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As a seven-year-old, Russell Alleman would tag along with his parents to Lowe’s or Home Depot. He was particularly fond of the countless magazines of house plans at the front of the store. Then, once back at home, he would design his own home on graphing paper. “I’ve always liked high-end homes,” Alleman says. “I don’t know why. I just have.”
AT A GLANCE
Top executives: Russell Alleman, Owner
Phone: 225.773.8789
Address: 17954 Augusta Pointe Court, Baton Rouge, LA, 70810
Website: manchachomes.com
That dream persisted after he earned a degree in business from Louisiana State University. Alleman worked a 9-5 office job for a while, but at the age of 29 decided to pursue his lifelong dream by becoming a licensed contractor. “I sold my house, moved in with someone and used my equity to start Manchac Homes,” he says. He had no prior construction experience early on, but wisely surrounded himself with seasoned professionals who guided him with the big decisions.
Manchac Homes has been growing like gangbusters ever since, and has established a reputation for personal high-end luxury residences in communities such as The Country Club of Louisiana, Highland Road, LSU Lakes, University Club, Rouzan, Laurel Lakes, Long Farm, Lexington Estates, Carriagewood Estates, Pelican Point and River Winds.
“We approach every home differently, as defined by our clients,” Alleman says. “Our goal is to accurately reflect our client’s personality and character in their homes. Using this approach has resulted in a collection of meticulously curated homes that not only reflect the style and vision of their owners, but also reflects the commitment and excellence of the team who created them.”
Alleman doesn’t pay a lot of attention to how other contractors conduct their business. “I’ve learned by being out there in the field every day,” he says. “Because of that, I probably do things a bit differently than the others. I think that’s a good thing, because I genuinely care about each home, and my clients see that. Each one is my baby.”
Manchac Homes provides complete turnkey services to its clients—even helping them locate a good lot, a reputable architect or interior designer if needed. During each project, they manage a team of qualified, seasoned contractors while keeping an eye on the big picture. Customized software manages the interrelationships of every task. “I’m essentially putting all of the pieces of the puzzle together,” Alleman says.
This provides immeasurable benefits, as Manchac Homes can swiftly react when unexpected obstacles threaten the timeline. “During COVID, we were able to quickly adjust our project schedules to accommodate some pretty daunting supply chain bottlenecks,” he adds. “And some of that continues today. We now order windows, doors and appliances—long-lead items—the day a client signs the contract. That way we have everything when we need it.
“After all, our clients don’t want to see their house just sit there; they want to get on with their lives.”
Manchac Homes believes in complete transparency, so they provide extensive financial reports to their clients every seven days. That provides homeowners with valuable information throughout the process and enables them to make mid-stream changes if necessary. “We can quickly pivot and adjust, and our clients are ultimately happy at the end of the job,” Alleman says. “That’s how we’ve maintained so many friendships after our jobs are complete.”
His business strategy has been indisputably successful. Nevertheless, Alleman limits the number of homes that he’ll work on at a given time. His main focus? Keeping his clients happy. “We don’t want to take on more than we can handle,” he adds. “That way, we can effectively manage the jobsite and maintain that one-on-one relationship with the client. I speak with them every day.”
