PANAMA CITY BEACH — The builder of a booming local community near the Beach has garnered more national recognition.
In a press release on Monday, Minto Communities USA announced that it had been recognized as among the top 100 builders in the U.S., landing the 37th spot in Builder Magazine’s 2024 annual Builder 100 list. This is a jump from the 45th spot Minto secured on the list last year.
The release notes the rankings were based on closings and revenues from the previous year. Minto logged 2,350 home closings and revenues of more than $1.2 billion in 2023.
Minto is one of three groups partnering to develop Latitude Margaritaville Watersound, a Jimmy Buffett-themed community designed for residents at least 55 years old. It is being built off State 79 north of Panama City Beach, near the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport.
The other groups involved in the partnership are the St. Joe Company and Margaritaville Holdings.
“Minto had another record-setting year in 2023, and we are honored by this recognition among the nation’s top builders,” Mike Belmont, Minto president, said in the release. “Minto continually strives to reinforce and build upon our long-standing reputation for quality, innovation, value and customer satisfaction. We attribute our success in great part to our team of dedicated and seasoned professionals who share Minto’s commitment to excellence.”
According to the release, the feature in Builder Magazine is the second time Minto has been recognized this year as a top builder. It also was ranked 13th in February on Home Builder Executive Magazine’s Top 100 Private Home Builders in the U.S. in 2023.
Headquartered in Florida, Minto is known for building master-planned communities in Florida and South Carolina. Its current lineup includes The Isles of Collier Preserve in Naples, Westlake in Palm Beach County and three Latitude Margaritaville locations, which are located in Hilton Head, South Carolina, Daytona Beach and the Panama City Beach area.
In an email on Thursday, Bill Bullock, president of Minto’s Latitude Margaritaville division, said the PCB community has sold about 1,800 homes since its properties hit the market in June 2021. Of those, about 1,200 already are occupied by residents, and more than 400 homes are under construction.
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The first phase of development at the local Latitude boasts plans for 3,500 homes, with room in the surrounding area for additional properties. It is being built on land owned by St. Joe.
“Minto has been listed among the top 100 builders in the U.S. for 12 years,” Bullock wrote. “We have been in the top 5 for the last two years. The higher rankings in 2023 and 2024 reflect the huge home buyer response to the unique qualities of our Latitude Margaritaville active adult communities, with their lifestyle of fun, food and music.”
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Latitude Margaritaville Watersound builder gets national recognition
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