Bob Yanover liked being tagged “The Muddy Shoe Builder” when Builder/Architect featured him in the magazine in March 1990. Today, 14 years later, the family business has grown considerable, Bob has grown somewhat older and son Larry has grown into the “muddy shoes” once worn mostly by his father. Bob always wanted to be in construction since his teenage years in New York. After college, he worked with a builder in Syracuse until New York’s loss became Pennsylvania’s gain. He moved to Dover in 1977 and opened Yanover Construction in 1981. Learning much by working through the 1981 building recession, he has been doing all his own development work and building since then.
In 1986, Yanover’s oldest son, Larry, graduated from Shippensburg University and joined his father, apprenticing in the “muddy shoes” as Bob’s right hand man by running the day-to-day construction end of business. Sons Dennis and Craig, after the Army, also joined the family and Yanover & Sons Inc. was born. Several years later they choose other careers. Today, Bob concentrates most of his efforts on buying and managing the office and keeping business truly family run.
Among the developments of Yanover are Druck Valley (98 houses) and 42 at Churchill Manor, along with 44 new houses at Highland Manor, off Greenbriar, a farm they purchased in 1990. Yanover appeals to the young entry level buyer, as well as to the 55-plus client with a desire to downsize- to sell the big house and live more economically with less maintenance. And Yanover likes working with this group of people with a contract between the family builder and the family buyer.
Most Yanover semi-custom homes feature three bedrooms, two or three baths, high- energy efficiency and little or no maintenance. Yanover is a turnkey project with graded and seeded lawns and paved/blacktop driveways. All homes come with a one year warranty, backed by the “Contractor Assurance Program” sponsored by the York County Builders Association.
Yanover is a mix of the best of the old and the best of the new. Subcontractors who were with Yanover 15 years ago- many who have had tremendous growth themselves-are still with them. On the other hand, new techniques and modern office practices, such as computerization, are signs of a business still deeply involved with and learning from other builders through builders’ organizations.
Bob is a past President and a current director of the YCBA, a national Director of the NAHB, a state Director of the PBA, the Chairman of the Community Affairs Committee of the YCBA, a member of the Lifetime Achievement Award Committee and a member of the Contractors Assurance Program. Larry is also a past president of YCBA.
- NUMBER1EXPERT 
