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“If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.”

Burkina Faso – African proverb

We firmly believe our team has made us go far.

Trevor Buffington, Owner

Anyone who knows my parents would agree they are not ready to retire.  Buffington Homes began with my dad’s passion for people, his heart of gold, and his desire to be the best builder in South Carolina.

His dream soon became mine.  After graduating from the University of North Carolina Wilmington with a major in Business Management, I went to Arizona State to study Architecture.  It was there that I discovered my real passion is construction.

I grew up on Kiawah and began working in our construction business during High School and College breaks.  I worked for our framer and learned trade skills and the value of hard physical labor.

I’m very proud of our team as we all work together to exercise great care in building the highest quality structures and providing the best homeowner experience.

When building your home, we surround ourselves with individuals we can trust to understand and create your dreams.  We only work with artisans who share our values, which are:

Honesty, respect, creativity, and that desire to be the best.

Despite my love for building, my wife and business partner, Joanna, our 7-year-old Hayden, and 5-year-old Porter, are my number one joy.  Take a look below, and you’ll see why!

Joanna Buffington, Sales and Marketing Coordinator

Trevor and I met in college at the beginning of our Freshman year, and we were married in 2008.  When Trevor went to Architecture School at Arizona State, I was able to gain construction administration experience working for a custom design builder in Scottsdale, Arizona.

After relocating to Johns Island for fifteen years, I worked for a multi-state restaurant firm’s downtown headquarters.  There my position centered around Office Administration.  My focus was on Human Resources and Accounting.  After handling fifteen hundred employees, the family assumed it would be a vacation working with our small team.  At that point, we decided to add Customer Service and Office Management to my list of responsibilities.

At work, we’re called on to provide an excellent homebuilding experience.  At home, our little guys call on me because I’m their Mommy.

Dan Buffington, Founder

In 1995, we bought our lot at 48 Ocean Course on Kiawah Island.  Cathy and I moved our children a few months later.  They were 8, 12, and 14 years old at the time.  We had searched for a community where the family comes first for years.

If you know Kiawah, you’ll agree it was a great decision.  My passion for construction began in the late eighties when I invested in a homebuilding partnership with a team of highly skilled builders.  The project was to build custom homes on 200 acres of land in our neighborhood.

Shortly after our move, I started Buffington Homes.  The company is now 28 years old.  We’ve been privileged to work with hundreds of homeowners who have since become great friends.  

In 2007 Trevor, our son, joined the family business, and it thrilled us to add our second generation to the team.  He combines his architectural and construction expertise, project management, and people skills to delight our clients.  His obsession with quality and empathy for an excellent homeowner experience ensures clients achieve great results.  It is one of our greatest pleasures to work together.

I’m proud to say he has purchased the company, and I now report to him as a Project Manager.  Cathy continues to work with our Homeowners.  Life has taken me full circle, and I’m building homes which I was driven to do.  I know; I’m one lucky guy.

Cathy Buffington, Founding Partner

A move like ours changed everything for our family.  I had spent years in the corporate world managing teams devoted to large computer networks.  When we relocated to Kiawah, my travel demands increased enough to convince me to join our business.  Dan had done significant heavy-lifting to start it, and he needed help.

I assumed the job of the company’s “Selections Coordinator.” My role is to provide a stress-free building experience.  Our homebuilding practice has shown that communication between all teams is critical.   Once your Architect has translated your dreams to plans, your designer, trade resources, and the construction team must ensure it is built just like you picture it.  My job is to do what I must to make that happen.  I’ll shop with you and your designer to understand your goals and help the construction team with questions about your decisions.  At the end of the process, my goal for each Homeowner is best articulated by Maryanne Rademacher-Hershey.

“May your walls know joy; may every room hold laughter, and every window open to great possibility.”

Collage

Richie Johnson, Estimator

+ About Richie

Richie serves Buffington Homes as our Project Estimator.  In addition, his duties include securing building permits, administering subcontracts, and accounting for project changes.  He has been active in Charleston’s custom homebuilding industry for over 25 years.  His experience includes new construction, remodeling, and renovations of historic properties.  He previously owned a concrete foundation company, worked as a general contractor’s Project Manager, and owned his own residential construction company.

His education includes a BS degree in Accounting from the University of South Carolina and a master’s degree from Georgia State University. He is licensed as a Residential Homebuilder in the State of South Carolina.  Before his construction work, Richie spent six years as a Certified Public Accountant in Atlanta and Charleston.

