Kent Homes: Going all-in to drive growth with CBUSA

As one of CBUSA’s top recognitions, the All-In Award highlights builders who don’t just participate – they lead, fully embracing the model to drive better outcomes across their business. Kent Homes’ inclusion as a 2026 CBUSA Power 30 member reinforces that position, recognizing the company as one of the network’s top-performing and most engaged builders.

That commitment is more than philosophical – it shows up in how the business operates day to day. Kent Homes participates in nearly 80% of CBUSA’s national contracts and has led local purchasing volume for multiple consecutive quarters.

That level of engagement is exactly what CBUSA is built to support – and it’s what ultimately earned them the All-In Award.

From adoption to integration

That leadership mindset quickly showed up in how the team ran jobs day to day.

Rather than pushing teams to use CBUAS’s purchasing programs, Kent Homes let results drive behavior. Early wins made the value clear across departments.

“Early on, we saw real wins through the collective purchasing power made possible by CBUSA. Our team quickly took notice,” Ashley said. “Once people see it’s working – whether in estimating, purchasing, sales or on the job site – they naturally want to lean in further.”

Today, CBUSA is embedded in how the business runs day-to-day – how decisions are made, how jobs are priced and how teams execute. Kent Homes isn’t chasing pricing changes and job-to-job inconsistencies – it’s operating within a system built for consistency and scale.

Pressure tested, then proven

Like most builders, Kent Homes faced intense pressure during COVID-era volatility. But unlike many, Ashley’s team wasn’t scrambling to adapt.

Because they were already deeply engaged with CBUSA, they entered that period with leverage – locked-in relationships, negotiated pricing and a level of insulation from market swings. The disruption didn’t force a pivot because it validated the strategy they committed to.

“Our committed purchase volumes and national contracts come with price increase caps, which provided meaningful protection when the broader market was volatile,” Ashley explained.

As material costs surged and availability tightened, Kent Homes wasn’t forced to trade down or absorb margin hits. Instead, they had room to make better decisions.

They used that position to upgrade materials across multiple categories while keeping costs largely in check.

Ashley saw that shift play out in real time: “We were able to upgrade from a commodity product to a premium product with little to no price increase,” she said.

That level of control changed how the business operated. Pricing became more predictable. Execution became more consistent. Buyers saw fewer surprises – both in cost and in the final product.

Over time, what started as an advantage simply became the standard way they do business.

Expanding value without expanding cost

With stability in place, Kent Homes shifted from protecting margin to creating more value.

Across multiple categories, they upgraded materials with little to no increase in cost – raising the standard of what they deliver without changing the economics of the job.

Through CBUSA’s national contracts and supplier network, those upgrades became repeatable. Commodity selections were replaced with recognized, higher-quality brands, improving both perceived and actual value.

This wasn’t just about product for Kent Homes – it was about positioning.

Access to national suppliers gave them more credibility with both vendors and buyers. Just as important, it changed how those suppliers engaged with them.

Kent Homes was no longer operating as an independent builder negotiating on its own, but as part of a larger buying group with real influence.

That shift led to better service, stronger accountability and more strategic partnerships.

Operational discipline at scale

Internally, one of the most significant impacts has been operational clarity.

Before CBUSA, every job came with its own set of variables – pricing changes, scope gaps, last-minute adjustments. With contracts in place and selections more consistent, teams had a clearer path from estimate to build.

The effect is cumulative.

Estimating is more accurate. Purchasing is more controlled. Field execution is more predictable. And leadership has greater visibility into performance across the business.

It’s not just efficiency. It’s scalability.

What “All-In” actually looks like in action

At Kent Homes, going all-in is all about integration.

That’s because for them, CBUSA isn’t a tool they use occasionally. Rather, it’s embedded across every department. Leadership sets the direction, teams execute within the framework and the entire organization moves with alignment.

That alignment is what turns a cost-saving strategy into a competitive advantage.

By fully committing to the model, Kent Homes has built a business that is more predictable, more efficient and more resilient. They’ve stabilized pricing, elevated product quality and strengthened supplier relationships – all while creating internal cohesion around a shared way of operating.

Their success isn’t tied to a single decision or moment. It’s the result of a consistent choice: to build better by building together.