Kat Hitchcock’s Interview with Brandon Arlington owner of CDB Group
Santa Barbara home design by the CDB Group
Kat: What does CDB stand for?
Brandon: Consult. Design. Build. We do all of those things, and it is more of a business model than just a name. Which is why I chose it.
Kat: Awesome! I love that. Okay, so what does your team at CDB Group consist of?
Brandon: We have field personnel, office administration, project managers, carpenters and laborers.
Kat: What is the biggest project that CDB Group has completed in Santa Barbara?
Brandon: Planning, design, permitting and development of a 4,000 sq ft residential custom new build project in Mission Canyon. Project is currently in the construction planning phase. The residence has features such as media room, private office, steam shower & a double two car garage.
Kat: What has been your favorite project?
Jamie Slone Wines
Brandon: It would be hard to pick one because we have has so many great projects, and they all bring something different to the table. Jamie Slone Wines is one that comes to mind immediately when talking about commercial projects. It was really fun being able to work with great clients, Jamie and Kym, as well as putting something together that’s in good taste and design, and is enjoyed by the Santa Barbara community. Residential is hard because our remodels are so great and there’s so many.
Kat: How many years have you been doing construction?
Brandon: I started in construction when I was 13 years old, so that’s 20 years. I worked for my father’s construction development company for a while which is where I started. I used to work at an architecture firm where I was their errand boy while I was doing some CAD (computer-aided design) and drafting courses at Santa Barbara City College.
Kat: What’s your favorite part about doing what you do?
Brandon: I would say the task of creative thinking and trying to take a challenge that in a lot of instances the odds are slim. When you consider construction companies, and especially start ups the likelihood that they are going to be successful is pretty low. I enjoy beating the odds and the challenge of it, and being able to use creativity to come up with new approaches to problems and actually solving them.
Kat: What sets CDB Group apart from the other companies in town?
Brandon: I would say the biggest thing is that we are a one stop shop. That doesn't necessarily mean everything is done in house, but we connect people with good business people in the area. We know that in order to grow sustainably that we have to pace ourselves and there’s a lot of operations out there that come out of the gates sprinting as hard as they can and tire out. We are a company that is dedicated to not doing that and giving a top notch service to our clients and being around for the long run.
Kat: Okay, last question what should people do before starting a project on their own?
Brandon: Don’t start on your own. Consult with people and ask questions. Its about getting connected with the right people and consulting with them, and having a clear direction of the pathway that you should take to conduct the project you’re after. Also word of mouth goes a long way in this town. All of my business I have generated over the years is word of mouth I haven’t advertised at all. After the second year in business we had a sustainable growth pattern at about 30% per year. These next oncoming years we plan on continuing that type of growth pattern
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