Full Nelson

Derek Nelson faced the toughest call of his homebuilding career in summer 2009: Start a business from nothing or go to work for someone else.

Nelson had been a superintendent and later president for the Lakewood Ranch-based Arthur Rutenberg Homes franchise for the previous 25 years. That franchise was run by Pete McNabb, a well-known local builder, and Nelson's stepfather. It was a successful franchise, too, with 95 employees and 125 home sales a year at its peak. That was good for $100 million a year in annual sales.

But the recession led to a big sales drop, and McNabb retired in 2009. The franchise was left inactive, which is why Nelson had what he calls his “come to Jesus” moment. He had offers to work for some local homebuilding firms, but he ultimately decided to launch his own Arthur Rutenberg Home franchise.