Pinehurst builders Jess Dishner and Colin Webster, of Accent Design Build II, recently attended the invitation-only Southern Living Custom Builder Program conference.

It was held at the magazine's headquarters in Birmingham, Ala., Feb. 20-21.

"Southern Living magazine is a trusted publication by over 16 million readers, and the Custom Builder program is a natural extension of our overall homes effort, which aims at offering quality designs and new ideas to our builder members and consumers across the Southeast," said Brent Warren, manager of the Southern Living Builder Program. "The builders in our program are the model for success going forward in the home building industry -- they offer consumers outstanding personal service, expertise in design, knowledge of the latest building techniques and products, and are smaller and more flexible than larger speculative building companies."

Attendees were welcomed by Southern Living Editor-in-Chief Eleanor Griffin who thanked them for partnering with the magazine in building great-looking homes that reflect the very best of Southern living.

Vicky Serany, of Southern Studio Interior Design in Apex, highlighted the latest design trends and new products that differentiate custom builders from the rest.

Steve Mouzon, of the New Urban Guild in Miami Beach, Fla., is a leader in the study, design, and promotion of traditional architecture and urbanism. He spoke about how building green, sustainable homes takes the burden off each generation in the future.

The keynote speaker for the conference was Ross Robbins, an affiliate of the Shinn Group in Littleton, Colo. He specializes in training home builders, their management and sales teams, on common-sense methods and accountability, to create their own winning teams.

"Most builders typically miss economic cycle turns -- the up-turn as well as the downturn," Robbins said. "I want to help Southern Living builder members be proactive with plans of action, and strategies tied to leading indicators to take advantage of these opportunities as the market continues to cycle, reaches bottom and begins to turn, so that they can better serve their clients."

Builders were also briefed on the latest building materials by national representatives from Delta Faucet Co., James Hardie Siding Products, Lennox Heating and Air, Pella Windows and Doors, Schlage Hardware, Sears Commercial, Sherwin-Williams, Eldorado Stone, and Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters.

"The opportunity to attend this conference and openly share ideas and learn from other custom builders from all over the country, was invaluable to our business," Dishner said. "The Southern Living Custom Builder program gives us a huge advantage over the competition, and valuable knowledge that can benefit our clients, during a time when it matters more than ever."

Dishner and Webster have offices at 677 S. Bennett St. in Southern Pines as well as a Gallery of Communities from the mountains, to the Sandills, to the beach, where Accent II is building homes. The gallery is in Flynne's Coffee Bar at 115 NE Broad St. in Southern Pines.

Anyone wanting more information about the Southern Living Custom Builder Program can visit www.southernlivingcustombuilder.com.