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KB Home

Summary

KB Home is a homebuilding company based in the United States, founded in 1957 as Kaufman & Broad in Detroit, Michigan. It was the first company to be traded on the NYSE as a home builder. Its headquarters are in Los Angeles, California.

KB Home
FormerlyKaufman and Broad Home Corporation
Company typePublic
IndustryHomebuilding
Founded1957 (1957)
FounderDonald Bruce Kaufman and Eli Broad
Headquarters
Westwood, Los Angeles, California
,
U.S.
Key people
Jeffrey T. Mezger
(CEO)[1]
RevenueIncrease US$4.55 billion (2019)[2][3]
Increase US$268.78 million (2019)[2][3]
Total assetsDecrease US$5.02 billion (2019)[2][3]
Total equityIncrease US$2.38 billion (2019)[2][3]
Number of employees
2,140[2][4] (2019)
Websitewww.kbhome.com Edit this on Wikidata
KB Home headquarters in the Westwood district of Los Angeles

The company has built 600,000 homes since its founding.[5] It builds homes primarily for first-time home buyers.

History edit

1956–2007 edit

KB Home was founded in Detroit in 1956 by Donald Bruce Kaufman and Eli Broad.[6] Their first venture together was the construction of two model homes in the Northeast Detroit suburbs, where a new generation of first-time home buyers were flocking.[6] By streamlining the construction process and eliminating basements, offering a carport instead, they could price the houses so the monthly mortgage would be less than the rent for a two-bedroom apartment. Kaufman and Broad christened this model the "Award Winner" and priced it at $13,700.[6][7] After one weekend, seventeen were sold and within two years, Kaufman and Broad had built 600 homes in the Detroit suburbs.[6]

In 1960, fearing that the Detroit economy was too dependent on the automotive business, they moved to Phoenix, Arizona[6] and expanded into California in 1963, and in 1967 were the first U.S. homebuilders to expand into France. The company completed an initial public offering in 1986, and from that time was known as Kaufman and Broad Home Corporation until 2001, when its name was shortened to KB Home.

The company has periodically acquired other homebuilders as it expanded into new markets. These purchases included New Mexico-based Opnel Jenkins in 1995, San Antonio-based Rayco Homes in 1996, Tucson, Arizona-based Estes Homes in 1998, and Upland, California-based Colony Homes in 2003. It also maintained a division in France, which was sold in 2007.[citation needed]

 
KB Home team at Jared Allen Homes for Wounded Warriors Frame Signing for Master Sergeant Daniel "Reese" Hines.

As part of a promotion, in 1997 the company built a life-sized replica of The Simpsons cartoon home in Henderson, Nevada.[8] It has since engaged in homebuilding promotions with Martha Stewart (2005), The Walt Disney Company (2008) and The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2012).[citation needed]

In 2001 KB Home was sued when homeowners in a subdivision in Arlington, Texas discovered that their homes were built on top of a practice bombing range from the 1940s and 50s which the military had cleared for development. That suit has since been settled. The Army Corps of Engineers was engaged in remediation.[9]

In November 2006, KB Home president, CEO, and chairman Bruce Karatz resigned after an internal accounting probe into his alleged backdating of stock options. KB Home also announced the resignation of its head of human resources, Gary A. Ray, and the resignation of its chief legal officer, Richard B. Hirst. The company determined that Karatz and Ray had picked grant dates under the company's stock option plans. According to the Wall Street Journal, Karatz was one of the most highly paid executives in 2005, earning almost $156 million, primarily from options.[10]

In 2006, Karatz was succeeded by Jeffrey T. Mezger as CEO.[11]

2008–present edit

In April 2008, KB Home published its first sustainability report, which outlined the company's environmental, social responsibility and economic sustainability accomplishments. The company has since produced this report annually for 15 years, with the latest report released in April 2022.[12][13]

The company was named "Most Admired Homebuilder" by Fortune in 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2011. KB Home was ranked #1 Overall Green Builder by Calvert Investments in 2010.[14]

In March 2011, KB Home, in partnership with SunPower, introduced its first community with solar as a standard feature.[15]

In fiscal year 2012, the company delivered 6,282 homes in the United States and had revenue of over $1.5 billion. This revenue figure is down from 2005 (at the height of the real estate boom), when the company delivered close to 40,000 homes and had more than $9 billion in revenue.

