share of ups and downs like any entrepreneur, but there have been constants that have paved the way to success. For starters, his goal was never to be the biggest; it was to fill a need that wasn’t being met.
 
The company takes the time to listen to and understand what their customers want. They pay attention to design trends. They carefully consider landscaping, sidewalks, trails, clubhouses, pools, schools, parks, location. They look at a piece of land and envision all the possibilities. They learn what their customers want. Then they get to work fulfilling homeownership dreams.
 
“We're so blessed being in a business where you get to build something, see it come to fruition, and leave it behind,” says Vernon. “A lot of times, I'll run through a couple of neighborhoods just to see how they look. It’s exciting seeing families and people move into these homes and be part of these communities.”
 
Choose bank partner wisely
In the land development and home construction business, the right financing is critical, which means the right bank partner is critical. For Main Street Homes, C&F Bank was the perfect fit. The bank took the time to understand their business, knew the local market area, and was supportive of the company’s financing needs, which are complex.
 
With home construction financing, the capital requirements are substantial, and the window between investment and return can stretch half a decade or more. At any one time, Main Street Homes might have 150 to 200 homes under construction, with each home averaging $650,000.
 
“C&F understands our projects and crafts financing over multiple years, knowing that income streams are typically years away,” says Vernon. “They want to support Richmond and Chesterfield and the local counties and be a part of it. They're very much here for the community and for us, and we trust them.”
 
That trust wasn’t built overnight—and it wasn’t taken for granted. Vernon has worked with other financial institutions over the years. Some were great for a few years, then gone. Others pulled back when conditions got hard. Some made decisions from another city without understanding what was happening locally.
 
C&F Bank was different.
 
“We like consistency,” says Vernon. “With C&F Bank, we have a consistent partner that's in our market. We've been doing this for 30 years and we really value the people who are local and the relationships we have. Just knowing that we can make a quick phone call and they answer. It’s important to have a partner who you know is going to stick with you, and who is extremely well managed and profitable. It’s a huge benefit.”
 
When one door closes …
Vernon grew up on a dairy farm in Franklin County. His love for building overshadowed his love for farming. Early on, he went to work for a home builder and eventually ran the company for a couple years. Then it was sold. And suddenly, he didn’t have a job.  
 
That moment—which could have been a setback—turned out to be the door he needed to walk through. He pulled together local investors, secured the financing, and started Main Street Homes.
 
“Doors will open in your life, and you just have to step through them,” he says. “And sometimes it's a lot on faith.”
 
That willingness to step through—and the discipline to build something real once he did—set the foundation for everything that followed. Today, Main Street Homes has built more than 6,000 homes in the Richmond area.
 
Take care of people
As a local home builder, Vernon often runs into his customers out the community—at the grocery, the hardware store. It’s important to him that he’s done right by them, and if there’s ever a problem, he makes it right.
 
That same commitment extends to the people who build alongside him every day. Recently, Main Street Homes transitioned to 100% employee ownership through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), giving his 85-plus employees a real ownership stake in the company they’ve helped build.
 
For Vernon, it's the natural extension of everything Main Street Homes stands for. He's spent 30 years helping families put down roots. Now he's giving his team the same opportunity—to own something, build something, and leave it behind.
 
“We love being able to create neighborhoods, listen to our customers and build homes,” says Vernon. “It’s a blessing to do what you love, with people who care just as much as you do.”