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Profile: Bill Cellar (Providence Homes by
Bill Cellar) |
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JACKSONVILLE, FL –
One day in 1992, Bill Cellar sat with a dictionary to
find a name for his new homebuilding company that captured
his faith in God and his humble yet prudent management
style. By Divine design, Cellar came upon the perfect
word – Providence.
Calling his company Providence Homes, Cellar has steadily
grown his business from a one-man, home-based operation
to a staff of 28 full-time employees. Providence Homes
believes in offering homeowners flexibility in home
design without charging custom home prices. This belief
has created a strong constituency among their homeowners
and is the reason that people buy Providence Homes again
and again.
The oldest of four children, Cellar inherited his entrepreneurial
spirit from his father, who built a very successful
software company in Souhern California that he sold
during the ’60s. A self-described serious but
active child, the soft-spoken Cellar had a penchant
for numbers and excelled at math. In 1987, he was graduated
from the University of Virginia with an MBA, and he
moved to Jacksonville soon afterwards to begin working
as a strategic planner for Barnett Bank.
A few years later, Cellar wanted a different challenge
and soon joined a local construction company, where
he learned the ins and outs of construction. Coupling
this new found knowledge with his higher education,
Cellar took a chance and built his first house on the
west side of Jacksonville.
Since then Providence Homes has been a numerous recipient
of Parade of Homes Awards for design excellence and
was recognized twice by INC. Magazine as one of the
Top 500 fastest growing companies in America. The Jacksonville
Business Journal has consistently ranked Providence
Homes on their Top 50 Fastest Growing Businesses. Cellar
is a member of the Board of Directors of the Northeast
Florida Builders Association and a member of the National
Association of Home Builders.
Cellar attributes his success as much to the lessons
taught by his earthly father as those from the heavenly
Father. “I feel very fortunate and humbled that
God has allowed me do what I really love to do with
a group of wonderful, talented people and to try to
give back a little of His love for my neighbor, whether
in Jacksonville or around the world,” he said.
Consequently, Cellar gives back to the community through
numerous faith-based, non-profit organizations. He has
traveled extensively throughout Africa, Latin America,
and the Caribbean to work on a wide range of health,
youth development, nation-building, and leadership initiatives
all centered around Jesus of Nazareth.
His most recent community project has been The Providence
Home “House for HOPE" in River Hills Reserve
at Fleming Island Plantation in Clay County. The anticipated
$90,000 in proceeds to be generated from the sale of
the 3,164-square-foot home that was unveiled last month
will help almost 20,000 poverty level people start and
maintain their own businesses over the next 10 years.
The beneficiary of the proceeds, HOPE International,
raises money to help the indigent in third world countries
help themselves. Cellar is the first builder on the
First Coast to pledge the profits from the sale of one
his company's custom homes to this nonprofit organization.
Many of the company’s subcontractors and suppliers
donate labor or materials to increase the proceeds.
Through his faith and prudent management, Cellar, who
lives in Jacksonville with his wife of 14 years and
his four sons, will continue to dedicate his time and
energy to making his company even stronger, providing
for the less fortunate, and helping charitable organizations.
Providence Homes is currently building homes in OakLeaf
Plantation, Eagle Harbor, River Hills Reserve at Fleming
Island Plantation, Royal Pines at World Golf Village,
Victoria Lakes, South Hampton, Windsor Chase, Northglen,
Queen’s Harbour, Marshwinds, Shirley Oaks, and Westgate,
Sawmill Pointe, Pine Chase, Creekside and Pine Crossing
in Julington Creek Plantation with price ranges from the
$140s to more than $500,000.
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| 4901 Belfort
Road • Suite 140 • Jacksonville, Florida • 32256 •
(904) 262-9898 |
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