He lives on James Island with his wife, Krisi, and their two children, Thomas and Lilly.  He is a long-time member of St. Mathews Lutheran Church and likes to fish, play the guitar, and train at the gym in his free time.

Shannon Benavidez, Bookkeeper

+ About Shannon

Shannon lived most of her life in the Bay Area of CA and recently joined our team as Bookkeeper.  Shannon has worked within construction accounting for over twenty years – seven of those in commercial work and over thirteen focused on home building.  Construction projects are nuanced and move at a rapid pace – concentration to detail, dedication to accuracy, and full transparency to our homeowners are essential and uncompromised within her work ethic.  Shannon lives in Summerville and enjoys regular trips to the range, gardening, watching movies, and long conversations.

Scott Whitson, Project Manager

+ About Scott

Scott Whitson has been an integral Buffington Homes team member for most of his 20-year construction experience. He enjoys building finely crafted homes and thrives on producing excellent products amid innumerable details. He started with a small family business focused on interior renovations, which grew into his own construction company. Scott brings attention to every project’s quality and ensures his homeowners are thrilled with the results of the team’s work.

Scott is a Charleston native. Growing up on James Island, he spent most of his summers surfing at nearby Folly Beach. Scott majored in Anthropology and has a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of Charleston. Upon graduating, he traveled the country for several months before moving back to James Island, where he now lives with his wife, Danielle, and three children, Ava, Emma, and Conner. Their children are involved in sports and numerous other interests, so he’s never bored at home.

Andy Wintrode, Project Manager

+ About Andy

Andy works as a Project Manager for our company.  His prior experience includes seven years as a natural gas and wastewater Pipeline Foreman.  He graduated from Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering Management Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Indiana University.

From each project’s outset, Andy works to develop plans, define timelines, manage teams, and communicate homeowner objectives to everyone who touches his homes.  Overseeing the talented tradespeople we employ gives him satisfaction.  His excitement and pride are contagious as he takes pleasure in informing our homeowners weekly of his progress.  His keen sense of humor and communication excellence ensure that the process is as enjoyable as the product.

Andy moved to the Lowcountry with his wife and two children to escape the Midwestern winters.  When he’s not managing projects, he enjoys caddying for his son’s golf tournaments, watching Indiana University basketball (Go Hoosiers!), fishing, and golfing.

 Dillon Sillivant, Project Manager

+ About Dillon

Dillon joined the team initially as a Customer Service Manager. He has spent his 17-year career in the custom homebuilding industry accumulating experience in interior and exterior trim, renovations, and job site management. Due to his “hands-on” experience crafting the intricate details of fine homes, he quickly moved into the role of Project Manager.

He collaborates with subcontractors, homeowners, designers, and architects to confirm that each project is completed promptly and professionally.

Dillon loves working in the industry and enjoys managing and creating beautiful homes. Residential construction guarantees that every workday will be a little different!

Dillon is a Charleston native who grew up on James Island. He spends time with family, working out, and surfing when not at work. Another favorite pastime is walking on Folly Beach with his 14-year-old blue heeler, Ollie.

Scott Pratt, Project Manager

+ About Scott

Scott, another native Hoosier, and a self-avowed history geek moved south in 2014 after visiting Charleston a few years prior. Naturally, he fell in love with the area and the people who call it home.

With 25+ years of construction experience, Scott has worked as a laborer in his teens, a national insulated concrete form trainer/representative, a construction company owner, and a construction process consultant. While earning his Master’s in Business Administration Degree, he spent a few years in the investment field. However, construction has always been his passion and a big part of his life. After this brief interlude, Scott continued building and never looked back.

He and his bride, Paula, live on James Island. The family consists of four grown daughters, three sons-in-law, and one grandson.

In his free time, he enjoys anything that involves nature, hunting, hiking, fishing, and camping.

Danny Rowsey, Manager, Customer Care

+ About Danny

Danny joined Buffington Homes as its Customer Service Manager in 2014. He redirected his experience in commercial construction as a Project Manager, labor Foreman, and Maintenance Supervisor to residential services. Customer satisfaction is ensured as he focuses on providing full-service coverage to our homeowners.

Under Danny’s management, Buffington Homes delivers critical interior and exterior preventative maintenance services to its homeowners. Danny’s ability to diagnose problems and coordinate the scheduling of services keeps our company’s managed homes performing as if they were new. He oversees and approves all service work. He also enjoys the one-on-one homeowner interaction as he delivers on our goal of providing a carefree living experience.

In 1985, Danny and the love of his life, his wife, JR, moved to Charleston. Both hail from Milton, West Virginia. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family and enjoying the great outdoors.