Role models can be hard to find, much less emulate. You’re so busy pursuing leads and managing projects that there’s little time to track down and learn about the peers whose expertise, business judgment, professionalism, and financial success merit a second glance. That’s why we do the searching for you. Every year since 1986, Remodeling has sought out people at 50 companies whose stories merit making them members of our Big50. We read their applications, ask for financial data, and interview each company in order to come up with a list of truly notable people. Read their stories here to find dozens of ideas, tips, and thought-provoking stories. While most on the list truly are big, with three-quarters forecasting revenue this year of at least $1 million, there also are companies in this group that are far smaller. There’s something to be learned from all of them. 

Service Excellence Award: This year we again partnered with GuildQuality, an Atlanta-based customer-satisfaction polling company, to identify candidates for the Service Excellence Award. Based on the results of customer surveys, the award recognizes incoming Big50 winners who consistently deliver an exceptional customer experience. The 2014 Service Excellence Award Winners are:

Advantage Carpentry & Remodeling
Crescent Builds
Messier Construction
Rolf Schroeder General Contractors