John R. Wood, Realtors

How to explain a strategy that has worked for 40 years? The philosophy behind a tightly-knit business that has remained under the guidance of family yet branched out with the times?

Phil Wood, president of John R. Wood Realtors, has an answer. "I would say that my vision is basically embodied in our mission statement, 'Creating an environment where dedicated individuals ... through professional expertise, exceptional vision, and unwavering ethics ... can provide legendary service for all clients.' -- That's what we're trying to do."

These days the highly respected company has a lot to celebrate. It has withstood the test of 40 years, becoming both large enough to produce results and handle Naples' most luxurious properties, but levelheaded enough to recognize the power of community. "As a family business, we have an intense pride of independence," says Phil Wood, "not being part of one of the giant national companies that only care about Naples from the bottom line standpoint. At the Wood firm, if a customer needs to talk to the chairman or president, they can do it -- try that at one of the conglomerates."

As a sponsor of Naples 75th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee celebration, the John R. Wood Realtors company finds a perfect match to compliment its own 40th anniversary celebration. "We are looking forward to being a major sponsor for the banquet on November 14th," says Phil Wood. "It is unbelievable to me to see the changes that have occurred in this little city, and equally amazing to see the growth at the Wood company."

Four Decades of Presence

The history behind the company begins in 1957, when Naples was little more than a sleepy, remote town with a population of only a few thousand and a small real estate market. Enter one young Arkansas attorney, who reportedly arrived with $4,000 in his pocket, an old Plymouth station wagon and a young family in tow.

"My wife, Wanda, had wanted to move to Florida and the warm winter weather," John R. Wood reflects more than four decades later. "Also my dad, J.B. Wood, was living in south Florida, and he remarked to me that if I ever wanted to change my profession, there would be remarkable future opportunities in South Florida real estate."

Wood had originally planned to settle in St. Petersburg, where a friend lived, but the plan changed after a brief trip to Naples. "I knew Naples had great real estate potential but probably did not realize just how great," Wood says. "Mostly, I just fell in love with its simple charm and knew it would be a great place to live."

Wood worked for a real estate firm, then opened his own company in 1958. Homesites in Port Royal, now Naples' most fashionable address, cost in the ballpark of $7,500 if the purchaser agreed to build a house there within a year. They cost $15,000 with no restrictions. And right about the same time, a new development, Coquina Sands, was underway at what was then the northern edge of town and the first of the condominiums went up along Gulf Shore Boulevard.

"People back in Arkansas thought that we were crazy for moving to Florida without a job and very little money, but a lot of people are not risk takers by nature. We believed in Naples, ourselves and a great deal of Divine guidance," Wood says on his move to Naples in the 1950s.

Hurricane Donna roared though Southwest Florida in 1960, sweeping off the roof of the Wood home. But it instead of driving away John R. Wood, the storm made for new opportunities. "The destruction of Naples property by Hurricane Donna that year brought about a reconstruction effort of about $12.5 million," Wood says. "That was a good deal of money at that time, and I believe that the rebuilding was the cornerstone of the early '60s growth surge that followed."

In an era when most Americans might snicker at the thought of buying a piece of swamp in Florida, John R. Wood Realtors helped to give the business a reputable image. The company adopted the slogan of "Walk on it Before you Buy" and posted the reminder on the sides of Jeeps that would take potential clients to homesites for inspection. The standing good reputation followed the company through the 1960s, when mass production and sight unseen sales became the norm in other areas.

John Wood solidified his position as one of Naples' own by becoming deeply involved in professional organizations, both locally and beyond. In 1963-64 he was president of the Naples Area Board of Realtors. He was then elected State Realtor of the Year, appointed to the Florida Real Estate Commission and became president of the Florida Association of Realtors in 1971.

In 1981, he took one leap higher, becoming president of the 700,000-member National Association of Realtors. In that capacity, he met with many national figures, including U.S. Presidents Carter, Reagan and future presidents Bush and Clinton, to discuss the national housing market.

The late 70s and 80s were prosperous years, and they marked the addition of Lou Carey, general manager, in 1977 and Phil Wood, who came back to Naples from college and joined the family business. The company also became well known for specializing in luxury residential properties that came with the boom years. They retain that title and are local record holders for the most expensive home sold in Naples at $7.9 million.

The mid- to late-1980s signaled the beginning of a whole different ballgame. "The completion of I-75 from Tampa to Naples, the opening of the Ritz-Carlton Naples in December 1985, the opening of the Registry Resort one year later and the profound influence of the Southwest Florida Airport all brought Naples to a new level of world-wide notoriety," John Wood says.

The Realtor of the Nineties

The newest decade has marked a time of spreading out and diversification for John R. Wood Realtors. In 1993 Executive Vice President Dorothy "Dottie" Babcock joined the company after Lou Carey retired, and the new management trio began a series of acquisitions. In the next five years, the company merged with five other companies. Sales volume increased from $120 million to $520 million from 1992 to 1997.

"John and I have been fortunate to have a great working relationship," says Phil Wood, who continues the company's vision, "and I have truly enjoyed the 20 years that we have worked together at John R. Wood Realtors. He is a great people person, the diplomat, the ultimate salesman, the one to calm any turbulent waters, and prefers not to get bogged down in the details.

"With my background, I have concentrated on innovative marketing, growth of the company to survive against the giants, and working out the financial details of the many new innovations that we implement."

Today there are seven companies and divisions under the John R. Wood umbrella, representing 186 employees. "This allows the customer to be served by several different entities as their needs change," explains Phil Wood, "fo