FEATURED BUILDER

HAL GEORGE PROVES THAT NICE GUYS DO, INDEED, FINISH FIRST

Hal George tends to use the words “lucky” and “blessed” to a great extent. As in he’s been both lucky and blessed to enjoy success in the same industry for nearly 40 years.

Blessed, maybe, and lucky, maybe. But there’s also integrity, leadership, hard work and business smarts. Characteristically, though, George is nonchalant about both his legacy and his local impact.

Who survives the ebbs and flows of construction and real estate, not to mention the Great Recession and a global pandemic, solely by virtue of good fortune? And who becomes a

Habitat for Humanity leader just by being in the right place at the right time?

As head of Parkland Homes Inc., a luxury custom-home builder based in Winter Park, George has literally built his company on a foundation that’s captured in this simple statement:

“My whole career and my life, I try to do the right thing.”

More insight on his unassuming approach: “Any builder that ever tries to make it sound like he’s the reason for all the success is crazy, because there are hundreds of people who work on every single house. It takes a lot of people. And not just those who work for you.”

Since the mid-1980s, Parkland Homes has built or renovated more than 100 homes, mostly in the Winter Park/Maitland area and virtually all featuring uncommon craftsmanship and fine architectural detailing. Many of them dot the Winter Park

Chain of Lakes, not far from Rollins College, from which George graduated in 1976.

Prior to becoming a builder, in 1981 George founded Parkland

International Realty Inc. and has served as president and broker since that time. The intent has been for Parkland International

Realty and Parkland Homes to complement one another and provide clients with a full spectrum of real estate services.

Additionally, in 1993 George helped to establish a Winter

Park-Maitland affiliate of Habitat for Humanity. Earlier, he had begun volunteer homebuilding work in Orlando before connecting with former Rollins College president Thaddeus

Seymour and others to start an even more local affiliate for the international organization.

Habitat for Humanity of Winter Park-Maitland is now approaching 60 homes built. Partly for his involvement with

Habitat, George was the recipient of the 2007 Good Samaritan Award from the Don Diebel Legacy Fund for helping others

“without hope of recognition or personal gain.”

Diebel was a Winter Park physician who was struck and

Although Hal George is known for building upscale homes, he chose to be photographed on the porch of a Habitat for Humanity home on Winter Park’s westside. He and former Rollins College president Thaddeus Seymour spearheaded the local Habitat affiliate in 1993.

killed by a passing vehicle in 2002 when he stopped to help stranded motorists by the roadside. Which is an act of kindness that one can imagine George doing.

“It’s not all about money,” George says, reasserting his fundamental stance. “It’s not all about recognition or anything like that. It’s really just feeling like you’re doing the right thing. You go home at night and you can sleep.”

While George can rest easy on his reputation, he remains busy in the field. Currently, Parkland Homes has five custom homes under construction, including three in Winter Park (two on lakefront), one in Windermere and one in New Smyrna Beach, where he’s seeking to branch out.

Three of the homes are particularly spacious, ranging up to 10,000 square feet. Also, George’s company has 11 remodels in the works.

Notably, Parkland Homes doesn’t use a website or much tangible marketing of any kind to attract business. George notes, “I honestly probably turn down more jobs than I take. I’m not saying it to be cocky; it’s just blessed.”

Parkland Homes doesn’t have a big staff, either. Mostly, it consists of George and his nephew, Josh Barnes, who has worked with his uncle since 2015.

Since the mid-1980s, Hal George has built or renovated more than 100 homes, mostly in Winter Park and Maitland and many dotting the Winter Park Chain of Lakes. Says George: “We’ll look for the quality projects — projects we really enjoy and people we want to work with.”

George and his wife, Teresa, have two grown children: son Michael and daughter Leigh George McAuliffe. Father and son work together parttime. Leigh is a licensed contractor who was “primed to take over,” George says. However, with her fourth child on the way, she has stepped away from the business — but remains close at hand if needed.

Meanwhile, the flow of work is steady, and the company operates “like a Whack-A-Mole machine,” describes George, referring to the popular arcade game. “When something pops up, we sort of smack it.”

Still, George says, “I really think we’ll continue to do what we’ve been doing for many years. We’ll look for the quality projects — projects we really enjoy and people we want to work with. Being a small company, we can be fairly selective. The goal is to keep going.”

George owns lots in New Smyrna Beach, and the prospect of beachside spec homes is looming. In addition, a merger of Parkland International Realty and Premier Sotheby’s International Realty has necessitated a new office in New Smyrna Beach, now being expanded and renovated.

“That’s always been our world — just sort of look at what’s available and see what fits, what feels right, and with good people,” he explains. And, he jokes about the beach location, “I could always just say I’m going to work and then paddle around.”

Not coincidentally, George has surfed for about 60 years and is a paddleboard enthusiast. He is fit and physically active, albeit with some wear and tear. “Nine knee operations later, I’m not quite in the same kind of condition for surfing than I used to be, but I still love it,” he says.

Indeed, at age 69, George concedes he’s in the “twilight” of his career, with the clock ticking — on an industry that has been good to him and better because of him. He repeats a common refrain: “I’ve been very blessed, very fortunate.”

Yet, he quickly adds, he has no plan to retire anytime soon. “I’ll know when it’s right,” he says. “I operate a lot on gut feeling. I don’t know. I’m always going to do something like this.”

And why shouldn’t he? Building is still his passion, whether for well-heeled custom-home clients or for families seeking a leg up from Habitat: “There’s a whole bigger list that I don’t like about [construction], especially now,” he adds.

“But the part that keeps me going is I do love to see the creative part come together. I like to have that satisfaction of knowing [clients are] going to move their families into their homes.” n —Michael Candalaria