Vision - Community Growth

Community Growth

April 20, 2012

4 Norman 2012 VISION

Animal Emergency Center . . . . . . . . . . 2

Carlson & Copeland . . . . . . . . . . . 24-25

Catering Creations . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-21

1st American Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Goodwill Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Havenbrook Funeral Home . . . . . . . . 31

Marc Heitz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13

Norman Chamber of Commerce . . . . . 4

Norman Gold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-27

OG&E. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17

Savannah House of Norman . . . . 22-23

Spaulding Family Chiropractic . . . . . . 30

The Chickasaw Nation . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

The Shower Door Source. . . . . . . 18-19

Theos Market Place . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11

n Clockwise from upper left: 1stAmerican Bank, Mark Heitz, Theo’s (allby Kyle Phillips/The Transcript) andChickasaw Nation (Provided photo).

ON THE COVER

ADVERTISER INDEX Norman’s FireStation No. 8was built as agreen projectand is LEEDcertified. Moreon the movetoward buildinggreen, Page 5.

Transcript File Photo

Norman 2012 VISION 5

By Caitlin SchudallaTranscript Staff Writer

Environmental consciousness has beenslowly gaining ground over the pastdecades, prompting sweeping changes inthe lifestyles and perspectives of modernconsumers, and a subsequent higherdemand for products that are environmen-tally friendly.

According to the National Association ofHome Builders, modern homes are 100percent more energy efficient than homesbuilt in the 1970s, thanks to changes in roofcoverings, better insulation in walls andwindows and high-efficiency heating,cooling and water systems.

While these improvements are signifi-cant, many consumers wish to take theirenergy conservation a step further, seekingout third-party verification of their home’sor facility’s higher “green” standard, suchas LEED (Leadership in Energy andEnvironmental Design) certification.

As one of Oklahoma’s few NationallyCertified Green Home Builders, CurtisMcCarty of C.A. McCarty ConstructionLLC is closely familiar with the complexi-ties and constant developments of moderngreen construction.

“A lot of people think ‘green’ is justbuying green products, but to call yourself‘green’ as a professional requires classesand annual certification — as a greenbuilder I have to take a two-day class, take atest, and pay educational and annual fees,”McCarty said.

And that’s just for builders.Certifying a residence, for example, is so

comprehensive it requires hours ofadditional work for the design/buildingcrew.

“To actually certify a house is very workintensive, we have to do lots of research onthe house’s climate zone, find as many localbuilding products as possible to cut downon gas emmissions from shipping, andinvestigate local vegetation for landscapingso the homeowners won’t consume toomuch water maintaining their property —and that’s just part of it. Just the initialpaperwork took about 10 hours,” McCartysaid.

All this research and product conscious-ness also comes with a hefty pricetag.

McCarty’s most recent LEED certifiedhouse, which included a state-of-the-artgeothermal well system using groundtemperatures to heat and cool the house,cost about $600,000 — roughly twice thecost of an average home, according to theU.S. Census Bureau.

“I would estimate the green aspects ofthe home, not counting the geothermalwell system, cost about $10,000, with the

LEED certification alone costing about $3(thousand) to $4,000,” McCarty said.

Ideals about preserving the environmentaside, consumers are justified in question-ing whether such a steep investment isworth it.

“The payoff is very quick in comparingLEED construction with others, the designfor higher insulation and more expensivetechnology pays for itself in utility costs,”

University of Oklahoma Associate Profes-sor of Architecture David Boeck said.“LED light bulbs, for example, are threetimes more expensive than incandescantlighting, but pay for themselves” becauseof their longevity.

LEED certification is the most recog-nized of national green standards, but thereare a plethora of other verification sourcesfor those interested, and certification or no,being “green” can be as varied and costeffective as each individual consumer’sneeds.

“Basic industry standard is muchgreener, addressing the major concerns ofheating and cooling efficiency and light-ing,” Boeck said. “Larger buildings nowuse special glazing systems on theirwindows to reflect the sun’s UV rays andrelieve interior cooling, and features likerecycled carpet and motion sensor lightsare becoming standard.”

As far as the future is concerned, bothBoeck and McCarty forsee newer evenmore efficient standards and priorities ingreen construction and homes.

“I predict the HERS (Home EnergyRating System) index will become standardin the housing construction and real estatemarket,” McCarty said. “It’s much simplerthan other third-party rating systems, andbasically acts like a vehicle MPG rating foryour house. Norman is currently workingon making a HERS index listing a featureof all houses for sale.”

Boeck predicts that the next majorenvironmental concern to affect buildingand lifestyles will be water conservation.

“Water is the biggest issue in my mind.With weather in this region warming up,water consumption is a major problem forurban areas - the population continues torise but water levels stay the same. TheGarber-Wellington aquifer was onceconsidered an unlimited source of water,but it has dropped 30 feet,” Boeck said.

Both Boeck and McCarty agree that ourbest weapon in the fight for environmentalconservation is knowledge.

“If we can educate builders and con-sumers and generate a movement in thedirection of research and local environmen-tal consciousness like that which LEEDseeks to establish, the less we’ll need all thecertification and paperwork,” McCarty said.

Construction going increasingly greenSmall updates can help

Curtis McCarty of C.A. McCarty Construction,LLC and OU Associate Professor of ArchitectureDavid Boeck recommend these small, inexpen-sive updates to dramatically increase your home’senergy efficiency.

• UpdateWindows and doors are the next biggest leak

for interior heating and cooling. Investing inmodern, insulated windows and doors is a majorimprovement which Boeck and McCarty stronglyrecommend. While it is a significant investment,the savings in utility costs and repairs willcompensate the initial price of the equipment.

Also, homeowners who replace heating andcooling systems or water heaters which are morethan 10 years old are eligible for tax credits.

• InsulateAdding insulation relieves the strain on any

home’s heating and cooling system, no matterhow old or new it is. Boeck and McCarty say tostart in the attic, where homes typically leak themost heating and cooling.

“I reccommend adding another 12 inches ofinsulation, that will pay back in no time andhomeowners will likely see immediate results intheir interior temperature,” Boeck said.

• Save WaterInstead of putting strain on the city’s water

supply to maintain gardens and lawns, Boeckrecommends placing buckets under thedownspouts in your home’s rain gutter and savingit for a drier day.

Provided Photo

McCarty of C.A. McCarty Construction, builder of this home, is one of Okla-homa’s few Nationally Certified Green Home Builders. Green homes can addconsiderably to the price of a home. Industry analysts say it pays in the end.


By Carol Cole-FroweFor the Transcript

It’s still a buyers’ market, but Normanand Cleveland County residential realestate markets are strong and gettingstronger, said Wendy Welcher, NormanBoard of Realtors president.

“The properties are out there. ... And itdoesn’t get any better than currentinterest rates,” Welcher said.

Residential sales are up this yearcompared with the past couple of years’numbers.

NBR inventory history shows February2012 sales up by 54 percent over Febru-ary 2011, with 172 units sold versus 112 inthe previous year.

The new March numbers showresidential sales up from 161 in 2011 to180 units last month, or a 12 percentincrease.

“I’ll take those numbers any day,” shesaid.

Welcher said last year’s brutally hotsummer and drought hurt sellers and ifthis summer is even a little milder thanlast, she expects sales to continue totrend upward.

“It hurt curb appeal and there weredead trees everywhere,” she said, alsonoting buyers weren’t excited abouthouse hunting or moving in 110-degreeheat.

Welcher said she’s seeing more first-time home buyers getting into the marketand more inventory in the under $100,000price range to choose from.

More than a third of home sales sinceJan. 1 are in the $120,000 to $159,999range, with about 35 percent of homesales, according to NBR stats.

New home starts appear to be trendingupward for 2012, said Susan Connors,City of Norman director of planning andcommunity development. There were 92single-home residential building permitsissues since Jan. 1. There were 357 single-home residential buildings permitted inall of 2011.

“We are not back to our high years,”Connors said. “But things are comingback.”

Welcher said Norman never sufferedthe deep real estate decline that hit muchof the rest of the nation. She said the localeconomy and University of Oklahomacontinues to help stabilize the local realestate market.

“It’s great to be in Norman,” she said.She had advice for sellers thinking

about putting their homes on the market.Residential sellers need to make suretheir properties are competitive, declutter-ing and working on curb appeal.

