Ron Covington got into homebuilding 22 years ago in California because his dad worked for one of that state's largest home builders.

When the industry slowed, he took a teaching job but jumped back into homebuilding after only a semester.

Now, after spending seven years as Colorado Springsdivision president of California-based John Laing Homes, he started his own company -- Ron Covington Homes -- late last year. Whether it's designing or building homes, Covington said he's learned that providing a place to live fulfills a fundamental need for most people.

"The former CEO of Laing used to tell me it's a very noble profession," Covington said. "I've got to agree with him."