Tap the experience of a Top 50 homebuilder and the #1 residential building franchisor.

Leadership

Edward Bacome

Chief Executive Officer & Director

Edward Bacome is one of the founding partners of Epcon Communities. Ed has over 40 years of experience in property management, construction, operations, and real estate development. He earned his undergraduate and law degrees from The Ohio State University and is a licensed real estate broker. Ed supports many non-profit organizations within the community including the Columbus Foundation and The Ohio State University. He is also on the Board of Directors for Benchmark Bank.

Philip Fankhauser

President & Director

Philip Fankhauser is one of the founding partners of Epcon Communities and has been involved in commercial and residential development for over 40 years. As a visionary leader for the company, Phil’s insights help steer the company’s strategic direction for land acquisition, marketing and future ventures. Phil holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from Franklin University and is a licensed real estate broker. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Franklin University and on the Senior Housing Council of the Urban Land Institute (ULI).

Paul Hanson

President, Epcon Communities Franchising

Paul Hanson was appointed President of Epcon Franchising in 2018 and has been involved in the building industry since 2003, serving in various strategic roles involving construction and operations. Prior to joining Epcon, he served as Group Vice President for Arthur Rutenberg Homes where he led an expansion and development effort that covered a six-state Midwestern market. Prior to that, he was with NVR for over ten years in leadership roles in both Ohio and Florida. Paul is a graduate of Grove City College in Pennsylvania and earned his MBA from the University of Florida in 2009.  Contact Paul.

Rob Krohn

Vice President, Marketing

Rob Krohn has 20+ years of experience leading marketing, advertising and lead generation strategies. As the vice president of marketing for Epcon, Rob oversees strategy and execution for all company marketing initiatives. He also serves as a consultant to Epcon’s national network of Franchise Builders. Prior to his current position, Rob oversaw brand management and marketing for Assurex Global, HSG/CodeBlue and HTP (acquired by McKesson). Rob holds a BFA from The University of Akron. Rob speaks frequently at industry conferences on topics such as traditional and digital lead generation, lead conversion techniques, marketing technology, as well as virtual and augmented reality.

Franchise Services

Jay Leath

Business Development Manager, Southern Region

Jay Leath joined the team in 2019 and brings 18 years of experience in the residential building industry in disciplines ranging from construction, purchasing, sales, and training. Jay is well-versed in all facets of the home building process from purchasing to construction, through quality assurance. He is known for his ability to translate requirements into results and is a tenacious builder advocate. In his role on Epcon’s Business Development team, he is driven by the mission to help qualified builders achieve improved efficiency and greater potential.  Jay serves as builder liaison covering the southern half of the United States and enjoys working with Epcon’s community of fine franchise builders.  Contact Jay.

Adam Smith

Business Development Manager, Northern Region

Adam Smith joined the team in 2019 with the goal to help bring the value of Epcon’s building franchise system to builders and investors that want to grow and/or streamline their business to reach new markets. He brings with him a solid background in business consulting and development in the home building, finance and other related industries. Adam is a Midwesterner, having grown up in Bellville, one of Ohio’s quintessential small towns that still has a “step back in time” historic Main Street, stately town hall, and gazebo in the square. Adam may be from a small town, but he’s seen the world through his service in the US Marine Corps and has earned numerous medals and awards for his exemplary military service.  Adam is passionate and driven in his work and his determination shows in everything he does. Adam is covering the northern half of the United States and enjoys helping Epcon’s franchise builders to think bigger and build smarter.  Contact Adam.

Jennifer Dimel

Business Development Specialist

Jennifer Dimel has 11 years of experience in Account Management and Sales. Her expertise spans several related industries and she is widely known and recognized for her attention to detail and sense of urgency around customer needs.  Jennifer is the initial point of contact for those interested to be awarded a franchise and is well-qualified to help anyone interested in learning more about Epcon’s business model to understand the possibilities surrounding Epcon’s residential building franchise opportunity.  Contact Jennifer.

Steve Peck

Franchise Project Consultant

Steve Peck joined Epcon Franchising in 2018 and brings over 21 years of experience in land acquisition and development to our franchise support team. His work includes extensive land projects in Ohio, Kentucky and Georgia. Steve serves as a great asset to our franchisees as they evaluate land options for new projects to determine applicability to project requirements and goals.  He has developed financial and other tools and guides that he shares with franchisees so they can make more informed decisions. Steve is available to collaborate with your project team as you consider land acquisition options. Steve is known for his cool, collected problem resolution skills, no matter what the inevitable land-related surprise!

Rita Martin

Franchise Administration Manager

Rita Martin joined Epcon Franchising in 2018 and offers solid experience in the areas of franchise development, franchise law, and franchise agreement administration. She also has a significant amount of expertise in zoning and land use law, commercial development and various land use matters. Rita’s role on the Epcon Communities Franchising team is to provide our franchisees with ongoing account management and support, especially in the area of compliance. Rita works tirelessly with all of our Franchise builders to provide best-in-class service and to ensure continued franchisor leadership.

Caitlin Schrimpf

Franchise Administration Coordinator

Caitlin Schrimpf has an extensive background in data, analytics, and customer support. Caitlin provides Epcon Franchise Builders monthly closing reports, monthly data reports, and identifies community sales trends. She holds her Bachelors of Science in Mathematics from Wright State University. With her previous experience, Caitlin is an excellent fit for working directly with Franchise Builders and their teams to support their administrative needs.

Lauren Bigham

Marketing Manager

Lauren Bigham joined Epcon Franchising in 2019 with a strong background in project management and digital strategy within the retail and healthcare industries. Lauren will support Franchise Builders in their marketing efforts to build their brand and diversify their business portfolios, as well as assisting them in leveraging the assets provided through the Epcon Marketing Co-Op.

Learn more about Epcon

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