“The key is the property has got to bein superior condition,” Welcher said,noting many home sellers are watchingHGTV shows giving tips on selling andstaging. “There’s a lot more homestaging.”

Buyers and sellers need to be preparedfor lengthy loan qualification processes.

“Financial conditions are still extremelystressed,” Welcher said. “It takes longerto get financed. Buyers have to providemore documents.”

She advises working with local lenders,who work closely with their loan appli-cants, versus going online for home loans.

“We have some wonderful locallenders,” Welcher said. “But the processis definitely more difficult than it’s been inprevious years.”

Conventional loans are still king whenfinancing a house. Since Jan. 1, NBRstatistics show a third of area homes werepurchased using conventional loans, withFHA loans making up 28 percent; cash,20 percent; followed by VA loans at 10percent.

Welcher said buyers should beprepared to produce a year of bankstatements, probably two years of incometax returns, verification of employmentand other documents if necessary.She’s hopeful financing homes willbecome easier as markets rebound.

“We’d like to see a happy medium,”she said.

Norman housing stable and growingMore first-time home buyers now able to enter the market

Debra A. Parker / The Transcript

Residential sales are up this year compared with the past couple of years’ num-bers. The new March numbers show residential sales up from 161 in 2011 to 180units last month, or a 12 percent increase.


Editor’s note: The Transcript took a lookthrough the city’s building permits to get asense of the top five most prolific builders inNorman. The list was further refined toshowcase the top builders of affordablehomes as well as the top custom-homebuilders. At the top of each list were thesebuilders: Home Creations, Ideal Homes,Landmark Fine Homes, C.A. McCartyConstruction and Westpoint Homes

Transcript Staff

Since 1981, brothers Jalal and Moham-mad Farzaneh have dedicated themselvesto building affordable homes in Oklahomawith a lot of that activity in the Moore-Nor-man area. Home Creations’ main office islocated in Moore.

“We sold 24 homes last week and hadthe best first quarter in our company’s his-tory. The real estate market is doing greatin OK,” reports Home Creations staff at theMoore office.

The brothers first came to the UnitedStates to study architecture at the Univer-sity of Oklahoma. There were job shortagesin their field and the pair became home-builders. With the help of Monty Deere,president of United Bank of Norman, the

brothers bought their first lot from devel-oper Gene McKown and built their firsthouse at 2122 Jasmine Drive in Norman.

In the early 1990s, developer Tom Graypermitted the Farzanehs to become theexclusive builder in Norman’s PrairieCreek subdivision. In 1993, the brothersexpanded their construction activities tosouth Oklahoma City. Later theyapproached Larry Shaver of McSha Prop-erties, the owner of the Canadian Trailssubdivision in Norman.

By 1999 Home Creations was buildingabout 100 homes a year. In May of that yeara massive tornado tore through Moore andSouth Oklahoma City, damaging ordestroying hundreds of homes. That moti-vated the brothers to build homes thatcould withstand severe storms and torna-does. They were aided by Harold Conner,former director of construction science atOU.

In Norman, Creative Homes build inDeerfield, Park Place, Executive Homesand Eagle Cliff South.

In Moore, find them in Apple Village andApple Landing.

Home Creations also believes in givingback to the community. The company

donates to non-profit organizations likeUnited Way, Big Brothers Big Sisters,Rebuilding Together of Cleveland Coun-ty, American Cancer Society, AmericanHeart Association, Fraternal Order ofPolice, Tinker Air Force Base and numer-ous schools, sports teams and religiousgroups.

Awards & Community InvolvementENERGY STAR Partner of the Year 2011No.1 Local Leader of Builders in Okla-

homaNo. 56 of 100 America’s Biggest BuildersNo.10 Professional Builder Housing

Giants

Nominee — Ernst & Young Entrepre-neur of the Year 2009

Home Builder of the Year 2008 JournalRecord Book of Lists

Two-time participant in Central Okla-homa Habitat for Humanity’s BuildingBlitz, working with trade partners and ven-dors to build a new home in five days - 2006and 2008

Recipient — “Master Builder Award”from Owens Corning

“Best Home Builder,” “Best Overall Ser-vice” and “Best Employer” annual awardsfrom The Norman Transcript Readers’Choice Surveys

Home CreationsProvided Photo

A recent build by Home Creations at Park Place just South of Rockwell and West of SE 12th

Brothers Jalal and MohammadFarzaneh arethe drivingforce behindHome Creations.

Provided Photo


By Jerri Culpepper Special for the Transcript

Theo’s Marketplace started in asmall, wood-framed building justnorth of historic Campus Corner inNorman more than 40 years ago,where they were called the Nowand Then Shoppe. The gleam of thebrass beds and the hues from thestained glass windows illuminatedthe store, which was filled withbeautiful antiques collected from allover the United States.

Today, Theo’s is a sprawling,13,000-square-foot showroom. Onceensconced in Brookhaven Village at3720 W. Robinson St., they changedtheir name to Theo’s Marketplace,after the owner, Theodora Crewson.A 16,000-square-foot WarehouseShowroom has since been added;open to the public, it is located onthe corner of 36th and Bart ConnerDrive.

Over the years, Theo’s has built alarge and loyal customer base, whoenjoy not only the quality new andantique furniture they know theycan find there, but also the store’sever-growing assortment of gifts,accessories, and artwork. Many ofthese customers also take advan-tage of Theo’s talented home deco-rators who are ready to assist youin creating a house you will love tocall home.

Theo’s also has provided furni-ture for large-scale commercial enti-ties, including the National CowboyHall of Fame and the Western Her-itage Museum.

Theo’s is particularly proud to beOklahoma’s exclusive Stickley deal-er since 1992.

For those not familiar with thisbrand and style of furniture, Stick-ley is a family-owned and Americanmade product that is “built for life”and is heirloom quality. WhileStickley manufactures all styles offurniture, they first gained interna-tional prominence in the early 20thcentury, during the Arts and Craftsmovement, with their Mission Styledesigns. Just as in the beginning,Stickley is still made with the tra-

ditional furniture making tech-niques used in the early 20th cen-tury. Dovetailed cross rails, tongue

and groove joints, and quadralinearposts are just a few of these tradi-tional techniques that are used.Today, Stickley is widely known forproducing premium hardwood fur-niture that is designed to be beau-tiful to look at, while also beingpractical to use in American familyhomes, today.

Customers who buy their furni-ture at Theo’s – whether they pur-chase pieces by Stickley or one of

the other quality brands carried bythis unique store – appreciate thefact they are dealing with a localbusiness that has withstood the testof time.

We value the integrity of theproduct we sell, “says TheodoraCrewson. “We believe in shoppinglocal and supporting local busi-

nesses. We are devoted to our cus-tomers and our community.”

Jerry Crewson said Theo’s shop-pers time and again complimentthem for their professional, efficientand caring staff, as well as for theirongoing efforts to find unique, qual-ity products.”

Theodora, Phil and Jerry inviteyou to learn more about Theo’s byvisiting their store during their reg-ular business hours of 10 a.m. to 6p.m. Mondays through Saturdays,as well as stop by the WarehouseShowroom.

For information about sales, pro-motions and new products, callTheo’s Marketplace at (405) 364-0728 “like” them on Facebook orjoin the email list; to sign up, vis-it www.theosmarketplace.comThis is a paid advertorial by Theo’s Market-place

Theo’s Marketplace: Oklahoma’s exclusive Stickley Dealer since 1992

For those not familiar with this brand and styleof furniture, Stickley is a family-owned and Amer-ican made product that is “built for life” and isheirloom quality.



Marc Heitz Chevrolet buildsloyal customer base, good will ofthe community.

Probably few, if any, large-scale automo-bile dealerships are founded on a love ofcars, dogs and kids – not necessarily in thatorder.It’s also doubtful that many of theautomobile dealerships established just pri-or to the downturn in the nation’s economyare still alive today, much less thriving.

But whether it was their customer-firstphilosophy, huge selection of Chevrolets,placement in Norman, or dedication to giv-ing back to their community – or a combi-nation of these and more – Marc HeitzChevrolet in Norman today is measuringsuccess in virtually every ways that count,including annual sales figures and the sat-isfaction that comes with giving back toyour community.

