Schrader Homes

Alan Schrader discovered his interest in building things working alongside his carpenter uncle at a young age. Today, he is one of Saline County’s most established homebuilders. A longtime resident of Bryant, Alan and his wife, Ginger, have operated Schrader Homes since 2004.

Alan’s houses range in design as a result of the client-based business he runs. “We are structured to truly listen to what our clients are looking for and execute their ideas with the support needed to make the process relatively seamless,” he said. “I want my clients to enjoy the experience as much as I do and deliver a quality product that they are proud to live in.”

The style of Schrader Homes has varied through the years. As custom homebuilders, the company doesn’t repeatedly build the same look featuring the same elements. “We look at each project individually and focus on our clients’ goals and needs,” Alan said. As a builder, he finds things that he can appreciate in most styles, noting he doesn’t prefer one type of home to another. “I enjoy learning about and building new or different styles. Right now, I will say I really like the modern farmhouse style.”

After his Bryant Public Schools education, Alan graduated from University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a construction management degree. While in college he built his first home in 1997.  He spent several years working as a property appraiser for Farm Bureau Insurance, while building several other new construction homes during that time. His insurance career moved the family to Russellville, but soon after their second child was born, Alan felt compelled to make a career change.

His passion for building custom projects and building client relationships evolved into Schrader Homes. But he knew that if he was going to build homes he wanted to do it where he had called home most of his life, so he moved his family back to Saline County. The business has grown to become one of the area’s top custom homebuilders. “It’s a privilege to be chosen to build someone’s home,” he said.

While Ginger and Alan are the only true Schraders who work for the business, the operation is definitely family-oriented. “With only five of us, our employees are like family,” Alan said, adding he likes to surround himself with a consistent group of sub-contractors who also are like family.

Over its 12-year existence, Schrader Homes has built homes in a wide range of locations including Longhills Village, Westpointe North, Hurricane Lake Estates, River Ridge Estates, West Cliff, Stone Hill Estates, The Estates of Riverview, Coldwater Creek, Red Oak Ridge in Hot Spring, several Chenal Valley Developments, and on various privately owned properties throughout the county. Alan was honored in 2006 as the Saline County Home Builder Association’s Builder of the Year. In 2007, he was selected as a featured builder in Builder Magazine and nominated in 2008 for the magazine’s Humanitarian of the Year Award.

Out of all his residential construction success, Alan said one of his favorite projects he has completed was for Habitat for Humanity of Saline County. The “Blitz Build” – meaning it was built in three and a half days – “was a truly exciting experience,” Alan said. “To see all the subcontractors and suppliers work together in unbelievable time frames was amazing. I have been fortunate for the opportunity to build some of the finest homes in Saline County, and I am extremely honored to have done that. However, this build is still one that sticks out in my mind.”

Without giving away too much information, the future is looking bright for Schrader Homes, Alan said. New developments are in the works that will be different from anything already established in the county. “I am excited to say that we have several new developments that will be opening soon here in Saline County. We feel they will be able to offer different opportunities that are not currently available with other developments.” And as always, Alan will continue to be inspired every day by his clients – old and new. “I see the excitement that they have for their project and it motivates me to help them create it.”

Spending most of their time building others’ dreams, the Schraders enjoy retreating to their farm. Alan noted, “With three children and a bustling business, the farm is a place where we can take a moment, relax and just enjoy our blessings – a wealth of family, supportive friends and a business we love.”