When Van Metre Cos. announced the appointment of longtime executive Mike Dunleavy as the company’s new CEO, chairman Beau Van Metre said the leader was the best choice to lead Van Metre Cos. into its “next chapter.” Dunleavy has spent the previous eight years inside Van Metre’s finance and executive ranks, working alongside retiring CEO Rick Rabil and learning the values and discipline that have defined success for the Virginia-based builder.
Founded in 1955, Van Metre is a multidivision organization involved in residential development, home building, land development, and investment properties in the Mid-Atlantic. The company ranked 104th on the 2025 Builder Next 100 list, closing 517 homes in 2024 and generating $439 million in revenue. Dunleavy’s appointment as CEO coincided with Van Metre Cos.’s realignment of its operating structure, positioning Van Metre Land and New Homes & Manufacturing as distinct business units.
Dunleavy spoke with BUILDER to outline his vision of Van Metre’s next chapter, how his background shapes his leadership approach, and why entrepreneurship remains a core value that will define success for Van Metre Cos. moving forward.
In the role of CEO, what do you see as the next chapter for Van Metre Cos.? Where would you like to take the company moving forward?
Van Metre is stepping into its next chapter by leaning more intentionally into what has always made us strong: being privately owned, thinking long-term, and executing with discipline, while continuing to evolve how we operate. This season is about creating stability, bringing clarity, and building positive momentum. It means honoring our family foundation while ensuring we share a clear understanding of where we’re headed and putting the right systems in place so the company thrives for the next generation.
Part of that momentum includes thoughtful growth. Being land-constrained in northern Virginia requires us to think differently about where and how we expand. Carrying the Van Metre brand into new locales within a two-hour radius allows us to preserve who we are while growing beyond our traditional boundaries. We’ve already demonstrated this approach through the expansion of our Investment Properties division across the Mid-Atlantic, and extending that mindset to our home building division is a natural and confident next step.
How has your time with Van Metre prepared you for the CEO role? What are your key responsibilities now in the role?
I’ve spent the last eight years at Van Metre in roles that gave me a broad enterprise-wide view of the business, from finance and investment operations to executive leadership. That time, especially within the finance organization, allowed me to really see how all the inner workings of the company come together: how teams interact, how transactions move from concept to completion, and ultimately what makes them successful. It gave me perspective not just on how we operate, but on how leadership decisions and behaviors shape the organization over time.
As CEO, my responsibility is stewardship and setting a clear, compelling vision for the future to protect what has worked, strengthen how we operate, and reinvigorate our culture where needed. That starts with ensuring the right decisions are made in the right forums, supported by an executive team that models alignment, accountability, and trust.
Ultimately, our success is driven by intrapreneurs who care deeply about the brand and take its success personally. My job is to create an environment where they’re engaged, energized by the products we build, and proud of how and where we build them because I believe that when clarity, ownership, and alignment are in place, strong decisions follow and long-term performance takes care of itself.
Can you discuss the adjusted operating structure and how it will streamline operations for the company?
As we look toward the next generation of family ownership, we’re being intentional about how the business evolves with it and are focused on redefining what family ownership means within a modern, growth-oriented enterprise that spans acquisition and development, manufacturing, home building, and beyond.
We operate in a uniquely integrated way, and our responsibility is to thoughtfully evolve that model, preserving what makes us unique while strengthening our ability to thrive for generations to come. This next chapter is about aligning ownership and enterprise in a way that reinforces durability, sharpens strategic focus, and sustains long-term success.
What do you see as key differentiators for Van Metre Cos.? What elements do you hope to maintain and enhance?
Van Metre is differentiated by our private, family ownership and how we deploy capital. Our disciplined capital strategy paired with vertical integration from land acquisition through delivery allows us to turn capital efficiently, protect margins, and manage risk through strong operational control.
Our talent is another defining strength. We attract strong industry leaders and empower them to operate as intrapreneurs within a shared enterprise vision. Continuing to build leadership alignment, deepen operational rigor, and nurturing curiosity and innovation will be critical.
Looking ahead, we will remain grounded in long-term ownership and capital discipline as we enhance our execution, alignment, and performance. By maintaining the trust we’ve built with customers and partners and continually raising our standards, we position the company to remain durable and differentiated for generations to come.
What fresh perspectives do you bring to the CEO role, and how will that impact how you lead Van Metre Cos.?
My perspective is shaped by a financial foundation (I’m a CPA and began my career at KPMG), which trained me to look for efficient systems. That lens carries into how I approach construction and real estate challenges today: building disciplined processes, simplifying complexity, and creating operating structures that allow us to perform consistently.
As we steward the company into its third generation, my focus is on preserving and strengthening the foundations that have created decades of stability, while bringing renewed energy and a forward-looking perspective to how we operate.
From what I’ve learned, strong systems require alignment, trust, and clear communication to function at their best. While flexibility has served us well in recent years, I believe this next chapter calls for greater in-person collaboration. Getting the right leaders in the room to debate, align, and solve together sharpens execution and ensures we continue delivering consistent value to our customers.
What are the biggest lessons you have learned during your time in the industry?
Over time, I’ve come to believe that performance in this industry ultimately rests on discipline and people. Strong systems and clear processes create the momentum that enables teams to operate with speed, confidence, and consistency. And when teams believe in the mission of simplifying how homes are built, bought, and lived in, alignment and trust follow, turning sound strategy into meaningful results.
Leaders like Beau Van Metre, our chairman, and Rick Rabil, our former CEO, helped shape that belief. Rick encouraged me early on to pursue my CPA and grounded me in financial rigor, while Beau shaped my understanding of legacy and what it means to carry the family’s business forward with integrity and purpose. Together, their influence reinforced a principle I’ve always kept in mind: sustained success comes from consistent execution, clarity of purpose, and a shared commitment to the mission.