Even if you haven’t been in the marketfor a new auto in the past few years, you arecertain to have driven past Norman’snewest auto dealership: it’s the building atI-35 and Lindsey Street that looks a bit likea Bass Pro Shop. And even if you didn’t goto Marc Heitz Chevrolet to look at theirwide selection of cars and trucks, you mayhave taken your children or grandchildrento the playground there. Or taken your dogto one of the two dog parks – one for bigdogs, one for little ones. Or, perhaps youattended one of the concerts that in the 150-seat amphitheater, also located on the prop-erty.

But that’s putting the cart before thehorse, so to speak. Look further down inthis story for more about the “dogs andkids” side of this unusual business.If youbought a vehicle – new or used – from MarcHeitz Chevrolet in the past few years, youwere in good company. The dealershiphas seen steady growth since its inceptionin 2000, and was one of the few in the coun-try to have increased sales in the 2008 and2009 recession years. Marc Heitz has beenthe top Chevy dealer in Oklahoma fourstraight years (2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010),and among the top 25 Chevy dealers in thenation for the past three years.

Heitz – whose personal automotivecareer selling cars began while he was astudent at the University of Oklahoma –credits part of this success with his leader-

ship team,which includesvice presidentLarry Houch-ins and gener-al managerChad Bakerand his wife,Denni, con-troller, alongwith a cracker-jack sales teamand skilled ser-vice techni-cians, many ofwhom havebeen with thecompany sinceits inception.The well-trained andhighly motivated staff is treated like family.

Impromptu get-togethers on the salesfloor and company social events are com-mon. Staff are regularly sent away to receivemanufacturer training and educational sup-port. The staff is well-trained in the Heitzphilosophy: treat the customer right, andhonor sales and service commitments. “AtMarc Heitz Chevrolet,” Heitz said, “youknow what is advertised is truthful. Wewon’t run questionable or deceptive pro-motions. This transparency, this low-keyapproach has resulted in loyal repeat cus-tomers and customer referrals.

“Of course, selection is integral to anyauto dealership’s success, and Marc HeitzChevrolet has one of the largest selectionsaround. Trucks are big business in Okla-homa, and there’s plenty from which tochoose in this area at Marc Heitz Chevy.They range from heavy-duty diesel modelsto light-duty Silverados and fuel-efficienthybrids.

Heitz said that he’s excited about the 10Chevy models that get 30 miles per gallonor higher and new technological achieve-ments like the electric Chevy Volt and rev-olutionary 2014 Impala.The dealership alsooffers used vehicles. Recently, they intro-duced the Marc Heitz Pre-Owned Platinumbrand, featuring scrupulously inspected,near-perfect, high-end vehicles. These vehi-cle feature low mileage and have passed arigorous 135-point inspection. Says Heitz,“These vehicles are the ideal answer tonew-car luxury at a pre-owned price.”

In addition, Marc Heitz Chevrolet hasbeen recognized as the No. 1 Chevy Certi-

fied Pre-Owned dealer in the state. Yourbusiness with Marc Heitz isn’t finishedwhen you drive off the lot in your new orused vehicle.

The dealership has a full-service autorepair center and a new state-of-the-art bodyshop.And now, back to the “kids and dogs”part of the equation that was mentioned ear-lier.

Heitz said that in planning the new facil-ity in Norman, auto sales were only part ofthe story. He said it was important to himto provide customers with a warm and invit-ing environment, and to give back to thecommunity in which he and his familylive.With that in mind, he incorporated sev-eral nontraditional – even surprising – fea-tures in the design of the new facility.

For example, the centerpiece of the wait-ing lounge is a 25-foot-high waterfall and5,000-gallon aquarium with native freshwa-ter fish, including bass, crappie and catfishcaught by Marc Heitz staff and customers.Customers can watch sports, their favoritenews network or daytime talk show on thelarge, flat-screen high-definition televisionin the comfortable service lounge.

Wi-fi access and private workspacesallow guests to work, study or play onlinewhile they wait.Being a good neighbortoday means reducing your environmentalfootprint. So, the facility was designed withmany green features to help conserveresources and reduce waste.

Built in 2008, the store was constructedwith recycled materials. A wind turbine, vis-ible from the highway, reduces the amountof electricity required. Other green features

include less outdoor lighting, a “light-har-vesting system” that adjusts lighting levelsaccording to the sun’s brightness, and useof special fans to reduce the air condition-ing needs.

There’s even a system in place that takeswater from air-conditioning condensate andrainfall and captures it in a cistern for use inlandscape irrigation. And the building’s cli-mate control systems, Heitz said, areamong the most efficient available.

Being a good neighbor also involveshelping out local civic and nonprofit orga-nizations. The dealership contributes to theAmerican Red Cross, United Way, AllyHouse, the Family Y and the Norman Opti-mists. A special focus of their charitableefforts, Heitz said, are entities that help chil-dren, such as Pepper’s Ranch, Baby Steps,the Center for Children and Families, andthe Children’s Hospital Foundation. MarcHeitz Chevrolet also has for years been amajor sponsor of the junior livestock showsfor Cleveland, McClain, Garvin and Ponto-toc counties.

The dealership also sponsors and hostsa food drive, with proceeds benefitting theRegional Food Bank, and is a major spon-sor of the Cleveland County Food for Kidsprogram in the public school system.Goodneighbors also have fun together. Amongthe events Marc Heitz hosts are:

• the annual Battle of the Burger, acook-off involving restaurants and individ-uals that with proceeds benefiting the KidsKorral and the Toby Keith Foundation

• a Corvette Show, which draws hun-dreds of Corvette owners and enthusiastsfrom a five-state area in celebration of theirshared passion, with proceeds benefitingToys for Tots

• and the popular Junior Captain pro-gram, in which several boys and girls areselected via drawings to participate in theopening of OU football games by joiningthe players and coaches on the field for acoin toss, then getting to sit with the team.

And as mentioned earlier, customers willfind more than cars and trucks at MarcHeitz. Indoor and outdoor playgrounds, adog park and amphitheater, where freeevents are held throughout the year – allare part of this unique auto dealership’scommitment to bringing people and thedealership together in a community spir-it.Marc Heitz, Oklahoma’s largest Chevro-let dealer, invites you to see for yourselfwhy Chevys cost less in Norman.This is a paid advertorial by Marc Heitz

Auto dealership founded on a love of cars, dogs and kids


Editor’s note: The Transcript took a look through the city’sbuilding permits to get a sense of the top five most prolificbuilders in Norman. The list was further refined to showcase thetop builders of affordable homes as well as the top custom-home builders. At the top of each list were these builders:Home Creations, Ideal Homes, Landmark Fine Homes, C.A.McCarty Construction and Westpoint Homes

Transcript Staff

Ideal Homes is one of Norman’s most prolific builders.Founded in 1990, Ideal Homes was the first builder inAmerica to get Energy Star rating for homes under$150,00 and the first in Oklahoma to introduce guaran-teed utilities.

The company began with two college friends, VernonMcKown and Todd Booze, and Vernon’s father, GeneMcKown. What started as three guys building a fewhouses grew into a successful homebuilding companythat has built about 7,000 homes for Oklahoma familiesputting them at the top as Oklahoma’s most prolificbuilder.

Ideal Homes prides itself on:• Energy Efficiency• Proactive Customer Care• Livability: Comfortable and Functional Floor Plans• Discipline and ConsistencyDespite that Ideal Homes builds only in Oklahoma,

the builder has picked up more several local and nationalaccolades including America’s Best Builder 2007, severalEnergy Value Housing Awards, and a National HousingQuality Gold Award. Ideal Homes has also receivednational recognition and awards for the energy efficiencyof its product, as well as the corporate culture they havecreated within the company — including profit sharingwith all employees.

Vernon McKown is manages the sales, development,and mortgage operations for Ideal Homes.

Nationally, Vernon McKown serves is board memberand past board president of the Energy and Environmen-tal Builders Association and is a frequent speaker a theInternational Builder Show, the Pacific Coast BuildingConference, and the Energy and Environmental Associa-tion national conference. He also served as a member ofthe American Lung Association technical committee for

Health House.McKown is active in the community, serving as board

president of the Norman Youth Soccer Association andis a past board member of the Cleveland County YMCA,Cleveland County Christmas in April, and the NormanChamber of Commerce. He is certified through theOklahoma Real Estate Commission and currentlyteaches a free monthly continuing education class forlocal Real Estate professionals entitled, “Building BetterHomes.” A graduate of the University of Oklahoma , heand wife Ronda Chapman McKown have two children.

