Chris Morrison, Sales Consultant
Chris began his professional career with Transouth Financial Group. Over his twelve years with Transouth, Chris advanced from Field Representative to Branch Manager. Chris gained experience in automobile financing and real estate loans during his time with the company. In his last assignment as Branch Manager of the Lumberton, NC office, Chris was responsible for the management and administration of over $7 million in assets.

Chris recognized his next opportunity with Bill Smith Ford in Southern Pines, NC in a financing and sales capacity. Chris achieved increasing levels of responsibility, gaining experience in the areas of audit compliance, sales training, and customer service. With a passion for a high level of community involvement, Chris worked closely with the local Chamber of Commerce and area civic organizations. As General Sales Manager, Chris and his team consistently exceeded customer expectations and sales volume goals.

Chris joined Elite Custom Home Builders in March of 2006. Chris’ strong background in financing and real estate lending complement the Elite team – allowing the company to offer a tremendous level of service and assistance with construction and conventional loans.

Chris lives in Rockingham, NC with his wife, Debbie, and their children, Ryan and Kristen. Chris grew up in West Virginia and moved to North Carolina in 1978. An avid athlete, Chris participated in football, basketball, and track in junior high and high school. Debbie works for Realty World – Thomas Realty. Ryan plays on his high school golf team while Kristen participates in recreational basketball and softball. Rumor has it that Chris still holds the Williamsburg Junior High School record in the 400 meters. Visit early and you may catch him doing wind sprints in the parking lot.

Howard Furstein, Partner
Howard grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and moved to North Carolina in June of 1992. He and his wife, Jill, have three children, Emma, Braxton, and Ellie. Howard began his career at Industrial Sheet Metal & Mechanical Corporation (ISMMC), a manufacturer of modular, engineered-to-order air handling equipment in the marketing department. After three years, he moved into materials management and later, operations management. Following American Standard’s acquisition of ISMMC in March of 1998, Howard gained experience in the areas of Six Sigma, Demand Flow Technology, finance, and quality management.

Howard earned his Bachelor of Arts in English from Oglethorpe University in 1992 and his Master of Business Administration from Elon University in 1997. Howard enjoys golf, weightlifting, and yoga. He is an avid reader and a lover of history. Howard and Jill lead an active lifestyle. Jill is a personal fitness trainer and their children are involved in dance, gymnastics, soccer, and baseball. In the spring of 2005, Howard participated in a world record breaking effort — playing in a thirty-one hour basketball game. The record held for just eight days.

Malcolm McLester, Partner
Malcolm grew up in North Carolina and has lived there for most of his life. He and his wife, Laura, have two children, Andrew and Amanda. Malcolm has spent the last twenty years working in a variety of construction management, operations management, and materials management roles. After graduating from Lenoir Rhyne Collge in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, Malcolm went to work for the Lane Company, a furniture manufacturer in Conover, North Carolina. Malcolm began working as plant manager for ISMMC in 1990. Malcolm managed hundreds of construction projects in this role. Malcolm founded Signature Home Inspections in 2004 before becoming a partner in Elite Custom Home Builders.

Malcolm has been associated with several Habitat for Humanity projects and participated in the conception, organization, and construction of Castlewood Park, a large children’s playground built in Richmond County in 1998. Malcolm has been associated with the Boy Scouts of America since 1999 and currently serves on the Historic Preservation Board and Rotary. Malcolm is extremely active in his church and is a frequent volunteer at the local homeless shelter.

Malcolm has maintained his North Carolina Contractor’s License since 1988. He served on the Rockingham Housing Authority for ten years. Malcolm enjoys hunting, fishing, and woodworking. Although Malcolm was raised in the south, he was actually born in Buffalo, New York; we try not to hold that against him…

Katie Stewart, Sales Consultant
Katie joined the Elite Custom Home Builders team in March of 2007. Not only is Katie a member of the Elite Custom Home Builders team, but she is also a client. Katie and her family will be forever known in the history of Elite Custom Home Builders as their first home built in Monroe, North Carolina. She was first introduced to Elite Custom Home Builders and Ritz-Craft in the fall of 2005 when she and her family decided to build a new home in Union County. Katie and her husband, Wes, and two children, Wyatt and Jack, brought with them lots of ideas on what they wished for in their new home. They created their own unique custom home design by combining our Williamsburg and Georgetown floor plans. Katie and Wes worked together throughout the design process to incorporate all of their ideas. Wyatt and Jack’s favorite part of the process was visiting the Ritz-Craft plant in Hamlet, NC to witness the house in the making. They moved into their new home in the summer of 2006.

Katie was born in Tallahassee, Florida and eventually relocated to the Tampa Bay area. Katie earned her Associates Degree from St. Petersburg Junior College and then spent time in the Interior Design program at Florida State University. Katie graduated from the University of South Florida with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and went on to work in marketing until Wyatt and Jack joined the family. She then decided to be home for the boys. The family moved to North Carolina in 2005 from Clearwater, Florida to be closer to Wes’s grandmother.  Katie, Wes, and the boys, all of whom were born in Florida, are really enjoying all that North Carolina has to offer, especially the change of seasons. After working with our Elite Custom Home Builders team and experiencing the process of building their own home it was a perfect next step to join forces with the Elite team. Katie loves to read and has been learning to garden in the North Carolina clay. Katie has joined a book club, a movie club, and is a member of a Stay at Home Moms group. Wyatt loves riding his bike to Granny’s house and Jack is having a ball playing outside in the North Carolina mud. Wes has found himself right at home in the country and has added to the family 5 chickens, 2 goats, and a John Deere Tractor.