R. Dean Harrell started his company in 1978, following the heritage of his family in the commercial and residential landscaping industry. The path of growth came by way of design and installation of landscapes through large nursery grown plant materials sourced throughout the Southeast, erosion control devices, grading, and the management of site work.
After working with some of the areas largest developers for over a decade, Mr. Harrell realized the potential for development in the piedmont area of the Carolinas and pursued several properties of his own for development under the R. D. Harrell Company. With the success of those properties, in 2001 Mr. Harrell created Bonterra Builders and within a decade the company was constructing more than 600 units per year that included residential, commercial and multi-family apartments. In 2007 Bonterra Builders became the fastest growing builder in America, named by Builder Magazine. Enduring the recession of 2008, Bonterra continued to thrive with the growth of the surrounding areas.
In 2015, after much continued success the company and its assets were acquired by a national homebuilder. Today with over 40 years of business experience, and 30 years of real estate development, the portfolio of his projects include the following: