Mitchell Homes President Scott Sleeme, left, in the new design studio with sales associates Cabell Hatchett, Angie Griffin and Thomas Joyner, from left. (Jonathan Spiers photos)
After nearly 30 years in Powhatan, an area homebuilder is entering its fourth decade with a new headquarters and design studio across the county line.
Mitchell Homes has relocated to Midlothian, where it has set up shop at 14300 Sommerville Court, in the Sommerville Office Park off Midlothian Turnpike.
The move marks a new era for the family-owned firm, which had been based five miles west at Route 60 and Holly Hills Road, where namesake Mitchell Sleeme founded the company in 1992.
The 12,000-square-foot building at 14300 Sommerville Court is now home base for Mitchell Homes.
The 12,000-square-foot building doubles the size of its previous space, a 5,000-square-foot office that was converted from a residence. It also accommodates a larger home design studio, which at 4,000 square feet is the largest of the company’s showrooms The others are in Fredericksburg, Newport News, and Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
Scott Sleeme, the founder’s son, has led the company as president for over a decade. He described the design studios as a more effective version of the roadside model homes of his father’s generation. The company had a sales office on Brook Road in Henrico but closed it a few years ago in favor of the studios.
Scott Sleeme is the company’s second-generation president.
“My dad founded the company 30 years ago, and the (business model) was to put a model home right off of a highway, in an easy-to-access commercial area. It would be an actual home with furniture, and we would have a small area where we could meet with customers,” Sleeme said.
“Over time, we developed a retail center, and we’ve evolved to the point where we’re able to show multiple vignettes. This allows us to show so much more.”
The building also houses offices and amenities for Mitchell Homes’ workforce, which had grown from 33 in 2018 to 51 when it moved in late 2021. Sleeme bought the building that October for $1.85 million, using an LLC. He said the company spent $175,000 into upfitting the space, and finished the design center late last year.
Of the previous office, Sleeme said, “We had nowhere to put anybody; we were doubling up offices. There were maintenance problems because it was an older house, and I felt like it didn’t give the image that we wanted for our employees or our customers.”
Sleeme said he found the Sommerville building working with Colliers’ Peter Vick, who represented his LLC in the purchase. The 17-year-old building previously housed medical supplier Zimmer Mid-Atlantic and was owned by Moseby Enterprises LLC, which bought it in 2006 for $2.19 million. Chesterfield County has assessed the 0.8-acre property at $2.14 million.
Sleeme, 47, said he preferred the building for its access to Route 288 and location in a developing corridor. Sommerville Office Park is just west of Winterfield Crossing and across 288 from Westchester Commons, where fellow builder Main Street Homes has its headquarters.
“It makes it easy for our customers, who come from as far as two hours away, to find, being close to a highway, and for our employees to access,” he said. “The building was perfect for us in terms of size, it was in excellent condition, and the office space was already developed.”
The design studio was completed in recent months.
The design studio, previously a warehouse for Zimmer, features design displays and selections for different rooms in the house, as well as customization options ranging from paint colors to granite and quartz countertops and other finishes. Sleeme said customizations have increased as Mitchell has evolved from a primarily rural customer base.
“Our customers were always rural and they wouldn’t do as much in terms of upgrades. We’ve seen that change significantly over the last five years. Our options and upgrades and average prices have just increased significantly.”
As a scattered-site builder, Mitchell builds individual homes on land already owned by its customers, most of them built on family-owned plots. Sleeme said the company doesn’t buy land or sections in established neighborhoods.
The company offers a selection of 40 floor plans that customers can further customize. Homes average 2,200 square feet in size and $350,000 in price, Sleeme said.
Mitchell is active in Virginia, southern Maryland and in North Carolina, where it expanded five years ago. Sleeme said the company built 205 homes last year and brought in about $72 million in sales revenue – up from 110 closings and $23 million in sales in 2017. He said it’s on track to build 220 homes this year.
The company is marking the design studio’s opening with an open house this weekend, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Sales staff from each of Mitchell’s offices will be present for the event, which will include a food truck, kids’ activities and tours of the studio.
Mitchell follows other builders that have drawn up new digs in recent years. Across the river in Henrico, Eagle Construction of VA relocated its headquarters from West Broad Village to Canterbury Shopping Center on Patterson Avenue.
