Mitch Hardeman

In the world of construction knowing people is important. For two housing and consumer economics graduates their long-time friendship has led them into a joint business, out of the business, and into other businesses.

Ricky Lane (BSFCS ’92, Consumer Economics and Home Management) and Mitch Hardeman (BSFCS ’93, Housing) didn’t meet in Dawson Hall, their friendship dates back to high school when Lane was a student at Cedar Shoals High School in Athens, and Hardeman attended Madison County High. After graduation both left the Athens area for college elsewhere – Lane spent two years playing football for West Georgia in Carrollton while Hardeman attended both Georgia Southern in Statesboro and Emmanuel College in Franklin Springs.

“I had a friend who had graduated from FACS and said it was a great experience,” Hardeman recalled. “I came in and talked to Dr. (Anne) Sweaney and Dr. (Jane) Rodin (former director of Student Services). They both thought it would be a good fit for me.”

Lane’s experience was somewhat similar. After two years in Carrollton he decided he wanted his college degree to come from the University of Georgia, his father’s alma mater and his hometown university.

“There are just a lot of resources that smaller colleges don’t have,” he said. “I wanted to come back to UGA.”

After checking out various majors on campus, Lane decided the housing and consumer economics programs best fit his goal of joining the family business.

“When my dad was a student here there was no off-campus student housing. There were some run-down trailers and old barracks,” he said. “After he graduated he began building and managing apartments. He still has the initial ones he built – Cedar Village on Cedar Shoals Drive.”

Lane and Hardeman re-kindled their acquaintance while earning their degrees, but both went their separate ways after graduation. Lane traveled to Perry and cut his teeth rehabilitating an apartment complex his father’s company had recently purchased. Hardeman accepted a position with Jackson EMC, first as a residential marketing representative and later as a commercial marketing representative.

“It was good for me to start out working someplace other than Athens,” Lane said. “It was a lot of trial by fire. I was able to talk with my dad for advice, but I was ultimately responsible for everything that went on and handling the things that went wrong. It was a good experience for me.”

Lane also had an opportunity to get to quickly know people in Perry by offering to help coach the football team at the local private school.

“I would work from 8-3 and then head over to practice,” he recalled. “It was a great way to get to know the people and the town – and to be part of two state championships.”

In 1996, Lane returned to Athens and spent the next year-and-a-half overseeing construction of a 146-unit apartment complex, one of the biggest in the area at that time. He and Hardeman also began discussing going into business together.

“I got the itch” is how Hardeman describes his desire to enter the homebuilding business. “I was married but we didn’t have a lot of bills. I had always thought it was a possibility that I’d try this.”

C o v e r S t o r y  By Denise Horton

Ricky Lane

Although Lane was busy with the family business, he agreed with Hardeman that the time was right to jump into building single-family homes.

“With low interest rates and the housing boom that was happening in Athens, it was a real opportunity,” Lane said. “It was also an opportunity to do something different. My dad’s company hadn’t ever ventured into single-family housing.”

For four years, Lane and Hardeman built between 50 and 60 houses in three different counties and eight different subdivisions – sharing the risks and profits. But at the end of that time, they parted ways.

“As easy as it started, it ended,” Lane recalled. “When we went into business together we were both newlyweds with a lot of energy. But as life progressed we each had a couple of children and I had a lot on my plate.”

Both Lane and Hardeman have continued to build houses, but increasing land and construction costs are combining to make for slimmer profit margins.

“Our industry is at a crossroads,” Lane said. “For those of us who build fewer than 25 houses a year, I don’t know where our business is going.”

Hardeman likewise has seen the increasing risks in focusing solely on residential construction and two years ago decided to begin spreading his risk by starting a new business providing containers for construction debris.

“Builders need containers now more than ever,” he explained. “It used to be that you would burn lumber debris, but Clarke County, for example, has a year-round burning ban.”

Hardeman knew he was paying significant amounts renting the construction containers and decided the market was ripe for him to enter it.

“I have a lot of relationships in the building industry, which I hoped would help me get business. I figured it would be slower progressing than it has been, but it’s shot off like a rocket.”

Already Hardeman is supplying containers in Madison, Jackson, Barrow, Walton and Greene counties, in addition to Clarke and Oconee. Among his customers is his former business partner, Lane.

“When I get his checks in the mail, it’s nice,” he said, chuckling.

As they continue to explore their futures, both Lane and Hardeman emphasize the importance of maintaining relationships.

“I’ve been lucky to be a part of a family business that’s been in this area for 37 years,” Lane said. “I’m working with electricians who are second generation and a roofer who is third generation. Those relationships are important both personally and professionally.”

For Hardeman, the relationships he’s built during the past several years as a homebuilder are essential to his success.

“Being in a new business, it’s paid huge dividends,” he said. “There have been many people who have decided to contract with me rather than a national chain because they know that if there’s a problem, they can call me and I’ll take care of it.”