A Love for Community Brings Forth a Rising Entrepreneur

magine living each day not only being your own boss but also helping revitalize the community in which you grew up in as a child. Kevin does not have to imagine it because he lives it every day. For the past three years, this rising housing developer has lived his dream. Before working full-time with his company, Empire Builders, Brisco worked eight years in the tobacco industry as a territory sales manager a Fortune 500 company.

Looking Back at The Early Years

While at Northside, Brisco was involved in student government and the yearbook staff. After graduating from Northside High School in 1979, Brisco aspired to be a corporate executive so he enrolled at Morehouse in Atlanta, GA. as a Banking and Finance major. He graduated Morehouse College in 1983 with a B.A. degree.

After college, Brisco started looking into buying a home. He went to see a real estate and was given misleading information about buying a house. "I told that, in order to buy a house, I would need about ten thousand saved and an almost flawless credit history," says Brisco. Looking at his salary and the rate that he saved money, he knew that it be a long time before he would be able to afford a house. Brisco remembered how the city of Atlanta refurbished old homes in urban neighborhoods. He came up with the idea to purchase a home that was cheap and in poor condition and simply renovate it. He bought his first home for less than ten thousand dollars and did most of the repairs. "I took what used to be a piece of junk and turned it into a home," says Brisco. He still owns the house to this day.

Getting Started With Housing Development

Brisco got into the housing business in 1985 when he was trying to find a way to build his net worth. "I would buy rundown houses and renovate them. In the process of learning about renovating, I learned a lot about construction. The natural progression for me was to get a contractors license and get into new home construction." When Brisco started his business, he worked on it part-time and sought out a mentor to help guide him through the home construction process. He found that home construction is something that you learn by doing and not through a textbook. "I would recommend to anyone starting their business to seek out a mentor," says Brisco. He knows that may easier said that done. However, if the desire and determination are there, it can be done.

Building Affordable Quality Housing

Brisco started the Empire Builders out of a desire to restore urban neighborhoods by replenishing the housing stock with affordable quality homes. "Some people move out of urban areas not because they want but because they are unable to find quality housing," says Brisco. His company buys vacant lots or old rundown houses and builds new homes. Next, they find homebuyers to purchase the homes. Empire Builders works with homebuyers to secure financing for their new home. They also do housing repairs and renovations for homes damaged by fire or severe weather. The company works with the homeowner's insurance company to make the necessary repairs. Empire Builders is also looking to build homes for people who have purchased lots for the purpose of building a new home. Empire Builders' homes have five different 3 bedroom models, from which future homebuyers can choose, that ranges 1,100 square feet to 1,300 square feet. They can also work with homebuyers wishing to customize their home. Empire Builders have built houses in several neighborhoods around the Memphis area: Klondike, Smoky City, Village, Raleigh, and South Memphis.

Motivation for the Housing Development Business

Brisco sometimes thinks back to his childhood while growing-up on Speed Street in the Klondike Community. He remembers how everyone worked hard to take pride in their homes and respected each others property. Now as he drives through the neighborhood, it saddens him see how the community has changed. "Instead of people getting a education and leaving the community, some of us should stay or invest in the community to revitalize it," says Brisco.

Professional and Personal Aspirations

In the future, Brisco would like to increase the number of employees and projects that he takes on each year. He would like to one day purchase a large block of land and develop a housing community. Brisco's personal plans for the future consist of maintaining a close with his children Joseph 14, Paul 12, Kevin Jr. 11, and 4, and eventually remarrying someday. He also has a desire to grow spiritually and to develop a closer relationship with God. Brisco is an entrepreneur with a love and respect for the urban community. It's what drives him succeed in the housing construction business.

Many urban communities are decaying from abandoned and vacant lots. Drugs in the community have given many a sense of hopelessness. Our urban communities are in need of more entrepreneurs, like Kevin Brisco, with a willingness to reinvest in the community and restore a sense of pride and respect that is lost.