HISTORY
Making Life Better
For us, it is more than a motto—it is our mission.
Our Story
We are a proud part of the Challenger Group of companies. In 2000, Brian and Heather Bahr founded their first homebuilding company in Colorado Springs out of their family garage. Over the past 23 years, Brian diversified from his humble beginnings into additional ventures, expanding his vision to become the world's largest housing provider. Today, The Challenger Group is a leader in residential housing with The National Builder Group being the newest and fastest growing network of non-franchised owner operator led companies.
ABOUT
Making Life Better
For us, it is more than a motto – it is our mission.
It is something we live and breathe every day. We incorporate our mission into every home we build, from delivering incredible value and warranties that provide homebuyers peace of mind, to thoughtful designs that make everyone feel at home. We extend this same sentiment to our trade partners and everyone we interact with, be it at work or play. It is the cornerstone of our culture at the National Builder Group.
In recent years affordability in housing has become increasingly difficult to achieve, making it challenging for many families to achieve home ownership. At the National Builder Group we focus on providing homes people dream of, and because of how we operate, our Owner Operator led companies deliver immense value in our markets. That means a dream home can now become a reality.
Award Winning
Established Team
Meet The Team
We're an award-winning multidisciplinary team based in Colorado with a passion for creating innovative architecture. We work with businesses and people to make life better... one home at a time.
Brian received his master’s degree in accounting and information systems from Brigham Young University. He has built Challenger Homes and The Challenger Group into one of the largest housing providers in the United States, always focusing on the company vision: Making Life Better. Challenger Homes, The Challenger Group and the National Builder Group have now built thousands of homes and numerous multifamily projects throughout the country.
Jim is a 28-year industry veteran with experience developing, building and selling a wide array of housing projects including single family entry-level homes, townhomes, mid- and high-rise condominiums and high-end custom homes. He’s owned and led small and large companies and had the unique experience of expanding the nation’s leading homebuilding franchisor over a 14-year span. Jim joined the National Builder Group in 2023 to lead the companies growth initiatives.
Ralph joined the Challenger Group in January 2024 and currently serves as CFO – Homebuilding Operations for both Challenger Homes and the National Builder Group. He brings a wealth of financial and homebuilding expertise, having previously held senior and executive management roles at both divisional and corporate levels of PulteGroup. Most recently, he was CFO of Pulte Financial Services overseeing PulteGroup’s Mortgage Banking, Title, and Insurance Agency businesses. Ralph is a CPA, and his Finance background includes Big 4 audit and M&A advisory, as well as corporate finance, investor relations, and treasury at both privately held and large public corporations. He joined the Challenger Group because of his passion for homebuilding and a unique opportunity he sees in both homebuilding companies under the Challenger umbrella. Ralph and his wife live in Denver and spend most of their time visiting family around the country, traveling, and pursing a number of outdoor activities.
Matt Wilkinson brings over 22 years of homebuilding experience to the National Builder Group. His diverse background in building single and multi-family homes, apartments, offices and shopping centers span across the US and allows Matt to have a unique perspective to build effectively and efficiently. Matt is a LEED and NAHB certified green builder and values the science behind building. His goal is to create value for NBG’s Owner Operators by bringing his purchasing experience and relations with national and regional manufacturers, suppliers and vendors to Make Life Better for all.
When Matt isn’t working he finds himself continuously starting house projects with his wife. He also enjoys cycling, volunteering with the Boy Scouts of America and spends his weekends supporting his two sons in lacrosse, football and basketball.
Patrick has worked in homebuilding for over 30 years, specializing in leading operational teams to achieve superior business results while focusing on customer (internal and external) experience and satisfaction. In his career, he has worked for private homebuilding companies building in Indiana, the Carolinas, and Colorado. Most recently he served for 13 years as the VP of Operations for Challenger Homes. Patrick joined the National Builder Group in late 2023 and is excited to serve our owner operators to help them maximize their success as they navigate the ever-changing operational challenges for our industry.
Angela has over 25 years of combined experience in Finance, Accounting, Audit, Manufacturing, and Homebuilding. With 7 years in the homebuilding industry and 5 years in manufacturing, she brings a wealth of expertise, including 7 years with Big Five audit/consulting firms, involving extensive international work. Most recently, Angela led a team of 14 at a large national homebuilder, managing $1.4 billion in revenue and overseeing the start and delivery of 2,000+ homes annually.
Angela holds an MBA in Values Based Leadership from the University of Denver. Joining the National Builder Group team is an exciting opportunity, driven by a desire to contribute to a unique, growing business alongside a talented and collaborative accounting team focused on success and personal growth.
Outside of work, Angela is actively involved in her children’s pursuits, with her daughter playing for Team Colorado, the state’s only AAA girls’ hockey team, and her son preparing for college. Angela is passionate about hot yoga, caring for her two rescue dogs (a Great Pyrenees and a Husky), and serving on the executive board of directors for the Homebuilders Foundation, an organization dedicated to empowering individuals and families with disabilities.
Hilary is a results-driven marketing director with ten years of experience across a variety of industries. She’s worked in the homebuilding industry for over half her career and has a proven track record of driving revenue, brand visibility and market expansion for other builder builders across the country. Hilary joined the National Builder Group in late 2023 and is looking forward to establishing NBG’s brand and supporting the growth for all the owner operators across the country.