Todd Booze oversees all components of productionfor over 300 new homes each year. He is a 21-yearmember of the Builder Association of South CentralOklahoma where he serves in various leadership roles,including vice president and president of the board ofdirectors. Booze also served three terms as chairman forBASCO’s Governmental Affairs Committee and is amember of the Central Oklahoma HomebuildersAssociation, the Oklahoma State Homebuilders Associa-tion, and the National Association of Homebuilders . Heis also a 12-year member of the national Energy andEnvironmental Builders Association.

He served on the board of directors for the CentralOklahoma Homeowners Warranty Corporation.Through his involvement, he has worked diligently atthe local level to raise the status of our industry and thestrength of local builders associations. He earned a LIFESPIKE designation from the NAHB by bringing 220 newmembers in to local builder associations.

Booze and wife Kris, and their two sons live inNorman.

A homebuilder in Norman since 1969, Gene McKownhas developed and managed dozens of real estatedevelopments in the course of his career. Gene McKownhas taken great pride and interest, throughout his life, inhis community and state.

He was commissioner of the Oklahoma Departmentof Commerce for 12 years; chairman of the StateIndustrial Development Department from 1983 -1986;president of the Norman Chamber of Commerce, 1979 -1980; and served on the Board of Directors for SecurityNational Bank & Trust Company for 10 years. Hishonors include both Realtor of the Year for 1982, BigBrother of the Year for that same year, State Honorary 4-H Member and State Honorary FFA Member.

He is a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Awardfrom the OSU Extension Department.

Gene McKown serves on the Board of Directors forthe Moore Home Builders Association. He is also amember of both the Norman Home Builders Associationand the Norman Exchange Club.

A Premier Breeder with the Limousine Association,1983-1986; Gene McKown currently serves on the Boardof Directors for the County Livestock Show; and isfounder of the County Livestock Bonus Auction. Everyyear he serves as auctioneer – free of charge – for 20 to25 charities in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.

He and Judy McKown live in Norman and have twogrown sons: Vernon and Richard.

Ideal Homes

Todd Booze

GeneMcKown

VernonMcKown

Provided Photo

Ideal Homes Red Canyon Ranch addition. Ideal Homes was the first builder in America to get Energy Starrating for homes under $150,00 and the first in Oklahoma to introduce guaranteed utilities.



Transcript Staff

Landmark Fine Homes is a customhome builder founded 11 years ago.Owners Dan and Amy Reeves aregraduates of Moore High School andAmy Reeves serves on the board of theMoore Public School Foundation.

The company employs 13 people andwas recognized early this year by Buildermagazine as America’s Best Builder for2012, among builders its size.

Landmark has four model homes withone each in Norman, Moore and in eastand west Edmond. An in-house designcenter helps customers relieve the stressthat often is associated with building ahome by assisting in the many decisionsthat accompany the process.

Dan Reeves is a member of theBuilders Association of South CentralOklahoma. Dan is highly involved withthe association and is a Certified Profes-sional Builder.

The Reeves are involved in the commu-nity. Dan Reeve’s latest outreach has beenhelping build the new chapel at CampGruber to support returning NationalGuard troops from Afghanistan and Iraq.

Landmark is locally owned andoperated with an office in Norman.

The company focuses on buildingenergy efficient homes and specializes inbuilding on acreages or larger homesites. Landmark Fine Homes is a certifiedprofessional homebuilder. Reeves saidLandmark’s success is centered on a“simple formula” of building “greathomes for great people.”

Landmark homes start at 1,500 squarefeet The company’s emphasis on greenbuilding resulted, in 2009 with a Land-mark home in Norman’s CarringtonLakes being certified by the NationalAssociation Home Builders as a gold-levelGreen Home, at that time the secondhome in the state that had met thehallmarks for Model Green Buildingdeveloped by NAHB.

Landmark and the Reeves support orhave been recognized by:

American Cancer Society Relay for Lifeof Moore

Habitat for HumanityNational Foundation for TransplantsThe Salvation Army Advisory BoardAmerican Red Cross Spirit of GivingMoore Public Schools Foundation

Landmark Fine Homes

Provided Photos

Landmark has four model homes with one each in Norman, Moore and in eastand west Edmond. Dan Reeves, center above and at right, and his company wererecognized early this year by Builder magazine as America’s Best Builder for2012, among builders its size.


Miranda Kitchen, of Moore,Okla., was skeptical about howmuch money she could save bysigning up for the Smar-tHours program. The stay-at-home mom says she andher husband were alreadypinching pennies when itcame to turning off lightsand conserving energy intheir home.

But after spending onesummer on the Smar-tHours program,she’s changedher tune.Thanks to theprogram,Kitchen andher familysaved morethan $50per monthduring thesummer of2011.

InAugust, thecouple’s billwas $100less than itwould havebeen over thestandard price.

“SmartHoursreally makes youaware of howmuch energyyou're using andhow much moneyyou could save,”Kitchen said. “Yousee the changes, thelittle, small thingslike turning off thelights and not usingcertain things andwhat a difference itmakes in yourmonthly budget. It'shuge.”

Partnering withcustomers likeKitchen and her fam-

ily will help OG&E reach itsdemand response goal to reducedemand on the grid by 70MW thissummer. But it will take more thanone family enrolled in the programto reach that goal. In fact, OG&E

needs an additional 30,000 cus-tomers to sign up for the Smar-

tHours program this year.SmartHours builds on thesuccess of OG&E’s SmartStudy Together programs of2010 and 2011. OG&E’sSmart Grid team has beenstudying which combinationof technology and price plan

helps customers shift theiruse outside of peak.

Analysis of interimresults from bothstudies reveals thatparticipants testingthe programmablecommunicatingthermostats (PCT)and those on theVariable PeakPrice (VPP)plan reducedtheir peak

electricity usethe most com-

pared to the con-trol group.“Smart Study

TOGETHERempowered our cus-tomers by educatingthem about their

energy use andcosts,” said Ken Grant,

Managing DirectorCustomer Solutions.

“That awareness led togreater customer controlover their energy bills,while allowing OG&E tolearn which elements ofthe study are most bene-ficial.

“These results led tothe programs nowcalled SmartHours.The plan is basedon the fact that itcosts the companymore to produce

electricity during the summermonths (peak) than any othertime. OG&E’s peak period is 2-7p.m. Monday thru Friday. All oth-er times of the day, includingweekends and national holidays,are considered off peak. Cus-tomers enrolled in SmartHoursPlus pay 4.5¢/kWh during the off-peak hours of 7 p.m. – 2 p.m. thenext day. The peak price can vary– from 4.5¢/kWh, 11.3¢/kWh,23¢/kWh, or 46¢/kWh.

Customers are notified of theprice a day ahead by a methodthey choose, be it a phone call,text message or email. In additionto the technology and price plans,another tool to help customerstake control of their energy use isthe myOGEpower website.

There, customers can logon tosee an estimate of their bill, com-pare their electricity use to that oftheir neighbors, and compareprice plans to see how much theycould save by enrolling in a price

plan different than our standardoffer.

More than 90 percent of cus-tomers who tested SmartHourslast summer saved when comparedto what they would have paid overthe standard rate. The averagecustomer savings was around $200for the summer.

The program is no risk to OG&Ecustomers. During the first yearon the SmartHours price plan,OG&E will make up any differenceif a customer pays more on theprice plan than he would have onthe standard plan for electricityused.

Learn MoreTo learn more aboutthe SmartHours program, logon toogepet.com. Online enrollment isavailable at oge.com/smarthoursor by calling an OG&E service rep-resentative at 877-898-3834between 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. on week-days. This is a paid advertorial by OG&E

OG&E SmartHours save customers money on their energy bills


By Jocelyn PedersonSpecial for the Transcript

Some people are in and out of theshower all day. David Sparks, own-er of The Shower Door Source, isone of them. He has eight fully tiledmaster bath showers—completewith glass—installed in his show-room at 9480 N. May Ave., Okla-homa City.

Sparks and his staff custom makeevery shower door priding them-selves on their customer service.When clients walk into the store,they really get the personal treat-ment—from hands-on help withdesign, construction fundamentals,and even a space to lay out plans andwork with staff or their own design-er.

“People come to us in all stages ofa project. Some come before theystart. Some come in the middle andothers see us at the end,” Sparkssaid. “When you come in here, we’regoing to talk to you. We try to useour showroom for education.”

