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Ten years ago, Elizabeth Puhak set out with the idea of building homes to suit the needs of the Bryan County community. And in those ten years, Puhak has been successful in this goal through the achievements of her company, Flagship Homes.

Over the past decade, Flagship Homes has built between 80-100 custom and semi-custom homes and the volume of the business continues to grow. While there may be larger builders in the Coastal Empire, Flagship Homes has carved a niche as a company that has identified the needs of Richmond Hill homeowners and has built homes to meet the demands of the community and the real estate market.

In creating that niche, Puhak states that when she builds a house, she considers how the woman of the house would like the home to look and function. Everything from the flow of the rooms to the most effective placement of the lighting is considered by Puhak when she builds a home. Call it feminine intuition with a twist, but whatever it is, it works well for both her and her customers.

"We want each home to be different," explains Puhak,"�we give a lot of attention to detail in every home." This means that she can improvise as she goes along. Maybe a door needs to be made wider or changing the layout of the kitchen would enhance the flow. All of these details are designed to meet the needs of the customer.

This attention to detail and flexibility in design has earned Flagship Homes awards such as the 2004 Home Builder's Association "Presidential Award" and the 2003 "Tree Friendly Builder of the Year Award." It also helped Flagship Homes to earn the 1st place distinction in the 2003 Parade of Homes for the $300,000-$400,000 category.

Currently, Flagship Homes is focused on building homes in the Buckhead subdivision of Richmond Hill. Buckhead was designed with families in mind. Heavily wooded and winding streets are just part of its charm. A new home buyer in the Buckhead community will immediately notice the benefits of living in a neighborhood created to take advantage of the landscape and encourage walking and cycling throughout the common areas and open spaces. Connections between the neighborhoods by the winding roads promote the feeling of community.

Buckhead also boasts fine homes built by various home-builders in the Coastal Empire, something Puhak said she is proud to be a part of. Puhak is heavily involved in the Homebuilders Association of Greater Savannah, currently serving as the Vice President of the Bryan County chapter. Since Bryan County is growing with new homes and commerce, the Richmond Hill area is one of the fastest growing areas in South Georgia.

Puhak also currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Helping Hands Foundation of South Bryan, Inc., a volunteer organization created to aid the less fortunate and elderly Richmond Hill homeowners with home maintenance and to participate in community projects. Her involvement in the community gives her a unique perspective when it comes to the needs of her homeowners.

"Since 1995, Flagship Homes has strived to build homes designed for ease of maintenance, comfort and convenience. We realize that when you decide to build a home, it is a major investment in time and money. You need a company with experience and integrity, a builder that can provide you with the best building money can buy," her brochure states.

Currently, Puhak and her staff are building 15-20 homes per year and hope for that to increase to 25 per year soon. She said business continues to pick up and shows no signs of peaking any time soon.

"We feel we have an edge. In the building industry, a woman's perspective is often overlooked. That's why we make it our business to focus on those details every day," she said.