It was a construction science professor who told Robby Newton that he should study business instead of construction. That might have been the best advice the young builder ever received.

He had already been in the construction business since childhood, working with his father, uncle, and cousins building houses in Clemson. After seeing the 4,000 sq. ft. house that the 18-year-old Newton built by himself, the professor brought his other students to see the workmanship.

Newton later earned a business degree from Southern Wesleyan University and has used his managerial skills to build the 2nd largest home construction business in the northwest corner of the state. “My grandfather, Naaman Newton, was my role model,” Newton says. “He was a stone mason and builder who was very hard working and a real craftsman.” Today, hard work and craftsmanship have become hallmarks of Robby’s building style.

Newton founded Southern Homes and Remodeling in 1989, and now builds 250-350 homes and townhomes a year, ranging from $150,000 to $2,000,000. In 1998, Newton gained recognition throughout the South when his company built the 3,800 sq. ft. Wren House, a Southern Living showcase home in the South Carolina Botanical Garden at Clemson University. This ambitious project was designed by Atlanta architect Keith Summerour and landscape designer Ryan Gainey as their vision of the ideal South Carolina upcountry home.

Newton is the seventh generation of his family to live in the Clemson area. He and his wife, Meg, have three children, Lauren, Brandon and Trevor. When he’s not on the job, he enjoys a round of golf, boating, and Clemson University athletics.