Hovnanian Enterprises

Hovnanian Enterprises Inc.
Public
Traded as NYSE: HOV
Industry Construction
Founded 1959
Headquarters Red Bank, New Jersey, United States
Key people
 Kevork Hovnanian
Founder & Chairman
Ara K. Hovnanian
CEO & President
J. Larry Sorsby
CFO & Executive VP
Products Homes
Financial Services
Revenue Decrease US$ 1.135 billion (2011)[1]
Increase US$ -291.59 million (2011)[1]
Decrease US$ -286.09 million (2011)[1]
Total assets Decrease US$ 1.602 billion (2011)[1]
Total equity Decrease US$ -496.60 million (2011)[1]
Number of employees
 1,500 (October 2011)[1]
Slogan The First Name in Lasting Value
Website www.khov.com

Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. is a United States real estate company involved in every aspect of marketing homes, including design, construction and sales. The company works with individual detached housing as well as higher-occupancy dwellings, including townhouses, condominiums and retirement homes. In most cases, the company acquires and develops the land on which these developments are built, but in some geographic regions, Hovnanian offers to build their proprietary house designs on private land. The company consists of two operating groups, homebuilding and financial services, and recently entered the Fortune 500.

Despite some recent financial difficulties due to the 2008–2009 recession and financial crisis, Hovnanian Enterprises remains the sixth largest American homebuilder and the largest homebuilder in New Jersey, as of September 2009.[2]

Company operations

Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. builds about 14,600 houses a year, with base prices ranging from $46,000 to $2,350,000 and averaging about $280,000. It operates in Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington DC, and West Virginia.[3] The Hovnanian family controls about 30% of the company shares, a stake worth $1 billion in 2005.

The company relocated its corporate headquarters to a new building on the banks of the Navesink River in Red Bank, New Jersey, in 2006.[2]

History

In 1959, Kevork Hovnanian, an ethnic Armenian originally from Iraq, and his three brothers - Hirair Hovnanian, Jirair Hovnanian and Vahak Hovananian - each contributed $1,000 dollars, in addition to $20,000 which they borrowed, to found Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. in a trailer in Toms River, New Jersey.[4]

Hovnanian and his company earned a reputation to selling low cost condos and townhouses, many to first time young homewowners and families.[4] A typical two-bedroom, two bathroom Hovnanian home built in the early 1980s cost approximately $30,000 because Hovnanian eliminated amenities such as communal swimming pools, which other builders used to attract potential buyers.[4] In a New York Times interview in 1983, Hovnanian explained his reasoning for marketing low cost homes in developments without community amenities, "There are limited recreation facilities going in because people have little time for socialization."[4]

In 1964 Jirair Hovnanian split off from his brothers' company and founded his own construction business, J.S. Hovnanian & Sons, of Mount Laurel Township, New Jersey.[5] Hirair and Vahak also left the company by 1969 to found their own enterprises.[4]

Hovnanian Enterprises had built and sold more than 30,000 homes and condos by 1989.[4] An additional 200,000 residences were sold between 1989 and 2009, as the company expanded its construction to include luxury homes, mid-priced homes and retirement communities.[4] It remains one the United States' largest builders of "active adult homes", which are sold under the name of Four Seasons communities.[2]

Kevork Hovnanian stepped down as president of Hovnanian Enterprises in 1989, and was succeeded by his son, Ara K. Hovnanian.[4] He remained chief executive until his retirement in 1997, and was also replaced as CEO by Ara Hovnanian.[4] However, he remained the chairman of the company's board of directors until his death in 2009.[4]

Quality

Hovnanian has been the subject of customer complaints. In a few cases, there have been legitimate construction problems in some Hovnanian houses. For example, in 2005, Hovnanian acknowledged problems in a development in New Jersey after nearly three dozen disgruntled homeowners turned to elected officials when their complaints were ignored.[6]

K. Hovnanian the home builder and the mortgage company are no strangers to controversy. In 2008, the home builder was involved in a class action lawsuit where the plaintiffs alleged their subdivision was built near an old bombing range. The company settled the lawsuit in 2011 for a reported $1.2 million. (source: http://themortgageinsider.net/mortgage-reviews/k-hovnanian-american-mortgage-review.html).

The mortgage company was involved in a class action lawsuit filed in 2007 alleging violations of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) for removing incentives from home buyers if they opted to use another title insurance provider rather than the Hovnanian-affiliated title insurance company. (source: http://themortgageinsider.net/mortgage-reviews/k-hovnanian-american-mortgage-review.html).

K. Hovnanian Homes has also been the subject of praise from homeowners citing the builders reputation and solid history.[7] Hovnanian has also received numerous awards based on the quality of their construction and high level customer support.[8][9]

External links

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "Hovnanian Enterprises Inc 2011 Annual Report - Form 10-K - December 30, 2011.". secdatabase.com. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Willis, David P. (2009-09-24). "Homebuilder leaves legacy of philanthropy". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved 2009-10-19.
  3. ↑ http://www.investor.reuters.wallst.com/stocks/company-profile.asp?rpc=66&ticker=HOV
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 Meier, Barry (2009-09-25). "Kevork S. Hovnanian, Construction Company Founder, Dies at 86". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-10-19.
  5. ↑ Sims, Gayle Nonan (2007-08-15). "J.S. Hovnanian, New Jersey builder, dies". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2007-09-16.
  6. ↑ "N.J.: State Report Details Homebuilding Flaws". Daily Real Estate News, Realtor Magazine Online. March 23, 2005.
  7. ↑ Woman trades noisy neighbor for a peaceful K. Hovnanian Home, Asbury Park Press, app.com, January 13, 2008, accessed February 2, 2008
  8. ↑ K. Hovnanian Homes Earns National Housing Quality Certification for Outstanding Quality Assurance and Customer Satisfaction, NAHB Research Center, nahbrc.org, September 7, 2006, accessed February 2, 2008
  9. ↑ Six Quality Methods for Award Winning Performance of National Housing Quality award winners, Toolbase Services, toolbase.org, accessed February 2, 2008