Name: Denny Hayden
Title: Vice President, DH Custom Homes
Number of years in the industry: 12 years
Education: Chaminade High School – 1996; University of Missouri – Columbia – BS/BA in Finance and Banking
Custom home building is in Denny Hayden’s DNA. From the time he was in high school, he was lugging materials, estimating costs and supporting sales people for Hayden Homes, the St. Louis company founded by his father (Dennis Hayden) and uncle (C Barry Hayden). Today, while his title and the company name have changed, he is still motivated by the same feeling – creating a unique home experience.
“You spend a lot of your life in your home, and it is very much a part of who you are,” says Denny. “We love making interesting homes for people. For a lot of our customers, this may be the only time they get to shape their surroundings and create their dream home. That means I get to be a part of a once in a lifetime experience for someone, and that’s incredible.”
Here is a little bit more about what makes this custom home builder tick:
How do you describe what you do to others?
I still do a lot of the same things that I did when I was growing up at Hayden Homes. I am in front of the client a lot more now directly. Mostly, though I meet with our sales team finding ways to meet potential home buyers’ needs. It takes a little creativity from time to time, but I love the challenge of making things work within the budget or space restrictions. I also do a little bit of design and help to tweak the plans that we present to clients along with some accounts payable, estimating and purchasing roles.
Did you know you would join in with the family business after college?
I worked for Hayden Homes all through my childhood, high school and college. I always liked the work and the people I worked with. When I graduated in December, I started working right away at Hayden Homes in February. By the time I graduated college, I had done almost everything. I worked for the laborers, cleaned houses, watered lawns and helped in customer service. I did accounting, purchasing and estimating. I knew that is what I wanted to do.
No offense. But it seems like you like to do the unsexy, behind-the-scenes sort of work. Is that true?
It definitely is. I try to keep us organized to keep our costs low. More people want to work with us because we deliver superior quality for good prices.
What is the biggest mistake that you think you have made and what did you learn from it?
I make all kinds of mistakes. The biggest thing that I have learned from many mistakes is: Just do it right and fix it right. If I find myself in a situation where I’m going to upset someone, it’s better to just quickly come out and identify what it is and get everyone on board toward finding a solution. It’s best to just admit it and fix it. I always end up better off and the client appreciates it, and it makes a client delight in the way you handle it. It’s an opportunity to show your humanity.
Where do you see your company going in the next 5 years?
We primarily have been serving people by building homes on land that people own. In the future, I think our growth will come from our ability to develop land ourselves. Hayden Homes was a developer and builder. I see DH Custom Homes doing some small developments in the inner suburbs or inner ring in St. Louis County. People are already asking us for that, so it would make sense for us to move in that direction. And, from an accounting standpoint, it becomes easier to project revenues and makes us more efficient.
How do you cope with the family dynamic in the workplace?
We are honest with each other and, at times, just patient. We have weekly meetings to keep communication open. If we keep communicating, a lot of challenges solve themselves. Generally, other people want to give you ideas and advice, so we keep those lines open.
What is it that you do when you are not working?
I’m married and have two daughters who are 5 and 3, so between school, t-ball and dancing, I stay pretty busy. My wife and I like to collect recipes, and we both love cooking.
If you were going to show off in the kitchen, what would you make?
I know it sounds really basic, but I would make you a tomato sauce. I like to buy the fresh tomatoes, garlic, olive oil. I mix it together at the right proportion and salt and pepper to taste. In general, I like to play around with Italian style foods. When my wife and I go out, however, we end up at steakhouses and places like Annie Gunn’s.
