Forty Under 40: Rod Wallis

While he doesnt build houses as fast as the folks on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Rod Wallis completes an average of 50 to 60 houses each year in Northwest Arkansas.

Wallis, whose father was also a house builder, put himself through college at the University of Arkansas working as a trim carpenter. The Marshall native graduated in 1991 with a degree in agricultural business, then moved out of state to manage hog houses for DeKalb Swine Breeders.

By 1997, Wallis returned to Northwest Arkansas to start a construction company and took a job as an assistant production manager at Hannas Candle Co. until he could put together enough capital to get his company started. In 1999, Wallis built one or two houses per year. By 2002, he had enough construction customers to leave Hannas, and since then, his business doubled every year.

Wallis expects his business to double again next year. He would like to move his company into development work soon, setting a five-year goal of $15 million in revenue.

Wallis likes to take extended vacations to go four-wheeling.

He gives back to Northwest Arkansas by serving as a project manager for Rebuilding Together, an organization that helps low-income families repair their homes.