As a builder, David Prutting started out at the top. “My specialty was shingling,” he says. “‘Shingling and Roofing’ was on my first business card.” And while he climbed down from the roof long ago, his 30-year career has followed a steady upward path in project complexity, client demographics, and architectural sophistication. “I never tried to jump out ahead of what I could do,” he notes. But a gradual accumulation of expertise and contacts has made him one of the most highly regarded builders in a market that appreciates the finest in residential architecture and construction. That niche has served Prutting well in the current downturn. While company volume is down markedly from its peak, his core staff, client base, and business model have survived intact. So, too, has his enthusiasm for the job.Working with top-notch architects is the key, Prutting says. Clients who recognize good design—both contemporary and traditional—are better clients, he argues. “They build because they want to, not because they need to,” which makes them more dependable, more loyal, and more fun. In the current recession, “they’re waiting or they’re scaling back their budget, but that passion to build something distinctive is still there. In spite of the economy, it’s not going away.” Nor should it, he insists. “I’ve been re-emphasizing the importance of investing in good design, because it will hold its value.” Those who get the message “are the clients we want to align ourselves with.
Clients who view their homes as habitable art are a natural match for Prutting, because he shares that feeling. He recently put the finishing touches on an adventurously modern spec house and plans to develop other similar projects as the economy recovers. “I love picking the stuff and patronizing the good designers,” he explains. In the meantime, Prutting finds satisfaction in helping clients realize their own visions of home. Having worked his way through countless bread-and-butter projects, he says, “I’m pretty well-settled on the gourmet food. Still, I tell my clients, when you want to change a handle on a closet door, call me.”
Prutting & Co. Custom Builders
New Canaan, Conn.
www.prutting.com
Type of business: Custom builder
Years in business: 35
Employees: 13
2009 volume: More than $8 million
2009 starts: 4