Sparks said during the process ofhaving showers built or remodeled,customers often ask how to dothings properly for the best possibleresult. He said he and his staff arethere to help. “When clients aredone, they end up with a product thatis better than if they hadn’t come tous. We not only help people whohave already decided what they wantto do, but those who want to know allthe options that pertain to their bath-room configurations,” Sparks said.

“They can see those options righthere in front of them in the show-room. It’s easier to show peoplewhen they can touch it, feel it,squeeze it. Once they know theiroptions, we can really help themdetermine the best configuration fortheir needs.”

Offering custom-cut 3/8” and 1/2”tempered glass and metal trim,Sparks says The Shower DoorSource never gets a project out of abox. Each project is measured inperson and painstakingly cut byhand using quality raw materials.Glass can be cut in any size and

comes in clear, patterned or opaquevarieties for privacy or a distinctlook in either contemporary or tra-ditional styles. Sparks says he’sdone projects in all sizes includingmultiple bathrooms in the samehome to multi-million dollar remod-els and builds.

“We have done very large steamunit applications with glass from floorto ceiling—essentially almost totallysealed steam units,” Sparks said.“We’ve done everything from neo-angle to multi-panel customs all theway down to frameless tub sliders.”

Although designing and workingon the projects is a delightful chal-lenge, Sparks said the best thingabout owning a store is the people.“The best thing is all the relationshipswe’re establishing with our customersin Oklahoma City,” Sparks said.“Oklahoma City is very diversified.We have really enjoyed all the rela-tionships we’ve formed with our retailcustomers, designers, remodel con-tractors and builders.”

The store is all family run—some-thing he and his wife strove to do.Having moved frequently with formerjobs, he said his wife announced oneday that she was “tired of waking upnot being from somewhere.” It wasthen, Sparks said, they knew they hadto decide whether to move every three

to five years or settle down. “Godblessed us with the ability to comeback to Oklahoma,” Sparks said,

adding this is where they want to stay.“If you want to be from somewhere,you need to invest in it. That’s key forus.” So the Sparks family lookedfor a business to start or acquire.

A relative who was experienced invarious businesses, found a showerdoor company in Florida and theSparks brought the business model toOklahoma. Sparks says, to his knowl-edge, The Shower Door Source isthe only place in Oklahoma to seeframeless glass shower enclosuresand doors.

Part of what makes Sparks’ show-ers unique is a proprietary hingesystem. He calls it a “big deal”because the unique pivot hinge sys-tem is very strong, permitting him tohang large pieces of glass by dis-tributing the weight to the threshold

instead of the wall. With the combination of unique

hardware and deliberate customer

service, things are going well forSparks and his family. He said busi-ness has exceeded his original busi-ness plan when they opened theirstore in the summer of 2011.

He’s looking forward to possiblyexpanding in Norman where he’llcarry on his legacy of one-on-oneservice where he can continue to bemore than just a business givingquotes. Bottom line: Sparks says hewants to ensure customers end upwith a bathroom that pleases them.

For more information, visitthe showroom at 9480 N. May Ave.in Oklahoma City Mon.-Fri. 9:30a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sat. 10 a.m. to 2p.m., call (405) 609-0000 or visitwww.theshowerdoorsource.com.This is a paid advertorial by The Shower Door-Source

Company showers customers with service

“People come to us in all stages of a project.Some come before they start. Some come in themiddle and others see us at the end,” Sparks said.“When you come in here, we’re going to talk toyou. We try to use our showroom for education.”



How many times have you heard itsaid? There’s just not enough time inthe day to get everything done thatneeds done. Well, there’s a com-pany right here that can make life alittle bit easier for you: Catering Cre-ations and HH Concierge, located at3750 W. Main St., Suite 3-C, in Parkon Main.

The business was founded in 2009by longtime Norman resident KimMcDade Torres and her businesspartner Jacob Moore.

“If you find yourself too busy to getto all your regular day-to-day tasks, orneed extra help planning an event, weare your one-stop-shop,” Torres said,noting that they currently offer arange of services that includes offsitecatering, take-and-bake meals, errandrunning, house sitting and pet sitting,a limousine service, and even com-mercial and residential house clean-ing. Not feeling well? They will evenpick up your prescriptions for you.

So, just how does one go aboutestablishing such a unique and wide-ranging business?Torres said she firstmet Moore while working at Mr.Steak, a popular Norman eating estab-lishment that is no longer in business,and got re-acquainted while workingfor the Hal Smith Restaurant Group incatering.

With the blessings of both theirfamilies and Hal Smith, in 2009 theyset out to pursue the dream both hadlong held of owning their own com-pany. During college, Torres hadstarted a pet-sitting business, whichshe had continued as a side businessbecause of the solid relationships shehad established with her clients. Theentrepreneurs deciding to start withwhat they knew best: catering andconcierge services.

Although there is a menu to guidepeople when requesting catering ser-vices, Torres said they will work withcustomers to customize each menu tofit their tastes and budgets. They havecatered hundreds of weddings, birth-days, picnics, church gatherings, andother special events, from casual to

black-tie affairs, from party anddessert trays to full menus.

They have also catered to a myriadof area businesses, schools, nonprof-its and other organizations, amongthem Mount St. Mary Catholic HighSchool and the Moore Chamber ofCommerce, whose testimonials youcan read on their website. The busi-ness is regularly lauded not only forthe high quality of food prepared, butalso their attention to detail, profes-sionalism and presentation.

Six months ago, they added anevent center.“I had always wanted aplace to hold events that would gohand in hand with our catering,” Tor-res said, noting that there was anempty space next to their originalstore front, which she took as a signto mean that it was meant for them.

The center seats about 80 people –less for classroom seating, more fortheater seating. The venue is availablefor parties, rehearsal dinners, dinnertheaters, reunions, baby showers,weddings, business meetings, or justabout any event imaginable. CateringCreations will even handle the deco-

rations for a themed party. Bookingthe event center doesn’t obligate oneto use Catering Creations’ services;outside caterers are allowed.

“We recently had a three-night din-ner theater there featuring two amaz-ing University of Oklahoma dramastudents, and for our first attempt, itwas very successful. We also have aclassical music dinner and show com-ing up on May 4 performed by PeterZhmutski, owner of Julia’s DanceAcademy.

We want the Catering CreationsEvents Center to be a spot that canalso help contribute to the arts in Nor-man,” Torres said.“We also have adaily lunch bistro inside our eventcenter,” Torres noted. “It is a light,yet inexpensive, menu where clientscan come and have a quiet lunch. Wealso deliver lunch for a nominal fee.”If you don’t have time to fix a propermeal and you’re tired of fast food,Catering Creations has a great option:“take and bake” meals, which can beordered online at cateringcreation-sconcierge.com.

The meals, all of which feature

fresh ingredients, can be frozen andserved days or weeks later.

“Our Take and Bake menu allowspeople who are too busy to cook din-ner to swing by our shop and have agood meal for their family,” she says.“We take away the hassle of shoppingand the prep of dinner. All you haveto do is take it home and pop it in theoven. Or if you prefer, we can have itmade hot and ready for you.”

Take and Bake meals can be pickedup or, for a nominal fee, delivered toyour home or office. Catering Cre-ations offers both family-sized andindividual portions. Among theirclients are the elderly, who appreciatenot having to fight traffic to get a goodmeal; families expecting babies; andpeople recovering from an illness,surgery or injury.

Recognizing that many people havespecial dietary needs or just want tokeep on top of what they eat, she saidthey are in the process of developinga heart-healthy menu and are begin-ning to work with a local nutritioniston labeling their food with nutritionfacts.

Their next big venture is to shiptheir Take and Bakes regionally.

Torres said the other importantcomponent of their business is givingback to the community. In addition toaiding the Norman arts scene, thebusiness on every fourth Friday holdsa “Fourth Friday Tasting” of theirupcoming Take and Bake menu.

Nonprofits, civic organizations andother groups may use these functionsfor fundraising purposes; Torres com-pares it with similar “school night”events offered at local restaurants.Groups also may purchase gift cards,which may include any of CateringCreations and HH Concierge’s ser-vices or products, with a percentageof the profits benefiting the group.

Detailed information on the com-pany, as well as a calendar of events,testimonials, and more, can be foundon their website, www.cateringcre-ationsconcierge.com. Or give them acall at (405) 365-1400.

