Former Home Builder Turns His Hand to the Land

Joe Duckworth was named Professional Builder's Builder of the Year in 1992, when he was CEO of Realen Homes, a Philadelphia-area builder. Now he's a partner in Arcadia Land Co., Haverford, Pa., along with Robert Davis, the visionary developer of Seaside, Fla., and Chris Leinberger, who among other things is a Fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. Duckworth's son, Jason, is president of Arcadia.

Professional Builder: When and why did you step down as CEO of Realen Homes?

Joe Duckworth: I got bored with another opening of another project and operating a home-building company. I decided that I much preferred the higher risk-reward, creative side of land development. So in 1998, I set up Arcadia Land Co. with Robert [Davis] and Chris [Leinberger], who had been on my board at Realen.

PB: What does Arcadia bring to the housing market?

Duckworth: We're a small niche company that currently has a couple of traditional neighborhood developments under construction. TNDs are undersupplied in the Philadelphia market. Our projects perform better than conventional [developments] because they're differentiated, and differentiated well.

PB: What do you find most rewarding about your job?

Duckworth: I love working with Jason every day and watching him learn and grow. And Robert and Chris are not only my partners but have also become my dear friends.

PB: How has your life changed since you left Realen?

Duckworth: It's much more balanced. I take a fair bit of time off; I've been on five not-for-profit boards in the Philadelphia area in the last few years and continue to serve on a couple of them; and I've maintained an active leadership role in the development/building business, without it being a consuming passion as it was for me earlier in life.