Homebuilder adds nearly 60 jobs

LAKEWOOD RANCH — The recent boost in home sales at Neal Communities, one of the largest homebuilders on the Gulf Coast, has made its way to the firm's payroll.

The company added 59 jobs in the past year, according to a release, and now has more than 125 employees. The new hires were in all areas of the company. That includes purchasing, land development, marketing, customer care, corporate sales, design, drafting, building and land acquisition. The positions also cover all the firm's divisions: Neal South, John Neal Homes, Waterscapes Pools & Spas, Charlene Neal PureStyle, and Neal Signature Homes.

“Our tremendous growth over the past year is the perfect example of how homes equal jobs,” Neal Communities president of building Michael Storey says in the release. “We are proud to be a company that continues to grow and positively impact our region's economic development, and we see this steadily increasing over the next five years.”

Neal Communities opened 10 new communities in 2013, when it also launched its Bonita Springs-based South Florida division. The company expects to start nearly a dozen new neighborhoods from Tampa to Naples in 2014. It sold 67 homes last month.