This is a paid advertorial by CreativeCreations

Catering Creations your one-stop-shop for busy people



The first multi-family housingcomplex built in west Norman inmore than 25 years is now underconstruction. Demand for the high-end apartments, with ready accessto I-35 – a definite plus for Oklahomaand City commuters – is expected tobe so high that a priority waiting listhas already been established.

Carlsbad Management Group,LLC, and Carlsbad Construction,LLC – both Norman-based compa-nies that build and manage multi-family communities throughout thestate – and the Foster DevelopmentGroup joined forces to develop thisluxury apartment community, to becalled The Falls of Brookhaven.

“Nestled in the one of Norman’smost distinguished neighborhoods,we feel this community will fill thegrowing need for housing optionsthat west Norman has,” said KristiJones, co-partner with Steve Jones ofthe Carlsbad companies.

The Falls is not only close to 1-35,but to shopping, including SoonerMall on West Main Street and Uni-versity North Park, located betweenRobinson Street and TecumsehRoad, and the Norman RegionalHealth System Healthplex, not tomention a major golf course, swimcomplex, and a multitude of restau-rants and other shops and business-es.

The 164-apartment community, tobe located at 3730 W. Rock CreekRoad, will offer two- or three-bed-rooms options. Amenities willinclude full-sized washer-dryer con-nections; upgraded appliance pack-ages, including a side-by-side refrig-erator with icemaker and waterdispenser in the door; and a choiceof wood flooring or plush carpeting,

Designed with an eye to aestheticsoutside as well as inside, the apart-ment community will boast well-main-tained lawns and lush landscaping.Unlike many apartments in Norman,The Falls will be pet-friendly.

Tenants also will be able to availthemselves of a swimming pool, fit-

ness center and community clubroom. Garage parking will be avail-able.

“A great deal of research andattention to detail went into the plan-ning of The Falls of Brookhaven,”Steve Jones said, adding the com-munity was designed in a mannerthat would ensure that the architec-tural integrity of the Brookhavencommunity would be upheld.

“The Falls at Brookhaven is a com-munity for those who desire the verybest of lifestyle and convenience,”he added. “The Falls at Brookhaven

will be a step above for beauty, forstyle, comfort and for extra conve-nience.”

They anticipate pre-leasing as thebuildings become available for occu-pancy. “Due to the high demand forhigh-quality diversified housing innorthwest Norman, we encouragethose interested to get on our prior-ity waiting list early,” Kristi Jonessaid. For more information or to addyour name to the waiting list, call(405) 701-1411.This is a paid advertorial by CarlsbadManagement Group.

Coming soon to West Norman: The Falls of Brookhaven

Photo Provided

Photo Provided

About Carlsbad Companies-CarlsbadConstruction, LLC, andCarlsbad ManagementGroup, LLC

Carlsbad Management Group,LLC, provides multi-family andself-storage property manage-ment services in Lawton,Norman, Del City, OklahomaCity and Edmond.

The two partners of the Carls-bad companies, Steve andKristi Jones, have a combinedexperience of more than 35years in the multi-family indus-try. Carlsbad ManagementGroup was formed in January2008 and has continued tooperate top-quality apartmentcommunities in Oklahoma witha continued emphasis oncustomer service and improv-ing the value of the asset.

The Carlsbad Companies arebig supporters of NormanNorth High School and Norman High School acade-mics and athletics. The com-pany also supports severalnonprofits, including ABLE(Association for Better Livingand Education), the AssistanceLeague of Norman’s May FairArts Festival, and the Apart-ment Association of CentralOklahoma.



Think estate planning is only forthe wealthy?

Think again, says Norman attor-ney Patrick Carlson. “If you own any-thing,” he says, “estate planning canhelp you save money and help pro-tect your family.”

Carlson, of Carlson & Copeland,PLLC, explains that estate and lega-cy planning allows you to:

• designate a guardian to care foryour children

• name who will manage yourproperty after your death or if youbecome incapacitated or disabled

• express your wishes about howyour property should be divided

• and even share your values withyour family for generations to come.

“By developing an estate plan, youget to select the people you trust tomanage your property when you die

or if you become incapacitated,”Carlson says. “When we work withclients to develop their estate plans,our goal is to make sure the plansaves as much money as possibleand reflects their wishes and values.”Estate planning, he elaborates, cansave clients up to several thousand

dollars on probate costs and mini-mize estate and income taxes.

As with taxes, a myriad of estateplanning tools are available. Under-standing that each family’s needsand circumstances are unique, theattorneys work closely with eachclient to customize his or her plan,rather than taking a one-size-fits-allapproach.

The foundation of any estate plan,Carlson explains, is the revocabletrust and will, which allows your fam-ily to avoid probate. A revocabletrust, as the name implies, may bechanged as needed after it is initial-ly established. Property can beadded and removed from the trust ascircumstances change.

A pour-over will, he says, acts as aconduit to channel your probateestate into your trust, if that becomesnecessary. An estate plan may alsoinclude one or more of the following:irrevocable life insurance trust, char-

itable lead or remainder trust, mari-tal trusts and family gift plans.

Estate planning also commonlysets up a “durable power of attorney”and directive for health care. Thatsimply means that you may selectpeople you trust to manage youraffairs if you become unable to do so,

avoiding costly and distracting court-supervised guardianship.

Carlson urges everyone who hasnot already done so, to seek out helpwith estate planning now, and not putit off.

“People often tell us they didn’t seethe need for estate planning untilsomeone they loved died,” he said.“Our goal is to educate people aboutthe need for estate planning to pre-vent the suffering that familiesendure when a loved one passeswithout an estate plan in place.”

Echoing his partner’s sentiments,Copeland says the firm’s goal is tobring estate planning to all Okla-homa families. “There is a myth outthere that estate planning is only forthe wealthy, and we are workinghard to overcome that myth. It does-n’t matter how much you have. It isessential to plan now to ensure yourwishes are carried out and that yourfamily is protected.”

In addition to helping clients witheverything from basic estate plan-ning to complicated trusts for veryspecific situations, the law firm alsorecently expanded into providing pettrusts and gun trusts, which are fair-ly recent additions to the law and notpracticed by many attorneys.

Carlson and Copeland also havethe educational background andexperience to handle a broad rangeof other tax and legal needs.Copeland graduated from the Uni-versity of Oklahoma College of Lawwith Distinction. Carlson graduatedfrom the OU College of Law withHonors and then obtained anadvanced degree specializing in tax-ation from the University of Florida.

Other services currently providedat Carlson & Copeland include taxplanning and tax return preparation;business formation; and consumerbankruptcy (Chapter 7 and Chapter13).

Whether a client’s needs are sim-ple or complex, or somewhere inbetween, Copeland said clients canexpect something that is fairly rarein the field: personalized attention.

“Many attorneys are notoriouslydifficult to reach,” he notes. “We

answer our own phones, are not dif-ficult to reach, and this ensures thatwe provide the best and most effi-cient service to our clients.”

Apparently, this approach is onethat is favored by their clients. Thelaw firm recently moved into largeroffices to accommodate a growth inclientele. In addition, in response torequests from clients, they will soonadd a third attorney to the firm tohandle family law and small criminalmatters.

The law partners believe they havea responsibility to give back to theircommunity, and have chosen theOklahoma Lawyers for Heroes Pro-gram as their avenue of doing so.Both participate in the program,offered through the Oklahoma BarAssociation, in which attorneys pro-vide pro bono services to veterans.

Carlson & Copeland, PLLC, islocated at 105 N. University Blvd.They can be reached at (405) 701-1994. For more information, visitwww.carlsoncopelandlaw.com.This is a paid advertorial by Carlson &Copeland PLLC

Attorneys want everyone to know: Estate planning isn’t just for the wealthy



At Norman Gold and Diamonds, ser-vice and integrity aren’t just words; theyare the standards by which they operate.

Owners Tom Lam and Mike Blair,who together have been collecting coinsfor 31 years and have brokered dia-monds for 14 years on a global level,opened Norman Gold and Diamonds inJune 2009. The shop did such a briskbusiness that it quickly outgrew itsspace. So they moved to a location withmore than double the footage; conve-niently, it is only two doors down fromtheir original site.

The new business at 522 N. PorterAvenue sports 2,600 square feet of space– enough room for a spacious front salesarea as well as diamond grading andsorting areas, a private buying room fordiscerning customers who desire priva-cy, and a coin counting area.

