BUILDING FRIENDSHIPS

THE DYNAMIC DUOS OF CUSTOM HOME BUILDING.

JERRY FAY ( L ) AND CHRIS ROGERS ( R)

Chris Rogers’ passion for the construction business runs deep in his veins. He was introduced to the industry nearly three decades ago when he joined his father’s building company. Over time, he steadily honed his skills and knowledge, eventually assuming leadership of the company. As his productivity increased, he recognized an opportunity to expand his reach and partnered with Jerry Fay, who brought with him an intense background in production, sales, and marketing. By integrating some of the best practices from Jerry’s world—processes and discipline—into the realm of custom home building, they established Milestone Custom Homes, a company that continues to thrive under their joint guidance.

These dynamic duos may not have coined the term ‘Dream Team,’ but they are certainly worthy of the titles. Chris Rogers and Jerry Fay of Milestone Custom Homes, along with Kevin Sexton and Barry Griffith of Sexton Griffith Custom Builders, are two highly-touted tandems who have created custom home companies focused on communication, experience, and integrity.

We invite you to get to know the leaders behind Milestone and Sexton Griffith, not only as esteemed members of our Builder’s Guild but also as friendly faces around the Hartness community, both on and off the job site.

JERRY, LET’S GET PERSONAL

FAVORITE PART OF THE JOB? “I like the personal side of custom home building. I think it’s fun to come in and truly figure out how a client lives and problem-solve with them to build the house that fits them the best. We get an opportunity to marry form and function and build it right before them.”

FAVORITE SONG? “I love a lot of music. It would be an injustice to the world to just give one song, but if I had to, I would say it’s ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.’ That was the song my daughter and I danced to at her wedding, so it’s special to me.”

DO YOU HAVE PETS? “I have three dogs and four Nigerian dwarf goats. The only thing my goats produce is happiness. They just make people happy.”

FAVORITE RESTAURANT? “I really don’t have a favorite restaurant. When it comes to food, I would rather cook and cook for other people.”

BEST ADVICE WHEN HIRING A BUILDER?

“Get to know and understand your builder on the front end. A home is personal. It’s more than a business transaction. Find a builder that communicates well and cares.”

DESCRIBE YOUR DREAM HOME. “Clean, timeless, and a function over form. I would want a home specifically designed for the way we live that fits our lifestyle.”

CHRIS, LET’S GET PERSONAL

WHAT KEEPS YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT BUILDING? “It’s fun to build, especially in our case where we get to build nice things. Everything we build is always one-of-a-kind and special. At the end of the day, you’ve produced a tangible product to be proud of.”

WHAT DREW YOU TO HARTNESS? “I’ve known the Hartness family for years. My dad and Pat Hartness were friends. Hartness is building an interesting product, and I know they will do it right. It’s great to be a part of something so cool.”

FAVORITE RESTAURANT? “To be honest, I would rather just eat what my wife cooks. If we do go out, my wife likes sushi. So, we go get sushi sometimes at Otto.”

DESCRIBE YOUR DREAM HOME. “I actually just finished building my house. It’s simple and comfortable. Everything is done well, and everything is focused around the way we live. After building other people’s homes for thirty years, it’s cool to be able to build your own house and see what people are dealing with.”

FAVORITE SEASON? “Summer. I hate the cold. In the summertime, I like going to the beach and hanging out with my family and doing things outside together.”

BEST ADVICE WHEN HIRING A BUILDER?

“Find someone you trust and someone that values that trust. It really makes things go a lot more smoothly. Experience, communication, and someone you can trust are the qualities that make a good builder.”