At Abrazo, our team is what makes us who we are. Thanks to a ton of good fortune and a few strokes of genius we have been able to put together a group of team members that care deeply about the customer and each other. It’s this customer-first mentality and ability to laugh at Brian McCarthy’s jokes that make our world so much fun. Some may see our light and fresh atmosphere as a little unorthodox, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. Life is too short to not have fun. Speaking of short, read a little about each member of our team – listed in ascending order by height:
Chris Madrid – 5′-8″
Construction and Headache Manager
Long before joining Abrazo, Chris was born and raised in Roswell, New Mexico. Before joining us, he worked in the lumber industry for 6 years, at both the wholesale and retail levels. Chris first met Abrazo (the gorgeous dame that she is) when he and his fiancée became one of the very first Abrazo home owners. In the following months, as our sales and service contact at Home Depot (where he was a superstar) his intellect and work ethic became impossible to ignore. When our organization grew to the point a superintendent became essential, there was no doubt in our mind who to hire. Chris brought that superstar skillset to Abrazo, and has developed into more than we could ever ask for.
“Chris is the epitome of what makes our organization great. He is a tireless worker, quick study, and will never make excuses. He demands perfection of himself, so Brian and I can’t ask for more. His value is difficult really to describe, but will be impossible to miss when he builds your new home. Bringing Chris on board may be the second best decision I’ve ever made, marrying my wife was the first.” ~ Mackenzie Bishop
Warren Harris – 5′-9″
Director of Enchantment
Warren hails from the Chicago area and while pursuing his business degree in Omaha, Nebraska in the early 90s he landed a job with the largest real estate brokerage in Nebraska. As they say, that is where it all started though it took him a few years to figure out real estate was where he belonged. During his professional career, Warren has managed operations, staffing and departmental sales for Wal-Mart, and after relocating to New Mexico, he streamlined the operation for a regional contract furniture and systems company as an executive level manager. However, it didn’t take long for him to find his way back in the industry he loves as a consultant with a prominent new home builder in Albuquerque. Typically we don’t like to brag about numbers, but in Warren’s case he is all about results. In just six years, he has accumulated more than $40 million in new home sales but more importantly a band of happy customers that think he walks on water. Let’s just say: “He’s good.” In addition to being a stud volleyball player (sand only, please), Warren is the best in the business at enchanting his customers. His advocacy for the customer is what makes him a perfect fit at Abrazo. As he puts it, “Partnering with the Abrazo Homes team is by far my best accomplishment yet. We are indeed a family here. I embrace the fact that we will do it right for our home owners, vendor partners and each other. When you hear the old adage ‘it takes a village’ well that certainly rings true here as well.”
“Having worked with Warren in the past, we knew what we were getting when we brought him on board. He is as good as it gets in new home sales and takes pride in his relationships with his customers. He is amazingly knowledgeable having worked for a custom home builder, he gives 110% for his customers, and we trust him implicitly to do what is right. We could not ask for a better person to represent us and our entire family.” ~ Brian McCarthy
Cody Ashby – 5′-11″ (a little generous, but okay)
Enchantment Specialist – Cottonwood Mall
Cody is a native son of Rio Rancho, which in his day was Albuquerque’s little step brother. An avid Lobo fan, his family has had the same seats at the Pit for over 25 years. Cody married Ciara – a much better woman than he – in 2009, and they’ve welcomed their first baby. His biggest fear is not the diapers, but the lack of sleep and chiding he will receive around the office. Cody has a knack for winning people over, which is mostly due to him being a super great dude. Despite his neurotic superstitions, he’s never had a goal he doesn’t dream about incessantly, a fact which he reminds us all about every day. We have no doubt that he will achieve them.
“I can’t say enough about Cody and what he brings to our organization. He is always upbeat, and I don’t think I’ve ever met a person who doesn’t love him. We are elated to have him on our team, and are looking forward to watching him excel as a father and superstar employee.” ~ Mackenzie
Mackenzie Bishop – 6′-0″
Proud Founder
Mackenzie is one of the few remaining people to be able to claim being both born and raised in Albuquerque. He rejoins Brian McCarthy after the two worked closely together in production homebuilding for the past 5 years. He brings a wide array of skills to the table, though only at one time…multi-tasking is not one of those skills. In his previous position as director of marketing, the company successfully launched more than 10 subdivisions and for the first time rose to #1 in market share during the third quarter of 2006 – those were the days! He enjoys spending the little time he gets away from the office with his beautiful wife – he clearly married up – and their puppy Whistler. His wife even enjoys/endures early morning Formula 1 races as they both hopelessly root for Jenson Button. Mackenzie received his BBA in Business Summa Cum Laude (what does that even mean?) from the University of New Mexico, and proudly lives in an Abrazo Home.
Brian McCarthy – 6′-6″ (Seriously…and yes he did play basketball)
Even Prouder Founder
Prior to co-founding Abrazo Homes, Brian worked for one of Albuquerque’s top homebuilders in several different capacities, including sales, marketing coordinator, and vice president before being promoted to the role of New Mexico division president. During his tenure as president, the organization climbed to be the #2 volume builder in the state of New Mexico. Brian is the ultimate family man, as he plays dad to 5 amazing children and adoring husband to his all-star wife. He received his undergraduate degree in Political Science (a major which he does nothing with, except argue with Mackenzie over coffee) from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, TX. He also completed his Executive MBA at the University of New Mexico’s Anderson School of Management. An avid F1 fan himself, Brian takes the easy road and pulls for the heavy favorite Sabastian Vettel of Red Bull Racing. Some say, he is one of the brightest business minds around and that he can even split an atom just by thinking about it.
Behind the Scenes, but Equally Important Mention
Elveta Bishop – 5′-3″
Bean Counter Extraordinaire
Elveta is one of the most versatile people in the world. Though what she does for Abrazo doesn’t even scratch the surface of what her brain is capable of, her contributions are infinitely valuable. Despite the fact that many customers never meet her, she takes care of our vendors – who we also view as customers. She also spends way too much time on hold with many government agencies…apparently they don’t see us as customers. Elveta is a vital member of both the Abrazo family and Mackenzie’s literal family, and we’d all be lost without her tireless efforts behind the scenes.