The whole "homie company" image is simply that -- an image put out by DLX.
I gotta disagree... they're a "homie company" because they're about as approachable, accessible, and integrated into skateboarding more so than most (if not all) companies their size. You can go to DLX and see this first hand... the Deluxe image isn't manufactured by Deluxe, so much as it's manufactured by people who are into what they're doing.
Admittedly, I have a bias towards DLX on a few levels, but if I lived in SF I'd be lurking around there right now pestering Mic-E and Jim.