In 2016 KB Home settled a multi-million dollar lawsuit with the Florida Attorney General's Office for shoddy and defective construction repairs on homes that were built wrong in the first place.[16]

In January 2019, KB Home, in partnership with Builder Magazine, built a model home called KB Home ProjeKt, in Henderson, Nevada. The home was intended to showcase sustainability, smart home technology and home building technology that supports the occupant's mental, emotional and physical health, like circadian cycle lighting, antimicrobial paint and smart air purifiers.[17][18]

In February 2020, KB Home partnered with former Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen’s Homes 4 Wounded Warriors and built a mortgage-free new home for veterans of the U.S. Air Force who sustained combat-related injuries in Afghanistan and Iraq.[19]

In August 2020, KB Home introduced the KB Home Office, a partially customizable home office package targeting remote workers.[20]

In October 2020, KB Home was recognized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and awarded its WaterSense Sustained Excellence Award. This was the fourth consecutive year in which KB Home received the award.[21][12][22]

In April 2022, KB Home earned its 12th Energy Star Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award.[23][24] In July, the company confirmed plans to build homes in California, Nevada, and Arizona to meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense specifications.[25] In November, the company announced it had established the first all-electric solar and battery-powered microgrid community in California.[26] The following month, Newsweek listed KB Home as one of America’s Most Responsible Companies for environmental and social responsibilities.[27]

In October 2023, KB Home announced that it is moving forward to build 800 homes on San Jose’s Communications Hill.[28]

GreenHouse edit

KB Home built the company's first net-zero-energy home in January 2011. The GreenHouse was designed by KB Home and Martha Stewart and was featured as the "Idea Home" at the International Builders Show that year.[29] The house is located in Windermere, Florida.[30]

ZeroHouse 2.0 edit

The successor to the GreenHouse is the ZeroHouse 2.0, which combines energy efficiency measures and solar panels to achieve net-zero energy usage.[31] Introduced in 2011, the first model ZeroHouse 2.0 was built in Tampa, FL, closely followed by models in San Antonio and Austin, TX.[31]

KB Home expanded the ZeroHouse 2.0 to the Mid-Atlantic states in June 2012 with the unveiling of the first of its kind in Waldorf, Maryland. The 4,000-square-foot model home project was completed with the installation of a 40-panel SunPower system by Solar Energy World.[32]

Awards and recognition edit

  • WaterSense Sustained Excellence Award - 2017,2018,2019, 2020[21][12][22]
  • 5th, Builder Top 100  - 2019[33]
  • 5th, Builder Top 100  - 2020[34]
  • 7th, Builder Top 100  - 2021[35]
  • 6th, Builder Top 100  - 2022[36]
  • 6th, Builder Top 100  - 2023[37]
  • Fortune's Change the World list - 2023[37]
  • Energy Star Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award - 2022[23]

