Lakewood Ranch’s Neal ascends homebuilder list

Builder Magazine has named Lakewood Ranch homebuilder Neal Communities as No. 45 on its list of the 100 top homebuilders in the United States. The rankings are based on the number of homes each builder on the list sold and closed in 2015.

The ranking recognizes excellence in home-building. Last year, Neal Communities was ranked No. 47. In 2014, the company ranked No. 50.

Every year since 1984, Builder Magazine has ranked the nation’s top homebuilders, evaluating both privately and publicly held companies through direct surveys and basing its results on the number of home closings.

Neal Communities has seen considerable growth over the past few years. The company notched 989 total home closings in 2015.

Michael Storey, Neal’s president, said the new ranking is an “enormous testament to our hard-working team of dedicated professionals.”

Builder Magazine also ranked only the top private builders in the country in its new list. Neal Communities reached No. 27 on that list this year, 26 home closings away from being one of the top 25 private builders in the country.

To date in 2016, Neal has sold 391 homes in southwest Florida.

This story was originally published May 23, 2016 at 12:35 PM with the headline "Lakewood Ranch’s Neal ascends homebuilder list."