Epcon Communities CEO: Condo builders franchise concept

Several years after Epcon Communities began in central Ohio, a market- research consultant who had observed the company - and many other developers and builders across the U.S. - posed a question to founders Philip Fankhauser and Edward Bacome.

He said, "Are you considering going national?" Fankhauser said. "Ed and I thought for about 30 seconds, and we both came to the same conclusion pretty rapidly that we had no such interest, that we had all the challenges and all the opportunity we could envision at the time here in central Ohio. But (the consultant) went on to say, "Have you ever considered franchising your concept to other builders in other locations?" That exchange stuck with Fankhauser and Bacome, who took some time cultivating the idea before launching what later would become their next venture, Epcon Communities Franchising Inc., in 1995. Today, the Dublin-based company includes 71 franchise owners in 19 states. Of its 104 active communities, 26 are in Ohio.

Epcon Communities had already found its niche in building two- and three-bedroom ranch condominiums for "mature, active-adult" homebuyers when Fankhauser and Bacome pursued their franchising spinoff. So they continued on that original path, but added new staff members to focus exclusively on the franchise end of the business.

With no similar franchise models to study or pattern from in the homebuilding industry at the time, Fankhauser and Bacome crafted the franchising business from the ground up. "We learned from our experiences," Fankhauser said.

Q: You built your first residential development in Columbus in 1986, and as Epcon's success grew, so did the potential to expand the business. Was there a turning point when you decided to take the leap into franchising? Bacome: It was something that we didn't take lightly as far as the opportunity, but we really did have a full plate on what we had just embarked on. " We decided the next step was that it wouldn't be (us) heading it up - we would need to engage somebody to work with us. So that is sort of my recall of the next step, deciding to hire somebody. And so we did that, and that was that person's sole responsibility. The next challenge after he came on board was one of awareness in promoting the brand.

Q: Are there requirements for who can become an Epcon franchisee today? Fankhauser: Yes, we go through a thorough candidate review process to ensure the potential franchise owner has an adequate business background and financial ability to develop and build a housing community. We're also looking for individuals that will be good stewards of our national brand, as well as being contributors to their local community.

Q: Is knowledge of the building industry and/or real estate preferred? Fankhauser: It is not. We have worked with many franchise owners that have come from diverse backgrounds outside of the building industry. We provide the people, process and product as part of our franchise system to help them build an Epcon community.

Q: What type of guidance and support are provided to franchisees? Fankhauser: What we provide a franchisee begins with the copyrighted architecture. And we could all agree that all homes are not created equally. We believe ours are given more thought and created by more-visionary architects than someone who says, "Let's get into this market and sit down and create a home this afternoon." So a franchisee would view the architecture as a very, very key component in the support. Beyond that, there are a number of other things. Training would be paramount on the list, because there's a right way and a wrong way to build a home.

Q: Is there a typical number of homes/units per franchise project, or does it vary widely? Fankhauser: We offer products that are attached condos, free-standing condos or single-family homes. The number of homes in a community can range from 10 to over 150, and currently sell for between $150,000 and $630,000. Most communities in today's market have between 30 and 60 homes.

Q: What sets Epcon's communities apart? Fankhauser: We have to remember that what we're offering our buyers is both a new home that reflects up-to-date design and features, and a change in their lifestyle - a lifestyle that creates more free time and more fun time. The amenities that we provide are part of that lifestyle. The clubhouse, the swimming pool, the walking trails and so forth, but the free time is also a big part of that. Free time for play, free time for travel, free time for pursuing interests.

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