Developer moves headquarters to new offices

Spring will mark a major stepping stone for the Ron Stenger Companies, with a relocation to new office headquarters at the corner of National and Weaver.

The move, according to Lezah Stenger, owner and president of Stenger Homes Inc. home builders, continues the ongoing expansion of the various Stenger enterprises.

"Primarily, we were out of space," she said, "and we'll make a transition from leasing office space to occupying a building we own."

The late March move will place operations in one of two buildings owned and developed by the Stenger companies as National Place Office Park.

The companies began in the early 1980s with the creation of the Ron Stenger Development Company to produce subdivisions in the Springfield area. Stenger Homes Inc. was created in 1987 and Stenger Homes Town & Country, headed by son Stu, was added recently.

Also on staff is Stu's sister, attorney Stephanie Montgomery, who, he said, "plays a big role as a developer"; Ed Alden, vice president and manager of Stenger Homes Inc.; in-office CPA Dave Oliver; and Connie Covey, who provides office and clerical support.

The new Stenger building nearly doubles the firm's office and conference space, from 2,000 square feet to 3,750 square feet. The other building, 4,500 square feet with a completion date of April, is up for lease at $12 per square foot or sale at $110 per square foot.

Marshall Waters Woody & Associates served as architects on the new office complex, with Morelock-Ross Builders as contractor on the project.

Lezah Stenger does not anticipate any major economy slowdown for Stenger Homes, Inc., which builds homes in the $250,000-$900,000 price range. "Springfield always stays fairly stable and maintains its own. It's a good place to do business."

She notes that a major portion of the company's business is in custom homes. Most customers are generated by word-of-mouth or have previously bought a spec home built by the firm and want to graduate to a custom home. "We build homes in small subdivisions; we build homes in Highland Springs," she said.

Husband Ron's company develops subdivisions by buying the property, installing streets and amenities, and selling the lots to home builders. Stenger Homes Inc. purchases some of the lots and builds homes in these subdivisions.

The relatively new Stenger Homes Town & Country builds homes in Christian County in the $95,000 to $115,000 price bracket. Stu, who has worked in shopping center development in Columbia, said, "I've always grown up around the real estate business and am excited to learn the whole process of residential building."

His company now has 11 homes under construction, with 20 to 30 homes planned for this year.

"The Stenger Homes Inc. niche was for the higher priced housing and will continue to be," he said. "With the growth in Nixa and Ozark, however, we saw the need for affordable homes in the $95,000 to 115,000 price range." The company has purchased lots in the Carriage and Royal Estates subdivisions for construction of these homes and plans to build homes in the same price range in Springfield.

Along with the office space for sale or lease at National Place Office Park, separate parcels of land surrounding the office complex are offered for sale and development.

"We felt like development of this office complex would spur some growth in the southwest area, other than residential," said Stu Stenger, adding that architecturally, the new office buildings were designed to blend in nicely with the surrounding neighborhoods.