Kim and Rod Cullum have become mentors to daughter Lindsay Cullum-Colwell and her husband Paul Colwell as they continue the second generation of Cullum Homes. Photos by Scott Foust

FRONTDOORS MAGAZINE | 39 L indsay Cullum-Colwell remembers riding in her father’s truck as a little girl. Her dad, Rod, would take her and her brother, Brad, out on Saturday mornings so their mom could have some quiet time alone. Together, they’d visit job sites for projects he was building for his company, Cullum Homes. “He kept big rolls of plans on the dashboard. If he made a hard turn, they’d come down in the passenger seat,” Lindsay said with a laugh. It has been a family affair for the company ever since Rod founded it with his wife, Kim. A magnetic pair, the two met on a college ski trip when Kim, an ASU student, met Rod, who then attended Scottsdale Community College. They married after they had both graduated from ASU. A short time later, Rod discovered that he had a special skill. He was working with builders on marketing and realized that he could visualize and communicate what would work best on the land — where to place a garage or how to site an owner’s suite. “I just had a knack for that. I had an ability to verbalize it to people,” Rod said. This talent came in handy when he was working as a real estate agent, describing what he would do with a particular lot. The client asked, “Why don’t you just build it for me?” So Rod partnered with a builder and did precisely that, which led to the creation of Cullum Homes in 1985. BY KAREN WERNER From business philosophies to holiday traditions, get to know the family behind Cullum Homes. Brick Brick COVER STORY