The shop stocks a full line of design-er jewelry,” but our specialty in this areais engagement rings, which we offer attrue wholesale pricing,” Lam said.

“We have thousands of diamonds andover 600 rings to choose from,” headded, noting that they can also placespecial orders - and generally receivethem the next day.

“We are distributors for Stuller andcan accommodate any order, large orsmall,” Lam added.

By increasing their square footage,Lam said they also have been able toincrease their coin inventory by 400 per-cent, allowing them to add bullion gold,silver, platinum and palladium (a rareand lustrous silvery-white metal).

But if diamonds are a girl’s best friend,so are they to the proprietors of NormanGold and Diamonds.

“We are the largest buyers and sellersof gold and loose diamonds in the Nor-man area,” Lam said. “Direct relation-ships with Mumbai, Hong Kong andNew York have allowed us to sell andtrade diamonds at the wholesale level.From 1,000 to 2,000 carats of diamondsare brokered through Norman Goldevery month. Every customer has dif-ferent needs, and we strive to fulfill allorders. … We are the highest-ratedgold buyers by Google.com in Okla-homa, with over 209 positive reviews, ofwhich 24 received the coveted ‘Best

Ever’ medallion.”Calling Norman Gold and Diamond’s

selection of diamonds “second to none,”Lam said the shop’s staff has the exper-tise to fulfill virtually anyone’s jewelryneeds, whether they are looking to buyor sell.

“We specialize in GIA diamonds,which is the standard in the diamondgrading industry,” Lam said. “GIA dia-monds are commonly traded sightunseen since they are strictest gradersin the business.

“We also have a $10,000 Sarin dia-mond colorimeter, which can accurate-ly grade the color of diamonds; withsuch precision instruments, we take theguesswork out of the diamond grading,allowing us to pay the most for your dia-monds.”

The shop also offers speedy jewelryrepair and ring-sizing services – usuallyone to two days.

While the shop’s wide selection ofcoins, diamonds and jewelry attract newcustomers to the shop, Lam says manybecome repeat customers because of theexpert, friendly service they receivefrom the staff. Current staff includesJohn Graves, a bench jeweler with morethan 35 years of experience; Jason Rea,manager of Norman Gold & Diamonds(and Lam’s protégé); and Paul Erickson,the assistant manager. Lam specializesin Morgan dollars and coins that are pre-

1878 as well as high-grade diamonds.In addition to Norman Gold and Dia-

monds, which Lam and Blair considertheir anchor store, they own several oth-er businesses in Oklahoma: AbsoluteDiamond and Gold Buyers in OklahomaCity and Moore Gold and Jewelry inMoore, and Cash for Gold and Coins inShawnee and Midwest City.

What does the future hold for theseindustrious businessmen?

“Diamonds is the future of our busi-ness,” Lam said. “We are looking tobuild a website to sell at true wholesaleto the public. Visitors will be able toselect diamond size, shape, color, clari-ty and cut.”

Another growing focus is creating cus-tom-built engagement rings for couples.

“We understand that we are in the lag-ging economy and want to provide asmuch value to our customers as possi-ble,” he said, noting that they also planto provide their services to other jewel-ers in the area with below-wholesalepricing on their huge stock of GIAgraded diamonds.

He said they also hope in the nearfuture to be able to hold public coin auc-tions.

Their more immediate plans include agrand-opening party with fine food,drinks and giveaways. Several drawingsalso will be held; five lucky drawers willwalk away with a diamond ring, diamond

earrings or rare coins.“Here at Norman Gold and Dia-

monds, our operating philosophy isthat the customer comes first,” Lamsaid. “We strive to treat every cus-tomer with honesty, integrity andtrust. We truly love the jewelry andgold business. Our customers canexpect a smile and some comedy whenthey enter our store. We want ourcustomers to be comfortable; weunderstand that selling one’s valuablescan be a stressful situation.”

Norman Gold and Diamondsis not a pawn shop, he added. “We donot play the ‘what do you want forthat?’ game. We simply offer you thehighest prices possible — the firsttime and every time.”

For more information, call 364-GOLD (4653) or visit www.norman-goldanddiamonds.com. “Or come onin and say ‘hello.’ We would love tomeet you,” Lam said, adding that dur-ing the month of April, all designerjewelry is half price.This is a paid advertorial by Norman Gold &Diamonds

Good NeighborsNorman Gold and Diamondsco-owner Tom Lam calls Nor-man home. He believes that“Normanites should take careof other Normanites.” Withthat philosophy in mind, Lamsaid he and his partner, MikeBlair, do what they can to giveback to their community. Theyhave contributed to Food andShelter for Friends, St. Joseph’searly development center andlocal law enforcement. Addi-tionally, every year they buyhundreds of toys for local chil-dren who might otherwise dowithout. In addition, Lamadded: “We love giving coinsto kids who want to learnabout collecting. Thisencourages the youth to pur-sue coin collecting.”

The customer comes first at Norman Gold and Diamonds


Editor’s note: The Transcript took alook through the city’s building permits toget a sense of the top five most prolificbuilders in Norman. The list was furtherrefined to showcase the top builders ofaffordable homes as well as the topcustom-home builders. At the top of eachlist were these builders: Home Creations,Ideal Homes, Landmark Fine Homes,C.A. McCarty Construction and West-point Homes

Transcript Staff

Curtis McCarty has been in thehome building business for six yearsand involved in all areas of construc-tion from overseeing the budget tohammering the nails.

McCarty was employed by one ofthe largest homebuilders in Okla-

homa for 11 years before followinghis dream of starting his owncompany. McCarty specializes incustom residential construction andspecializes in building homes thatwill provide additional safety whenOklahoma’s tornado season blowsthrough town.

C.A. McCarty Construction is adesign and build firm specializing incustom residential construction inOklahoma. Curtis McCarty carriesthe designation of Certified Profes-sional Home Builder and a NationallyCertified Green Home Builder. Assuch, McCarty constantly strives tolead the pack in innovative energy-efficient home solutions.

C.A. McCarty Construction is alsoleading the pack as the first home

builder in Oklahoma to institutehigh-wind construction practiceswithin the base of a home.

In January 2011, C.A. McCartyConstruction was named 2010'sBuilder of the Year by the OklahomaState Home Builders Association —one of the highest awards a homebuilder can win in the state.

Presently, C.A. McCarty Construc-tion has houses under constructionfrom Edmond to Goldsby and inbetween. McCarty said his vision hasnever been how many homes he canbuild, but rather how well he canbuild them.

McCarty is active in the Normancommunity and in the state. InAugust 2009, he was appointed byGov. Brad Henry to the Governor’sUniform State Building CodeCommission. This commission istasked with determining the buildingcodes that are used statewide.

McCarty is also the chair for theOklahoma State Home BuildersAssociation Code Committee.

McCarty is a Certified ProfessionalBuilder, which requires continuingeducation and a commitment tohigher standards of operation. He isalso a Nationally Certified GREENProfessional Builder, a member ofthe Builders Association of SouthCentral Oklahoma — formerlyknown as the Norman BuildersAssociation — and served as thepresident of BASCO in 2007. He isalso a member of the NationalAssociation of Homebuilders.

McCarty also serves on theNorman Planning Commission, theRebuilding Together board, and BetaTheta Pi Board of Directors. He ismarried with two children and livesin Norman. He enjoys OU footballand basketball and watching his kidsparticipate in sporting events.

C.A. McCarty Construction

Provided Photo

Curtis McCarty, owner of C.A. McCarty Construction in Norman, works with trade partner Jory Mallory, left, in using Strongtie metal connecting straps to tie down anew home from the roof to the foundation. In 2011, McCarty’s company was the first in the state to institute high-wind construction practices within the base of ahome. These practices went beyond the anchoring systems instituted after the May 3, 1999, tornado that leveled much of Moore.

CurtisMcCarty



Transcript Staff

Westpoint Homes owned by AnthonyMirzaie has a solid reputation built onwork in the community for over twentyyears of professional service.

Westpoint has consistently been onthe top ten new home builder’s list forthe Oklahoma City metroplex. Withoffices in Moore, Westpoint buildsthroughout the Cleveland County areaand Oklahoma City area.

From a fledgling new home builder in1985, Westpoint Homes grew to become

a leader in home building, land develop-ment, and commercial construction.

