Falls at Olde Mill, The-Keystone Custom in Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Keystone Custom Homes

Jeff Rutt and his wife, previously dairy farmers, owned and operated a 200 acre farm in Lancaster County, Pa. After a decade of hard work and 100 hour weeks in dairy farming, Jeff decided to change careers. "I looked for something with lower risk and fewer hours" Jeff says with a straight face. "So I got into home building".

Although he is now more than 15 years removed from the dairy farm, its legacy lives on in the strategies and corporate culture of Keystone Custom Homes. The head of this young firm takes a frugal approach to everything from scrap lumber to office space. In farming, you need three things: efficiency, perseverance and a positive attitude. Those are the same qualities you need to succeed in home building.

After spending several years as a Realtor working with builders to buy and develop land, Jeff Rutt started Keystone in 1992. In the first six months they sold 12 homes and have continued to grow ever since.

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