Inside the Schell Brothers building is a quote from Steve Jobs that says, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” According to Chris Schell, this is what prompted him to start his first career, which he did not love to give up and continue the work he is currently doing at Schell Brothers.
Growing up in the San Francisco suburbs, Chris wanted to pursue a job in finance and focus on making money. After graduating from MIT, he worked for a futures trader, writing software that automated the bureau’s trading systems. Not feeling fulfilled and thinking an MBA was a way to get more opportunities, Chris enrolled in Harvard Business School. After graduating, Chris relocated to Severna Park, Md. and continued to run his hedge fund using short-term computerized trading systems in futures markets around the world. Despite doing well both professionally and financially with his hedge fund, Chris became increasingly unhappy and knew he needed to make a major change in his life. So he sold his share of the futures trading business to his business partner and moved to the beaches of Delaware, where he had extensive family connections and spent his summers growing up.
After considering various options, he decided to start Schell Brothers with his twin brother, Preston. Chris liked the idea of building homes for families, knowing that moving to a new home is an exciting and happy time in people’s lives. But alongside the customer focus, Chris also believed it was important to have happy employees. Chris envisioned a culture for his company that emphasizes teamwork, fun at work and an environment of mutual respect.
Caring for employees has always been a priority at Schell Brothers. Chris believes that Schell Brothers is owned by everyone who helped set it up and that the company therefore exists for the benefit of all of its employees, not just the owners. For example, during the COVID lockdown, home sales plummeted to almost zero and many builders began laying off employees. Rather than follow suit and cut staff, Chris emailed his team members and assured them that no matter how long it took for the market to recover, no one would be laid off.
When asked about his biggest challenge, Chris hesitated and recently said he’s had trouble shrugging off the Schell haters and trolls that have surfaced regarding the Coral Lakes community. Chris explained that the attention Schell Brothers receives through their community engagement, branding and marketing has both positive and negative impacts. “While it’s positive to be first in line when someone wants to buy a home, it’s not beneficial to be first in line when someone is upset about traffic or development in Sussex County,” he said. Ironically, Chris explains that Schell Brothers is not and never has been the largest property developer in Sussex County. What bothers him most is the image that anti-development people paint of his company and its employees, which couldn’t be further from who they are, what they believe in and what they stand for. Happiness is the founding goal of Schell Brothers and they are truly committed to it.
As Chris looks into his crystal ball over the next five to 10 years, Schell Brothers will remain based in southern Delaware, but major residential construction will take place in Richmond, Virginia and Nashville, Tennessee. Chris also believes that climate change is an important issue for the Delaware coast. Knowing that energy consumption at home is a significant contributor to the carbon footprint, Schell Brothers started his own solar energy company to make it more affordable for homebuyers to make their homes energy efficient.
When asked what gives Chris the most satisfaction, he said it’s the idea of giving back and helping others. Most people are unaware of what the Schell family does to support the many causes and needs in our community. Education has always been a priority for the Schells. Including the money they have donated to Sussex Academy, their contributions to educational initiatives total nearly $10 million. In addition, the Schell family has supported land conservation by raising millions of dollars and has supported Beebe Healthcare with nearly $1 million in donations. The list of annual sponsorships is too long to list, but exceeds $300,000 annually. All in all, the Schell brothers and their family have donated more than $20 million to support the community.
But nothing gives Chris as much joy as Schellville. Christmas was Chris’ favorite holiday growing up and Schellville was his way of getting kids experiencing Schellville into a little Christmas cheer. Chris believes that true happiness in life doesn’t come from doing things for yourself, but from doing whatever you can to help others.
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