Meet Vic Mariano, owner of Luxury Lifestyle Homes and an Epcon Franchise Builder based in Mesa, Arizona.
With 15 years of experience in remodeling and custom home building, Vic brings a customer-first mindset and a corporate background to the construction world. However, it was his desire to grow, scale smartly and enter community development that ultimately led him to Epcon Franchising.
A Corporate Mindset with a Construction Passion
Vic’s path to becoming a home builder is anything but conventional.
“I didn’t enter the home building and remodeling business the way most people do,” Vic explains. “My dad wasn’t a contractor, electrician or plumber. I actually worked in operations and engineering management for high-end semiconductors.”
When Vic transitioned from the corporate world to construction, he brought with him a unique approach that emphasized process, culture and a high-end customer experience. These qualities have become the backbone of his company.
“As a smaller boutique remodeling company and builder, we operate more like an Epcon. We believe in process and procedures, and culture is a really big deal for us.”
A Vision to Scale—With the Right Partner
Like many ambitious business owners, Vic had a growth plan. “I had a 10-year strategy to become a $50 million a year company. But truthfully, it’s $100 million,” he shares. He quickly realized that to get there, remodeling and custom builds weren’t going to be enough. He needed to move into production building. That required one major piece: land.
“I didn’t want to take chances of trying to learn land development on my own,” Vic says. That’s where Epcon entered the picture.
Two things about Epcon made a lasting impression on Vic. The first was the hands-on experience. “The old adage of ‘Those that can’t do, teach’—[Epcon doesn’t] fit that model. You do and you teach. Specifically, you teach the land development piece, and that was really important to me.”
The second highlight of Epcon was the processes. “We talked about processes and procedures, which are near and dear to my heart. I thought I was good at it until I met you guys. You make me look like an amateur.”
Looking Ahead
Vic is working toward launching his first Epcon community and he share that his early experiences with the Epcon team have been overwhelmingly positive.
“I’m super impressed with the whole team. Everyone’s very friendly and willing to help answer questions and people know my name. When I showed up to the Epcon National Conference, everyone was like, ‘Oh hey, Vic,’ before I even had my badge.”
Vic is not just here to build communities—he’s here to build something exceptional. “Everyone I talked to said if they had anything to do over again, they would have done it sooner. I’m looking forward to being able to say that myself after I start my first project.”
To hear more about Vic’s story, watch “Lifelong Learning With Epcon“