Home-Building Executives Trying to Rock the Industry

To encourage employees to “rock the industry,” top executives of home builder Kaufman & Broad Home Corp. traded in their suits and ties for big hair and lots of leather to perform rock tunes onstage at a company meeting in Phoenix last month.

In their guise as a heavy metal group called Slab, the eight execs entertained about 300 local K&B; employees during an operations meeting April 25.

The stage show--complete with backdrop that read “Rockin’ the Industry”--was part of the company’s efforts to keep employees motivated and reduce turnover, said spokeswoman Ruby Lau.

Real estate industry experts have predicted that Los Angeles-based Kaufman & Broad will be the nation’s largest home builder by year’s end.

Slab members pictured on K1 include Randall Lewis, from left, of the K&B; board of directors; Albert Praw, senior vice president for business development; Jeff Metzger, senior vice president and regional general manager; Bart Pachino, general counsel; Bill Cardon, senior vice president and regional general manager; chief financial officer Mike Henn; Glen Barnard, senior vice president and regional general manager; chief executive Bruce Karatz.