Westpoint Homes communities arelocated in some of the most desirableareas in Norman and Oklahoma City.

Westpoint continues to seek newproducts to enhance the design, decor,and structure of new homes.

They are committed to providingsuperior personal service and a highquality product and believe their prod-ucts sell themselves.

Westpoint Homes communities inNorman include: Arbor Lake, Summit

Lakes, Cascade Estates, Summit Valley,Highland Village, Woodland Estates, andLas Colinas.

“Our customer service and our follow-up service, we believe is number one,”Mirzaie said.

Westpoint Homes has won theGuildQuality award for customerservice during and after the sale forthree years in the row and are up for afourth year.

“After sales customer services is s toppriority for Westpoint Homes,” Mirzaiesaid.

Westpoint Homes

Jerry Laizure / The Transcript

Silt fences line the hillside of the Las Colinas housing addition being built on the north side of 48th Avenue NW south of Tecumseh Road. Las Colinas is one of heareas being developed by Westpoint Homes. For three years running, Westpoint has won the GuildQuality award for customer service during and after the sale.


By Joy HamptonTranscript Staff Writer

One of the most prolific commercialbuilders in Norman and surroundingareas is Precision Builders which wasestablished in 1985 by SassanMoghadam. As the company has grownthrough the decades, Precision has cometo be responsible for a number of com-mercial development projects andproperties throughout Norman.

Precision’s projects have includedmedical office buildings, dentist offices,conventional office buildings and stripretail facilities. Precision Builders havealso completed numerous restaurants likeSubway, Sonic and more recently,Orange Leaf Yogurt.

“Half of the work that we do are reallyour own projects that we own and buildand lease out,” Moghadam said. “Theother half of the projects are for clients.”

The commercial construction processvaries widely in scope and constructiontime, based on the type of project. Theaverage construction time on a conve-nience store build is four-to-five months.

“We have been doing 7-Eleven worksince 1985,” Moghadam said. “We havedone over 70 stores for them in themetroplex area.”

Currently, Precision is building a new7-11 on the corner of Flood Avenue andRobinson Street.

“The design comes from the client,”Moghadam said. “Their stores haveevolved from 2,400 square foot in 1985 toalmost 4,000 square foot.”

Medical offices are a very differentstory.

“Our medical buildings, typically, if weare the developer and owner, we will dothe interior design,” Moghadam said.“The interior design is done based on thetype of profession, and their needs andhow many physicians are in there.”

Moghadam said a dentist’s office ismore complicated to build than an officefor a general medical practitioner, forexample.

The heart plaza for Norman RegionalHospital was a designed build, he said.

“You’re looking at about six months ofdesign because it’s a pretty complexbuilding,” Moghadam said. “And then

another 12 to 15 months for permittingand construction. It’s about a 40,000square foot building and those things justdon’t come out of the ground as quicklyas some of the smaller projects.”

A project like the heart plaza “takesabout 18 months from the time I hire thearchitect and civil engineer to the time Imove a client in,” he said.

The heart plaza is a privately ownedbuilding leased to NRH for the cardiolo-gists and diagnostics, he said.

On the other side of the equation, officebuildings can go up in as little as fivemonths.

Commercial development strong and growing

Debra A. Parker / The Transcript

Precision Builders is constructing the new 7-Eleven at Flood Avenue and Robin-son Street.

History of a prolific commercial builder

Precision Builders, 221 48th Ave.N.W., has been a General Contractorin Norman since 1984. It was startedby Sassan Moghadam shortly after hecompleted his degree in mechanicalengineering from the University ofOklahoma.

In the early years, Moghadam was aone man shop as he ran the jobs andmade all the business decisions. Asthe years went by, Precision grew. TimGrissom was hired by Sassan in 1993after completing his degree in con-struction science from the University ofOklahoma. Grissom became a partnerin 2007.

All of the employees at Precisionhave multiple years with the company,most with 10 years or more. Thecompany’s completed projects list isextensive and diverse. Projects haveranged from school renovations tomulti-story independent living centersand hotels.

Precision Builders is a certifiedSTAR Building System dealer and hasbeen recognized as an OutstandingBuilder for 2007, 2008, 2009, and2010.

Precision has completed close to 70convenience stores through the years,most of those for one client, so there isa a track record of repeat business. Infact, a large percentage of Precision’swork comes previous clients.



Brothers Shane and Chad Vice, part ofthe Vice Family, which has owned andoperated Havenbrook Funeral Homesince 2010, know that planning a lovedone’s funeral may be the hardest thinganyone has to handle in their lifetime.

The brothers – both funeral directorsand embalmers – are passionate abouttheir work, which they consider to bemuch more than just a business; they viewtheir efforts much as a pastor views hisflock: as a “ministry to the community.”

“When someone selects Havenbrookas the funeral home to take care of theirloved one, we begin by carefully listening,with the understanding that each life hasa unique story to be shared,” Chad said.“Only then can we work to create a ser-vice that is meaningful to that family.”

He added, “We know that this is anemotional time for families. We work hardto help them make informed and rationaldecisions, and to not spend more thanthey can afford. We would rather serveone family 100 times than 100 familiesonly one time.”

He encourages couples, in particular, topre-arrange their funerals so they are notforced to make funeral and burial arrange-ments while going through the grievingprocess.

“We plan our weddings together, weplan for retirement together, we plan ourvacations together – there are so manythings we do together as a couple. Someof the best and worst of our times aredecided as a couple. When you lose halfof your heart, and then you have to makedecisions about his or her funeral, that’sincredibly hard. Why not make your plansnow, together?”

Later, if circumstances change – say thefamily moves to another state – Chad not-ed that people can transfer their crema-tion and burial arrangements to thereceiving funeral home.

Havenbrook’s roots go back to 1994when it was established by Jeannie C.Roberts and family. “Havenbrook Funer-al Home quickly became Norman’s pre-mier funeral home, focusing on the spe-cific needs Norman families have come toexpect from a family-owned and family-operated funeral home,” Chad says.

Upon assuming ownership of Haven-brook Funeral Home, he said, the ViceFamily made it their mission to build upon

the funeral home’s good name, with a con-tinued focus on providing consistent, rep-utable, professional, and fairly pricedfuneral and cremation services.

Chad noted that the funeral profession,“like many Norman businesses, has along and proud history of personal serviceprovided by families with deep roots in thelocal community, and a deep commitmentto upholding professional standards.

“Many of the best funeral homes in theindustry are continuously operated byfamilies that make a substantial invest-ment in the community where their funer-al homes are located,” he added.

Many of the nation’s funeral providersare run by out-of-state corporations, whichChad says may not have the same level ofcommitment to the communities in whichthey are based.

“Because Havenbrook Funeral Homeis locally owned and because it is a min-istry-focused funeral home and cremationprovider, you can rest knowing that we

will do our utmost best to meet all of yourneeds. We answer to you. In our fami-ly-owned funeral home, there is no pres-sure from corporate headquarters toincrease profits by raising prices. Our fam-ily-owned funeral home is reasonablypriced, and we are committed to caring forthe community, understanding that, attimes, situations may require the attentionthat only the owner can give.

“All of our attention is devoted to mak-ing Havenbrook Funeral Home the bestit can be in terms of satisfying the needsof our friends and neighbors,” he added.“We are not distracted nor bound by cor-porate mandates. We’re more flexibleand more responsive to you and yourneeds.”

As noted earlier, the Vice Family andstaff at Havenbrook Funeral Home aredeeply rooted in the Norman community.“We serve on local boards, support localcharities, donate our time to improve thelives of others and, just like you do, turn

to our neighbors when we need help,”Chad said. “Whenever possible, wechoose to do business with other family-owned-and-operated businesses, too.Together, by focusing on the Main Streetinitiative, as opposed to the Wall Street ini-tiative, we can strengthen Norman’s core,provide an abundance of opportunity forour children and grandchildren to remainat home and continue the legacy of whathas strengthened our community.”

To learn more about the services avail-able at Havenbrook Funeral Home,including funeral pre-arrangements, cre-mation options or funeral costs, as well asaftercare services, Chad invites you to calland speak to him or another member ofthe Vice Family. “Our family is available24 hours a day to answer your questionsand provide unlimited care,” he said.

This is a paid advertorial by HavenbrookFuneral Home.

Havenbrook Funeral Home’s Vice family views their work as a ministry to the community

Vision - Community Growth

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