See also edit

  •   Los Angeles portal
  •   Companies portal

Notes edit

  1. ^ "Management". KB Home. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d e United States SEC Form 10-K - KB Home - Fiscal Year 2019
  3. ^ a b c d KB Home Reports 2016 Fourth Quarter and Full Year Results KB Home
  4. ^ "KB Home". Fortune. Retrieved 2019-01-18.
  5. ^ "KB Home announces grand opening of new Bradenton community | Business Observer". Business Observer. 2019-03-12. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  6. ^ a b c d e Los Angeles Magazine: "A Little Thing Called Power - He has more pull than the mayor, more art than the Getty, and more money than God. Does Eli Broad own LA?" by Ed Leibowitz June 2003
  7. ^ Bruck, Connie (December 10, 2010). "The Art of the Billionaire". The New Yorker. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  8. ^ Blevins, Joe. "A visit to what was once the real-life Simpsons house in Nevada". News. Retrieved 2019-01-18.
  9. ^ ?Harris, Byron (March 1, 2005). "Home builder dispute intensifies". WFAA-TV. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved June 23, 2007.
  10. ^ "KB Home CEO Bruce Karatz Out Amidst Stock Options Review". Fox News. November 13, 2006.
  11. ^ KB Home CEO resigns after backdating probe – MarketWatch
  12. ^ a b c McManus, John (2020-04-29). "Genz will loom large in housing's 2020 recovery: How pandemics and climate connect". Builder Online.
  13. ^ "KB Home Releases 15th Annual Sustainability Report, Detailing Industry-leading Sustainability Efforts to Build Better Homes, Better Communities and a Better Future". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
  14. ^ "A Survey of Sustainable Practices by the Homebuilding Industry" (PDF). Calvert Investments. November 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-01-18. Retrieved 2012-07-06.
  15. ^ Lazo, Alejandro (2011-03-22). "KB Home to test demand for solar power". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2020-11-10.
  16. ^ Paluska, Michael (11 February 2016). "KB Home settles multi-million dollar lawsuit". ABC Action News. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  17. ^ Sharf, Samantha. "Builder KB Home To Offer 'Wellness' Software As Smart Home Race Heats Up". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  18. ^ Hanel, Stan (2019-01-18). "KB showcase Google Home". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  19. ^ Blumberg, Perri Ormont. "Married Military Heroes Gifted Accessibility-Friendly Home in San Antonio". Southern Living. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  20. ^ Hunter, Brad (August 5, 2020). "Developing Trend: New Homes Will Include Personalized Home Offices". Forbes.
  21. ^ a b Shaver, Les (2016-10-17). "EPA Recognizes KB Home". www.architectmagazine.com. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  22. ^ a b "KB Home Emit its 13th Annual Sustainability Report". www.builderonline.com. 2020-04-22. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  23. ^ a b Greene, Kimberly. "Which builder delivers the most energy-efficient homes?". www.mpamag.com. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  24. ^ "KB Home Earns 12th ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
  25. ^ "L.A.-based developer to build water-saving homes in the Southwest". Orange County Register. 2022-07-21. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
  26. ^ Johnson, Peter (2022-11-02). "The first all-electric community powered by a solar and battery microgrid launches in California". Electrek. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
  27. ^ "KB Home Named One of America's Most Responsible Companies". Valdosta Daily Times. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
  28. ^ "KB Home Plans 800 Homes on San Jose's Communications Hill". The Real Deal. 2023-10-12. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
  29. ^ Koch, Wendy (January 12, 2011). "Martha Stewart Goes Green with KB Home Project". USA Today.
  30. ^ Defendorf, Richard. "KB Home GreenHouse and Martha Stewart Styling Share the Spotlight at IBS". Green Building Advisor from the Taunton Press, Inc.
  31. ^ a b Defendorf, Richard (September 20, 2011). "KB Home's ZeroHouse 2.0". The Taunton Press.
  32. ^ Dobson, Amy Rose (July 5, 2012). "A New 'ZeroHouse' in Waldorf, Maryland". Curbed. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  33. ^ "2019 Builder Magazine "Builder 100"". builderonline.com. The Builder. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  34. ^ "2020 Builder List". builderonline.com. 2021.
  35. ^ "2021 Builder List". builderonline.com. 2020.
  36. ^ "2022 Builder 100". builderonline.com. 2022.
  37. ^ a b "KB HOME NAMED TO FORTUNE'S 2023 CHANGE THE WORLD LIST". builderonline.com. 2023-10-11.

External links edit

  • Official website

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