Spotlights
Spotlight on Creativity January 2009
January’s spotlight on creativity is local creative entrepreneur Chad Ludeman. Chad’s background is in industrial engineering, which helped him launch Postgreen in 2007. Postgreen is a real estate development firm specializing in modern, green and affordable buildings in Philadelphia’s urban neighborhoods.
Postgreen has gained local notoriety, most recently in the Philadelphia Business Journal, for construction of a “100K House” prototype, a rowhouse that measures 1,000 square feet, is LEED platinum certified, and costs about $100,000 to build. The houses will be priced at about $200,000 to $250,000, including the land. Chad and his wife will move into the first 100K house when it is complete, which he estimates will be early February. A second house on the site is slated to be finished in spring and has already been purchased by a local couple.
Your name:
Chad Ludeman
Firm/company:
Postgreen
Occupation:
Real Estate Developer
Current Location:
East Kensington / Fishtown
Hometown:
Rochester, NY
Favorite Philadelphia neighborhood:
Fishtown
Best advice you've ever been given:
Do what you love. Love what you do.
Your favorite thing about living in the Philadelphia Region:
All the advantages of both a big and small town in the perfect location on the East Coast.
Your favorite thing about working in the Philadelphia Region:
[There is] opportunity to be innovative and make a difference without excessive startup resources.
How would you market the Philadelphia Region to professionals outside the region?
Low cost of living makes startups easier. Everything from real estate to local talent is undervalued or underestimated [in Philadelphia]. There is a growing entrepreneurial movement that fosters creativity and collaboration unlike other big cities. The competition and barrier to entry is still low for new and innovative ideas compared to the larger cities which translates to a higher probability of success and even a great launching point for national and international ventures.
What advice would you give to young professionals trying to break into your industry?
Take calculated risks and create your own niche. Don’t do the same thing as someone else or you will fail. Also, start small and be patient with growth. Too many people bite off more than they can chew too early in real estate development, which often leads to quick and painful failure.
How has the design industry in Philadelphia evolved in the past ten years?
More and more people are breaking out of larger firms to start their own practices, which is leading to more diversity and creativity in the design field as a whole. Entrepreneurs in the design industry seem to be getting younger also.
At Postgreen the integrity and positive impact of each of their developments is of utmost importance to the success of our company. The success of each project is gauged using a triple-bottom-line approach that ensures that we maintain this mission. Using a triple-bottom-line system of measurement for our projects takes into account the impact the company will have on People, Planet and Profit.
To learn more about Chad’s work in the region, visit http://postgreen.com/