Mitchell Homes President Scott Sleeme, left, in the new design studio with sales associates Cabell Hatchett, Angie Griffin and Thomas Joyner, from left. (Jonathan Spiers photos)
After nearly 30 years in Powhatan, an area homebuilder is entering its fourth decade with a new headquarters and design studio across the county line.
Mitchell Homes has relocated to Midlothian, where it has set up shop at 14300 Sommerville Court, in the Sommerville Office Park off Midlothian Turnpike.
The move marks a new era for the family-owned firm, which had been based five miles west at Route 60 and Holly Hills Road, where namesake Mitchell Sleeme founded the company in 1992.
The 12,000-square-foot building at 14300 Sommerville Court is now home base for Mitchell Homes.
The 12,000-square-foot building doubles the size of its previous space, a 5,000-square-foot office that was converted from a residence. It also accommodates a larger home design studio, which at 4,000 square feet is the largest of the company’s showrooms The others are in Fredericksburg, Newport News, and Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
Scott Sleeme, the founder’s son, has led the company as president for over a decade. He described the design studios as a more effective version of the roadside model homes of his father’s generation. The company had a sales office on Brook Road in Henrico but closed it a few years ago in favor of the studios.
Scott Sleeme is the company’s second-generation president.
“My dad founded the company 30 years ago, and the (business model) was to put a model home right off of a highway, in an easy-to-access commercial area. It would be an actual home with furniture, and we would have a small area where we could meet with customers,” Sleeme said.
“Over time, we developed a retail center, and we’ve evolved to the point where we’re able to show multiple vignettes. This allows us to show so much more.”
The building also houses offices and amenities for Mitchell Homes’ workforce, which had grown from 33 in 2018 to 51 when it moved in late 2021. Sleeme bought the building that October for $1.85 million, using an LLC. He said the company spent $175,000 into upfitting the space, and finished the design center late last year.
Of the previous office, Sleeme said, “We had nowhere to put anybody; we were doubling up offices. There were maintenance problems because it was an older house, and I felt like it didn’t give the image that we wanted for our employees or our customers.”
Sleeme said he found the Sommerville building working with Colliers’ Peter Vick, who represented his LLC in the purchase. The 17-year-old building previously housed medical supplier Zimmer Mid-Atlantic and was owned by Moseby Enterprises LLC, which bought it in 2006 for $2.19 million. Chesterfield County has assessed the 0.8-acre property at $2.14 million.
Sleeme, 47, said he preferred the building for its access to Route 288 and location in a developing corridor. Sommerville Office Park is just west of Winterfield Crossing and across 288 from Westchester Commons, where fellow builder Main Street Homes has its headquarters.
“It makes it easy for our customers, who come from as far as two hours away, to find, being close to a highway, and for our employees to access,” he said. “The building was perfect for us in terms of size, it was in excellent condition, and the office space was already developed.”
The design studio was completed in recent months.
The design studio, previously a warehouse for Zimmer, features design displays and selections for different rooms in the house, as well as customization options ranging from paint colors to granite and quartz countertops and other finishes. Sleeme said customizations have increased as Mitchell has evolved from a primarily rural customer base.
“Our customers were always rural and they wouldn’t do as much in terms of upgrades. We’ve seen that change significantly over the last five years. Our options and upgrades and average prices have just increased significantly.”
As a scattered-site builder, Mitchell builds individual homes on land already owned by its customers, most of them built on family-owned plots. Sleeme said the company doesn’t buy land or sections in established neighborhoods.
The company offers a selection of 40 floor plans that customers can further customize. Homes average 2,200 square feet in size and $350,000 in price, Sleeme said.
Mitchell is active in Virginia, southern Maryland and in North Carolina, where it expanded five years ago. Sleeme said the company built 205 homes last year and brought in about $72 million in sales revenue – up from 110 closings and $23 million in sales in 2017. He said it’s on track to build 220 homes this year.
The company is marking the design studio’s opening with an open house this weekend, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Sales staff from each of Mitchell’s offices will be present for the event, which will include a food truck, kids’ activities and tours of the studio.
Mitchell follows other builders that have drawn up new digs in recent years. Across the river in Henrico, Eagle Construction of VA relocated its headquarters from West Broad Village to Canterbury Shopping Center on Patterson Avenue.
Congratulation’s Scott & Mitchell Homes!