For decades, Sherwin Loudermilk has looked forward to the time when he and his family could slip away from the hectic pace of life in Atlanta and find refuge in the woods and tranquility of Cashiers.

During the final leg of the three-hour drive from Atlanta, he could always feel his shoulders relax as the stress melted away while he drove along the twisting roads leading up to the Plateau.

Sherwin was so drawn to that sense of serenity that he’s been dreaming about building luxury custom homes in the Highlands-Cashiers area so other families could enjoy the majestic forests and wildlife of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Now he’s doing exactly that.

Sherwin left his corporate job more than a decade ago to found Loudermilk Homes, which quickly became one of the leading custom luxury design and construction firms in Atlanta.

With clients including Fortune 500 executives, business owners, professional athletes, and families that expect perfection in their dream homes, Loudermilk Homes has won numerous awards from the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association, Modern Luxury Interiors, City Lifestyle, and other respected publications.

With Silver Creek Real Estate Group as a partner, Loudermilk Homes is now expanding into Cashiers with an enclave at Cedar Hill that features just four private lots with 20+ acres each, starting in the $3.9 million range.

“We believe the Loudermilk ethos aligns with our own, and I am thrilled to offer this spectacular product to our clients during a time when current home inventory is so low,” Silver Creek broker Dan Allen said of the project. “Our seasoned team markets and sells exceptional luxury properties, and Loudermilk Homes’ constructions are no exception. Being able to client a client’s ideal lot, and then connecting them with a high-quality builder, is a dream come true.”

Dan has an innate understanding of what draws families to the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau and prides himself on his nearly three decades of experience with local builders, designers, contractors, lawyers, fellow brokers, and business owners. These relationships allow him to create a seamless real estate experience for his clients.

We recently caught up with Sherwin to learn more about his love for the Highlands-Cashiers area, the culture of Loudermilk Homes, the features in their Loudermilk Connect app, their Nine-Step Process to Perfection, and his vision for the company.

NC Living: Thank you for making time to talk with us, Sherwin. Tell us about your roots in Cashiers.

SL: It’s such a pleasure talking with you! My family has owned property in Cashiers for many years, and every single time we come here — whether it’s just for the weekend, or for a longer holiday break — we all have this sense of deep calm and peace as we get closer. There’s something magical about the Plateau, the majesty of the forest, the native plants and animals. And of course the people are so friendly and welcoming. We absolutely love it.

NC Living: What made you leave the corporate world and start a residential development company?

SL: It was one of those things where several elements of live intersect at the right time, and you see a new path forward. I studied business and thought like an engineer, very process-oriented. I was working in web development and telecommunications at IBM, and I traveled a lot and worked long hours. I was starting to think about the next chapter of my career, and I always had an entrepreneurial itch. When our daughter was young, my wife Roane started doing house renovation projects and we had this lightning bolt moment of: “Wow, we love this. We should start a business.” That was more than 15 years ago, and it’s the best business decision we ever made.

“We have a mantra: Build It Like It’s Yours.”

NC Living: What’s the culture like at Loudermilk Homes?

SL: We have a mantra: Build It Like It’s Yours. That means doing the absolute best work using the best products and best techniques, and making the right decisions every step of the way. Everyone is empowered to speak up if they see a mistake, and everyone is expected to share their knowledge so we can create a culture of continuous learning. We bring in technical experts for things like roofing and windows so they can show us best-in-class products. Most importantly, we have a family culture of respect, trust, integrity, and honor. To show our employees how much they mean to us, we recently named the streets in a new development after several of their children.

NC Living: Tell us about your “Nine-Step Process to Perfection” that we keep hearing about.

SL: When we first got into this business, we heard so many horror stories about projects going badly, with surprise costs and terrible delays. We vowed to make it easy and fun to work with us, so we create a Nine-Step “Process to Perfection.” It starts with Inspiration to reveal their design preferences and create a mood board and learn about their lifestyle.

For example, if they don’t wear shoes in the house, we’re going to create extra storage their the entries. If they entertain frequently, they may want a second prep kitchen. We meet with the homeowners at certain intervals to approve the placement of light fixtures and vents and make changes while it’s easy to do so. Following this disciplined process helps everyone know what’s going to happen next so there’s complete transparency.

NC Living: You talk a lot about transparency. Exactly how much transparency do you provide?

SL: Each homeowner gets an account in our app called Loudermilk Connect. There’s a live video feed, daily work logs, photos, and real-time schedule and budget updates. They can approve change orders by signing with their finger, and all of their design selections are archived. If a friend asks about their paint colors or light fixtures two years later, they can look up the product number or SKU.

And when we say complete transparency, we mean it. Sometimes we don’t pass a plumbing inspection, and the homeowner will see that — along with what needs to be corrected, and an estimated date for the next inspection. We’re looking under the hood of the car, and sometimes you’re going to see a little grease. We like that because it builds trust and confidence.

NC Living: How is smart home technology evolving?

SL: Some builders use Nest thermostats and call that smart home technology. We’re moving toward whole home automation specifically designed for the needs of our clients.

At IBM, I worked on a “home of the future” project and we imagined fat-fetched ideas. Your garage door could recognize your car and automatically open. Your house could unlock itself, turn on the lights, play your favorite music, and lock the door behind you.

Now our homes can actually do all these things, and so much more. We can program the sprinkler system to pause for five minutes if the UPS guy knocks at the door. We can program electronic shares to come down automatically if the sun gets too bright or hot. We will keep finding more sophisticated ways to use technology to make our lives more comfortable.

NC Living: When will the homes at Cedar Hill be available, and what’s next for Loudermilk Homes?

SL: We have broken ground at Cedar Hill, and there are several other locations around Highlands and Cashiers where we will be building in the near future. We look forward to meeting people who live there and in other nearby states who are ready to design and build the custom luxury home of their dreams on the Plateau.

For more information on building your dream mountain home, contact Silver Creek Real Estate Group broker Dan Allen at 828-508-2107.