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Builder/Architect Magazine
January 2006

BALDANZA CONSTRUCTION
Family Customs in Custom Building

As smaller, family-owned custom builders gradually relinquish their accrued experience, market presence and personalized customer services to acquisition or competition, Baldanza Construction represents a spirited divergence from this escalating industry trend in the discerning northern New Jersey marketplace. This four-generation company is now operated by the family trio of Lou and Linda Baldanza, president and secretary, respectively, along with their son, Charles, the company’s vice president. Charles has already “taken the reins” en route to ensuring the perpetuation of his family’s legacy. Baldanza Construction affords its upscale client base a traditional brand of quality workmanship and customer services in combination with the latest building technology and techniques.

As one of the handful of true custom builders in its market, which is comprised mainly of the Garden State’s affluent northeastern counties, the builder’s ability to successfully integrate client participation into its high-end projects has branded Baldanza Construction as not only an attentive builder capable of making significant modifications prior to and during the construction process, but also as a “virtual partner” with the clients in creating traditionally inspired homes of unparalleled quality.

Charles Baldanza, from whom most design perspectives emanate, reminded Builder/Architect magazine that the company is quick to consider even the most abstract ideas from its clients in order to accommodate their functional and aesthetic requirements and tastes. “Believe it or not, some of our customers have literally brought us sketches scribbled on napkins”, he said. “We’re not talking about tract or semi-custom products here. That is why we take so seriously every shred of input we receive from our clients, for whom we have the utmost respect from the outset for choosing us among other fine custom builders to create the home of their dreams”. According to Baldanza, pricing of the homes ranges on average from $1 million to $2 million and are sited in some of northeastern New Jersey’s most coveted locations.

Baldanza also revealed how the merger/acquisition trend and its associated marketing programs actually enhance his firm’s standing in a high-demand marketplace that has experienced a steadily dwindling supply of buildable land, especially when concerning large development tracts that inherently impact existing infrastructure and school systems. “As much as acquisitions in the building industry have been making new for the last few years, custom builders like us have seen remarkable growth”, he explained. “Our market is practically built out and projects of 100 or more homes are essentially a thing of the past unless you head well west and south in this state. If you look at our projects portfolio, you’ll see that our projects consist of only two, four, six, never more than 20 homes”.

The firm targets working professionals, many with families, as well as asset-rich ative adults (55+) who refuse to downsize their living space or compromise their quality of life. Those two highly selective market profiles correspond perfectly with the narrow market niche established by the builder. The marketing effort – which for larger builders would typically include a multiple media mix, in-depth research and focus group fact-finding – is neither complex nor costly, according to the builder, and relies primarily on referrals, as do other high-end custom builders, but with a twist. “Virtually all of our clients are move-ups from the area who know our reputation from friends, family, associates at work or our website. The most valuable intangible that our customers receive from such a local market base is the instant establishment of neighborhood spirit that usually takes years or even generations to get right when most of the buyers are all from someplace else”.

Baldanza also noted that, while larger semi-custom builders and developers are flush with marketing resources enabling broad reach among more sizeable and distant demographic segments, his firm’s nearby primary market allows for an individual customer-based focus. “We are a design/build company that only designs and builds homes for a very selective customer. That is the image we have created for ourselves through hard work, perseverance and attention to every customer’s needs, and not by advertising frequency and a lot of marketing just to let our customers know we’re here”.

The builder’s adherence to company operations mirrors an unwavering commitment to firmly established company principles fashioned several decades ago by Liborio Baldanza, the firm’s founder and original proponent of the customer-involvement approach now emblematic of the Baldanza brand. Each member of the current team draws upon distinct areas of expertise to the advantage of their clients. Charles conceives and develops the designs, oversees the construction process and retains sub-contractors, many of whom have been working with the Baldanzas for decades. Linda works closely with clients in the most critical areas of customer services, such as interior design and appointment selections. Lou Baldanza seeks out the prime properties, and is heavily involved in negotiating and securing approvals from various planning boards. He is a past president of the Northern New Jersey Builders Association and was named Builder of the year in 1998. “We pool our skills to bring the best possible product to life for our clients,” said Baldanza. “We are in constant touch with each other and our customers throughout the construction process. Our smaller size allows us to quickly respond to everything from floor plan variations to landscaping specifics.”

The precept of “if it can be imagined, it can be built” extends beyond the firm’s selected sites, on which most homes are constructed, to land owned by some of its customers. “Being asked to build a home on a client’s property is the ultimate compliment a custom home builder can receive”, Baldanza states. “Think about it. They already have a special relationship with the land, and then they want a home that is worthy of being built on that site. We believe these extremely particular people are coming to us because of the solid reputation we have established as quality builders in the area, along with our tendency to involve clients in the building process”.

The builder’s products balance expansive proportions, intricate details, floor plan flow and technology. Rooms are large, but rich in character. Trimwork is designed to reflect the individual preferences that differ with every client, yet remain attuned to the built-in architectural integrity. The latest in-home technology is addressed with sophisticated wiring and outlet systems that accommodate multiple phone lines, computers, printers and fax machines, as well as entertainment elements in high demand by the builder’s choosy customer base. “In a nutshell, our clients want everything, and I mean everything, in their new homes”, Baldanza declared. “our whole reputation hinges on delivering just that to every customer”,

At the time of this issue’s publication, Baldanza Construction will have neared completion on Maggy’s Woods, a 14-home development of luxury estates in River Vale, Bergen County. Other recent projects, include Briar Woods, Hillsdale, a six-home neighborhood also in Bergen County and Bear Rock Estates, Montville, a five-home community in Morris County.

The company’s immediate future plans are focused on its first-ever multi-family project, Charlestowne Court, in Montvale. This 12-unit condominium/townhome community will address the growing need for low-maintenance luxury living in a prime metropolitan-area suburb with access to New York City and major corporations based locally. The area’s small-twon appeal and superior school systems will represent the essence of the area’s attraction to both professionals and adults seeking a tranquil setting in an established area marked by gracious estates and thickly wooded terrain. The challenge, said Baldanza, was to adapt this project to the existing setting, rather than pursue the opposite tactic common to many larger developments. “Montvale is one of the most desirable towns in Bergen County for all the right reasons”, he said. “The municipality has responded to residents’ insistence on maintaining a small town atmosphere by keeping a tight rein on development and its lasting effects on the infrastructure and natural environment. Along with a great school system, which is also a byproduct of that controlled growth, Montvale is precisely the type of area where our housing products work best in creating unparalleled lifestyles for high-end buyers:.

With a record-setting 2005 as a catalyst, Baldanza Construction anticipates another strong performance this year, and expects to pre-sell most of the Charlestowne Court project in the first quarter. “I can’t tell you how personally rewarding it is for our family to be so successful and respected in such a competitive market and among so many other builders”, Baldanza said, “We look forward to continued success throughout 2006 and beyond”.

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