Heartland Homes opened the doors to their welcome center in LaBelle in January. They are a division of Island Contruction, LLC, a residential contractor which is based in Fort Myers and has been in business for eleven years.

Shawn Longaker, President of Heartland Homes. (Submitted photo/Val White)

Shawn Longaker, President of Heartland Homes, found in LaBelle a small town that reminded him of his hometown outside of Cleveland, Ohio. Shawn has been visiting southwest Florida since his uncle moved to Naples in 1983.

“I kind of grew up in both places, going back and forth.” Shawn said.

After moving to Florida and acquiring his General Contractor’s License, Shawn started his own remodel and wholesale business in the Fort Myers area. He currently resides in Bonita with his family but he dreams of raising his own children in the kind of tight knit community in which he was brought up. He and his wife plan to bring their family to LaBelle as soon as he has a chance to build them a house; but, that may prove difficult with the rate at which they are building new and affordable homes for their clients. Shawn says “My plan was to move out here this summer but I don’t think I’ll get to. We’ve sold over a dozen homes since New Years. We are a little busier than I expected right off the bat.”

“There are good people out here,” he added. “Someone told me about LaBelle. I had never heard of LaBelle until seven or eight years ago. I came out here and thought ‘This is pretty neat; This is a nice town.’ Bonita used to be this way but has changed with growth.”

Longaker brings his desire to maintain community into his business practices. He works with a very small team and he himself is the President and Salesperson. He says “I think it’s important for people to know what they are buying and so I like to make myself available to answer any construction questions they have.”

After spending just a few minutes with Shawn it’s evident that he does put his heart and passion into what he does.

“We kept hearing this term, ‘the Florida Heartland’ and I was unaware that there are six or seven counties that are being considered the ‘Heartland’ so it just felt right for our name.” he says; another testament of the desire for building the community as he builds the community homes.

Heartland Homes builds all concrete block homes with hurricane resistant windows and doors standard on all builds. Each new home has granite countertops and wooden cabinets, which he gets from his own wholesale company resulting in the ability to keep the cost down for the buyers and are the same quality grade that he installs in multi-million dollar homes through his remodeling business, and have a ten year warranty (which is the biggest in the state). Their homes right now start in the $120’s including the land.

When I asked what he would say to invite someone to inquire about Heartland Homes, Shawn said “I’m building homes that I would put my parents and grandparents into.”

That says it all. Shawn Longaker’s love of family, small towns, and ethical business practice is a good indication that in LaBelle we are doing things right.

For more information on Heartland Homes you can visit their website at www.HeartlandNewHomes.com or email sales@heartlandnewhomes.com

Or call 863-293-6800. You can also visit the welcome center at 4501 North Birchwood Parkway in LaBelle.