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Clifford Poston still working hard at 90 years old!
August 25, 2009

Marietta Daily Journal feautre on Traton pioneer Nellie Clifford Gibson Poston

By Sally Litchfield
sallylit@bellsouth.net



When most people reach the age of 90, they don't think about going into the office. But not Nellie Clifford Gibson Poston, a pioneering businesswoman wouldn't have it any other way. At age 90, she continues to inspire employees at her family-run business, Traton Homes.


"I've always enjoyed working," said Poston, who spent most of her youth in South Georgia. Her career began at Ford Motor Company, where she kept the books for $5 a week, having learned basic bookkeeping principals from her older sister.

"I enjoy working rather than to sit around and think about your pains and that you don't feel good," said the astute Poston, who moved to Atlanta in 1939 from Valdosta after her husband, Red Poston, was promoted in his insurance job. "If you work, you don't have time to do that."

In 1952, the Postons moved to Smyrna with their two sons, Bill and Milburn, and daughter, Marian, to start Poston Realty & Insurance, later known as Poston, Guthrie and Fowler.

The couple worked together daily in their business until 1963, when Red died unexpectedly. He was only 44 years old.

Poston, on her own with three children, continued her work at the business. Although both sons secured jobs selling real estate in the Atlanta area, they wanted to go into business together.

In 1971, Poston and her sons started Traton Homes, a leading new homebuilder. Traton Homes, at 720 Kennesaw Avenue in Marietta, built a solid reputation in the building community.

The Poston sons quickly credit their mother.

"Mother has always had a positive point of view, a positive frame of mind," said Milburn. "I think that has helped us over the years."

Poston, a grandmother of five and great grandmother of 10, remains active in the day-to-day life at Traton. Having lived through the Great Depression, she sets an example with a strong work ethic, working five days a week from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Described by her son, Bill, as a "detail person," she kept all of Traton's bookkeeping by hand until the mid-80s. Both sons mused at how their mother could catch a minute discrepancy in the books, sometimes in favor of the bank. If she caught it, said Bill with a chuckle, "The bank knew not to argue."

Poston lives a conservative lifestyle and has passed that on to her sons, explains Milburn. "Sometimes, you just have to do without, and it doesn't hurt," says Poston with a sense of understanding.

"We're conservative and we learned that from mother; she has made Traton what it is today," says Milburn. "We put other people first."

"We've always been perceived as hard business people, but fair business people, hard in the sense that we drive a hard bargain," says Bill. "Fair because you care what people think about you after the deal and we got that from mother."

For this backbone of the Poston family who prefers business to cards, Clifford Poston said she would continue to work, "as long as I'm living and can get here."

For more information on Traton Homes, visit www.tratonhomes.com.

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Atlanta Home Builder

"As an Atlanta home builder, we build each Traton home today on a legacy of sound construction, superior service and outstanding value. While we continue to grow and improve, the legacy is one thing that will not change." Clif Poston

Rich in work ethic and strong in character, Traton Homes' co-founders, brothers Bill and Milburn Poston, have cultivated a lifetime of exposure to real estate and construction to become one of the strongest, most reliable new home builders in Atlanta.

For over 39 years, Traton Homes has been giving Atlanta metro-area homebuyers Altogether More!... more experience, more impressive architecture, more outstanding features and more rewarding lifestyles in desirable locations throughout Atlanta.

Today, Milburn and Bill, along with sons Clif and Chris and the entire Traton team, continue Traton's legacy of delivering Altogether More through their highly credible, detailed approach as an Atlanta home builder. Traton has earned the respect and admiration of their peers, as well as the confidence of the over 6,000 Atlanta families who come home to Traton every day.

When looking for an Atlanta Home Builder, you will have many builders and communities from which to choose. We encourage you to visit other Atlanta home builders and compare them to Traton. From the feel of our neighborhoods to the attention to detail both inside and out, Traton delivers superior value.

There are many new home builders from which to choose but few with the track record and Altogether More value that Atlanta home builder Traton Home offers.

Traton Homes is a Certified Professional Atlanta Home Builder, a designation awarded by the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association. The mission of the Certified Professional Atlanta Home Builder program is to connect the public with builders who are dedicated to maintaining the highest level of professionalism, customer service, and homeowner satisfaction.

To qualify, an Atlanta home builder must have three or more years of building experience, must derive their main source of income from home building, and must complete 16 hours of continuing education a year to achieve annual re-certification. To become a Certified Professional Home Builder,an Atlanta home builder must provide written references from a financial institution, homeowners, trade contractors and material suppliers. All Certified Professional Home Builders must maintain membership in their local homebuilders association and abide by the National Association of Home Builders' Code of Ethics.

This is just another way we go the extra mile to assure you your confidence in Traton is warranted!

Traton Homes is also a proud member of the Greater Atlanta Home Builder's Association (GAHB) for home builders in Atlanta, GA and is a recipient of the 2008 Guildmaster Award for excellence in customer service.

Our state-of-the-art Design Center is one of the finest offered by any Atlanta home builder. With an incredible array of options and upgrades from which to choose, you'll find everything you need to embellish your home a little.or a lot. From the smallest interior details to everyday essentials, it is here that you will personally select the items that will magnify and transform your home.

Traton's commitment to value begins with superior construction behind the walls. Our new homes are fully engineered for quality. From wall panels, to floor and roof trusses, the framing of your Traton home is fully engineered. Highly sophisticated state-of-the-art technology ensures your new home in Atlanta is built to the strictest standards.

When it comes to building new homes in Atlanta, you can put your confidence in Traton Homes.