Collins lives in neighborhoods he develops

As a developer of high-end residential communities, Byron Collins has lived in every single neighborhood he has built. “That’s good, bad and ugly,” he said. “It’s good because I’ve made so many lifelong friends. Its bad because the homeowners know where I live, and if something goes wrong, they’re knocking on my door.”

It can’t be that bad, because he keeps moving into the communities he helps create — and he loves it.

He and his team run two businesses: the 648-acre Harmony subdivision in Timnath and the adjoining private golf course, Harmony Club. Residential development started in 2005 and homes still are being built today, in partnership with regional custom home builders. The golf course opened in 2007.

Harmony isn’t Collins’ first foray into residential development. Starting in 1992, he had a hand in developing southside neighborhoods Willow Springs, Paragon Point and Paragon Estates.

A native Coloradan, Collins graduated from Colorado State University in 1980 with degrees in finance, real estate and economics. He’s put all of those disciplines to good use with the various career endeavors he has pursued. Right out of school, he worked for a Wall Street firm, specializing in investments and securities. He then became an independent investment contractor, and continued this work until about four years ago.

While he was working in investments, Collins also was engaged with residential development and other entrepreneurial activities. Finance, real estate, oil and gas and TCBY kiosks at Denver International Airport are just some of the business sectors with which he and his wife, Ruth, have been involved. Now, they are only actively involved with the development of Harmony and managing Harmony Club.

Only? His work at Harmony keeps him very busy.

Collins’ varied career portfolio has a common thread. The investment potential factored heavily into the decision to go into each business. “Then I put together the right team to bring my vision to reality,” he said. “I identified these opportunities and got my family, friends and wife involved. It’s been a lot of hard work, but it’s been worth it and has certainly been paying dividends.”

Ideas + Vision + Team = Success. For Collins, that has been a winning equation — one he continues to employ at Harmony and Harmony Club.

The ideas and vision are much easier than the execution, though. Like so many other business leaders, Collins struggles to find the right people to assemble into a strong and productive team. It’s especially difficult with the seasonal aspect of Harmony Club, given that so many of those workers are students who leave before the season ends to head back to college.

“Finding the people to complete the vision is a very difficult thing,” Collins said. “They’re out there. Finding them isn’t as easy or as often as you would think. It does impact and slow down your progress.” But once the right person is identified for a role, it only solidifies the team and makes it stronger.

“It all comes down to being patient,” said Collins. “Patience in building the team, patience in seeing the vision through and knowing that it will all come together in the end.”

For Collins, that is the double eagle. Well played, sir.

Click here to read about all 2017 Bravo! Entrepreneur honorees.

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