History of the Company

In 1984, Richard (Dick) Pierson and Charles Gibbs started Pierson-Gibbs Homes, Inc. Dick brought 14 years housing experience with multinational giant builders using a form of the  hands-on-concept. Charles Gibbs brought a lifetime of experience in the lumber industry. In 1986, Dick and his wife Lois obtained 100% of the stock and kept the company’s name.

In 1984, the company was headquartered in Dick and Lois’ garage in Harrison Township Michigan. In this first year the company only built one home as Dick and Lois were forming the foundation that would ensure steady growth over the next 22 years. Last year Pierson-Gibbs built its 2,000th home. Due to this growth the company had to relocate its headquarters in 1987 to a commercial address in Richmond, Michigan.

The first few homes were made with material purchased at the lumberyard. One of the main advantages of a Pierson-Gibbs Home is the high-grade material one receives in their home at such a low price. Since builders are unable to buy from manufacturers, Dick formed Quality Lumber and Building Wholesalers in 1986. Quality Lumber, which started as a buying vehicle for Pierson-Gibbs, has since formed its own identity and is now the largest Hurd Window distributor in Michigan. Quality also sells cabinets, carpet, engineered floor systems for homes, and several other building products. Since it's founding, Quality Lumber has grown into a multi-million dollar company.

Also in 1986, Pierson-Gibbs Homes started offering its own in-house construction loans. The ability to offer a competitive construction loan with no fees is a key ingredient to the Pierson-Gibbs success story. In the first two years, financing was outsourced to other financial institutions making it hard to be competitive in the market. Now we offer the "No payment, No Fee" construction loan that has become the premier financing package of the industry.

Dick and Lois retired in 2003. Their sons now run the companies they founded: Bill is President; Eric is the Chief Financial Officer of Pierson-Gibbs Homes; and Tim is the President of Quality Lumber. Carl Leonard, a long-time friend of the family and top salesman for Pierson-Gibbs, is VP of Sales and Marketing for Pierson-Gibbs and also part owner of the company. They all take great pride in the fact that over 60% of their business is from referrals from satisfied customers.  Another point of pride for Pierson-Gibbs Homes, Inc. is its clear records with the Better Business Bureau, State Licensing Bureau, and the Financial Institutions Bureau.

Almost 80% of Pierson-Gibbs' current employees are also past customers. Because of their collective experiences, they are intimately familiar with the Pierson-Gibbs building process. Pierson-Gibbs Homes, Inc. has always had a very low employee turnover rate.  Dick's longstanding philosophy, "treat your people well and they will work hard for you" is just one of the many reasons for the success of Pierson-Gibbs Homes and Quality Lumber.