Built On Character
By Ashley Smith Durham
Patty Dake took a deep breath and let out a delightful sigh as she recalled her home-building experience.
“I can remember driving down our street after the columns had gone up in the front of our house. From that point on, it felt like home. I thought, You nailed it Michael. You’ve created just what I was looking for!”
Multiple homeowners would agree that Michael Dilworth of Dilworth Development has a unique ability to listen intensely to his customer and create a keen sense of understanding a client’s needs and desires. Although young in his profession, Michael’s success as a residential-and-commercial builder is proven, and his extraordinary skills and style are unmatched. Dilworth Development is a business based on a foundation of upstanding morals and a desire to stay aboveboard and up to date with an innovative style that will remain timeless.
While still a student in Auburn University’s Building Science Program, Michael ventured to build his first speculative home in Auburn. The decision to build this first home stemmed from what he considered an “unanswered prayer.”
“I had been offered a summer job with a home builder that sounded as if it was a dream job, and on what was supposed to be my first day of work, my employer did not show up. So what seemed to be an ‘unanswered prayer’ became an opportunity,” explains Michael.
The home sold prior to being complete, and the home owners, Bob and Carolyn Bobkowski, continue to reside in their Grove Hill home today.
“We were extremely impressed by Michael’s cooperation and eagerness to gather feedback from us as buyers,” says Bob. “Michael sincerely wanted to know our opinion about his home in order to improve his skills.”
Michael’s passion for knowing the clients and understanding their concerns allows each home constructed by Dilworth Development to tell a story. “It’s almost as if each home has a secret,” shares the builder.
Michael makes an effort to be flexible in the building process. He identifies customers’ needs and focuses on their passion, allowing the home to take on his clients’ personalities. “I tend to be a tour guide along the way. I take the customer’s temperature to determine (his/her) goals and desires. Then I use the information to provide a mountaintop experience. It is important to know a person’s values and concerns and give (him/her) tangible opportunities for creating (his/her) ideal home. Everything in the home should have a purpose, and in the end there is reward in a home that fits the image of that person.”
Working as a “hands-on” builder, the Bobkowskis noted that it was not unusual to find Michael laying the grass or hammering a nail at his home, and Dake, owner of the third home Michael constructed, agreed. “When my husband and I would visit our home site, oftentimes we found Michael sweeping up the floors at the end of the day. He is a builder that provides service that he would expect for his self. Michael accepts the sheer responsibility of a project any size.”
The builder credits his desire to work hard and maintain upstanding business morale to his family.
“My father is my hero. He is patient, but tough. He is diligent like water, never quitting. He has encouraged me to make smart long-term decisions. My entrepreneurial skills come from my mother who has a good business mind, and my wife of seven years, Brooke, has given me any bit of good taste that I may have.”
Michael’s father, an engineer and professor by trade, introduced his son to the building industry by allowing him to assist in various jobs at a young age. The two often worked together on handy projects throughout Michael’s childhood, and both enjoy the outdoors.
“Growing up, I wondered how I would ever find the ability to use all of my quirky personality traits to accomplish something. I have some artistic skills, however I’m not fully artistic, and I do have a business side. I’m not an engineer, but I can be organized. I love true architecture, love the outdoors and like people. All of these ‘half-full’ skills come together to help me offer a client the full service (he/she) needs in building a home.”
Michael seeks to filter the anxiety and worries of a building process and address the issues that matter. His desires to continually learn and progress help Dilworth Development advance as a leading company in Auburn’s building industry. The classic architecture in Michael’s home town, Mountain Brook, Ala., creates a subconscious desire for the builder to incorporate a European style in his projects.
“In Mountain Brook, there are gorgeous homes that have withstood the test of time, then there are other homes that are the wrong house on the right lot, and these homes are often dismantled for new construction. My hope is that I can create a home that isn’t trendy, but timeless — a home that will be great now and better 30 years from now,” explains the builder, who somewhat systemizes his creations by developing an open flow of information for his clients via the internet, email, and a persistent and accurate budgeting process.
“Michael has revolutionized housing by applying modern business principals to a construction business that can tend to be archaic,” notes Gaines Blackwell, retired professor in Auburn University’s School of Architecture, “His success is directly related to his knowledge of the business and desire to grow the business. He is a delight to work with and is unfailingly polite.”
The builder’s clients and friends vouch for his character and describe Michael as cooperative, honest, sincere and trustworthy. His influence on projects, his youthful enthusiasm, and eagerness to please give Michael the ability to work well with clients, architects, designers and subcontractors.
“Michael creates an ease of conversation and makes sure that everyone is happy in the end. He considers the customers first, and that credits his success,” accounts Todd Sheils, owner of a Dilworth Development home. The builder has made enormous strides in the industry by creating quality workmanship and making conscientious business decisions.
“No amount of success has changed Michael from the day of his first project,” says Dake. “He is still the same guy with the same goals and intentions of doing the very best. Dilworth Development means the same thing to me today that it meant when he was building our home. It means quality and integrity. Dilworth Development represents a man that stands behind his work.”
This article was published in East Alabama Living Magazine. View the actual article.
