A Look behind the curtain

The Origins of thrive

WHO IS AL EVERETT?

It was 1962 and I can remember being a teenager sitting in a large leather chair in a huge glass walled office overlooking the intersection of the Southfield Freeway and Michigan Avenue in Dearborn, Michigan. School was out for the summer and my dad was in the other room along with five other men. I was told to sit still and not to touch anything. I could not see them but you could hear sounds of a hammer, along with cutting and stapling. They were installing at that time some of the most expensive and unique carpeting available.

As I looked around the office I could see a lot of pictures and memorabilia. Many of the pictures were in black and white and there were so many model cars displayed it almost looked like a hobby shop. There was one face that stood out in most of the black and white photos. Even as a teenager I knew who that was. It was Henry Ford.

I was sitting in the office of Henry Ford II in Ford’s world headquarters. It was almost like being in Greenfield village, which was only a few hundred yards away. The office was needless to say pretty incredible and I will never forget the feeling of power and luxury. I could only imagine what went on inside that office and what the interactions must have been like. I said to myself ….. “This is what I want to do for a living”. I want to design. And this is where my interiors DNA came from as I find myself frequently thinking about those moments. And I also never imagined that someone who I know and used to work with in the industry, would be sitting somewhere on that floor 56 years later.

I have been fortunate to have worked in the built environment now in various capacities for over 40 years. During this exciting journey I have also been a builder and realtor, building cottage style homes along lake Michigan and other inland lakes. My motto's were then and still are today “I play near the water and inexpensive doesn't have to look that way". To this day I still cannot pass a home magazine in a reception area without picking it up. It has now become a case of what goes around comes around.

Many of you also know that my wife and I realized our dream of building a new home that we designed and built in the Leelanau peninsula. We have also built a team with the belief that everyone in our community should be able to have a piece of the dream. That piece of the dream for many will only happen when you have a reasonably priced home.

Because of the reception and feedback we have received with our homes, communities and business model, we decided to go back to our roots to sell, design and build reasonably priced cottage style homes and communities. This also includes helping our clients find existing homes and land. Except we do all of this with a little different twist....

After covering our operating costs all of our profit goes to local community charities and organizations that support local community housing efforts. We Intentionally create homes and communities that grow, develop and prosper together.

Thrivetc is committed to revolutionizing the housing industry in northern Michigan by educating a new workforce and partnering with existing and new local builders. This partnership will result in environmentally friendly, efficient, and beautiful housing solutions. Whether you’re a first-time homeowner or looking to upgrade, there will be several solutions!

We would love the opportunity to help you fulfill your dreams. If I can do it ... we can help you too.

Let's do it together.