FEATURES

VIEW POINT

FIRST WORD

News + Notes

  • Westinghouse Acquires Radiant Lamp

    A March press release indicated that Westinghouse was lured by Radiant's line of differentiated light bulbs. Under the agreement, Philips will continue its strong manufacturing relationship with Radiant, according to the release

     

  • Man Shoots Self in Head With Nail Gun

    A 35-year-old Australian man has no serious injuries after shooting himself in the head with a nail gun. According to news reports, Brad Shorten was cooling down with beer and friends after a day of working on his house, when, as a joke, he put the nail gun up to his head.

     

  • Gift Registry May Add Power to BIY Market

    Thanks to The Home Depot's online registry, weddings, holidays, and other gift-intensive events may take on a more blue-collar feel. This development is significant not only because it's another way that The Home Depot reaches customers but because it pushes home improvement further into holiday...

     

  • Bobvila.com Sued Under Anti-spam Law

    The suit alleges that the defendants sent e-mails to Hypertouch customers that violated provisions set forth in the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003, otherwise known as the CAN-SPAM Act.

     

COMMENTARY

GUEST COLUMNIST

LINDA CASE

  • Characteristics of Good Meetings

    Well-run meetings harness your team to achieve goals and to be accountable for results in their day-today roles. Meetings allow an owner to communicate a uniform message efficiently and build future leaders for the company.

     

MARK RICHARDSON

WALT STOEPPELWERTH

  • Consolidation the Future of Remodeling

    The lack of consolidation in the remodeling world -- which continues to consist of tens of thousands of small companies -- makes me believe that the market is ripe for it. In the next five to 10 years, I predict design/build companies will start to use more subcontractors and will open branch...

     

YOUR BUSINESS

Sales and Marketing

  • Four questions to ask yourself if you think your mailing list isn't working

    Here are four questions to ask yourself if you think your mailing list isn't working.

     

  • Integrate Your Phone Message With the Rest of your Marketing

    If you want to use the time prospects would otherwise spend listening to static to your advantage, do what Scott Mosby of Mosby Building Arts did: produce a low-cost phone message that dovetails with all your marketing. Mosby's three-minute, looping on-hold message is a marketing tour de force.

     

  • Hang Around, Warm Down

    Whenever you "break bread" with your customers -- which is what you're doing when you're selling a contract -- never eat and run.

     

  • Sidetracked? Pivot Back on Track

    I had a great attitude, was feeling confident, and knew I had a good chance of selling because I had gathered a lot of information before the call.Guy Marzano is a new sales rep with Case Handyman Services of Golden Valley, Minn. We'll recap his experiences over the coming issues.

     

  • Remodelers Thank Clients With Wine

    Remodelers Bob and Sue Fleming of Classic Remodeling & Construction, Charleston, S.C., give a company "branded" box containing three bottles of wine (from Sue's cousin's winery) to clients whose jobs they just completed.

     

BOTTOM LINE

BY DESIGN

  • Wood Posts, Cross Beams, and Rafters Lend Traditional, Rustic Feel

    Designers often use wood posts, cross beams, and rafters to lend interiors a traditional, or even rustic, feel. "When you're in a big open space, you feel kind of lost," says Nancy McCarren of Muse Architects, Washington, D.C. "It helps a design to add elements of a scale people can relate to."

     

FIELD NOTES

  • Time cards are critical to all aspects of a remodeling business

    Time cards are critical to all aspects of a remodeling business.

     

  • Neighborly Gesture

    BOWA Builders distributes a laminated card with the company's information and emergency contact numbers to their clients. For an added personal touch, the staff at BOWA don't just mail the cards -- the project manager knocks on doors and hands them out.

     

  • Carpet Protection Shows Dedication to Protecting Clients' Homes

    Houston remodeler Don Strong says the carpet protector he has used for eight years shows his clients that his company is dedicated to protecting their homes. The president of Brothers Strong says the durable plastic sheets last for weeks on the jobsite.

     

GOOD FORM

Tech at Work

Ways + Means

  • Balance Work and Life

    For consistent work/life balance, you must choose to have balance and be committed to having it. Asking for help is a strength all successful leaders must possess.

     

  • Make Training An Everyday Thing

    Each year, Sal Ferro or his top managers meet with each employee to complete a needs assessment that drives the training for that person.

     

  • Measuring the Economic Temperature by Getting Involved

    You can read all the prognostications you want, but the best way to get a feel for the economy is to talk to the people who feel most acutely the effects of its fluctuations: businesspeople. The problem is it can be difficult to have access to enough people to get the total picture.

     

  • Effective Customer Surveys

    Visit any Pizza Hut or IHOP across the country and you'll find a comment card on your table, asking you to rate the quality of your meal, speed of service, and the friendliness of your server. Yet few contractors have customer satisfaction surveys, and even fewer have effective ones.

     

BIG50

Big50 Introduction

  • Big50 2004

    The best of the best: That is what the REMODELING editors set out to find each year for the incoming Big50 class. Recipients of this coveted award can't just be good. They must be excellent -- and excellent when measured against their highest-quality competitors. They lead the industry in business...

     

Movers & Shakers

KITCHEN AND BATH

DESIGN CLINIC

  • A translucent countertop from solid surfacing material

    When Wayne Minde's client approached him about creating a lighted vanity top for her bathroom, the remodeler stepped up to the challenge. The president of Tri-Lite Builders, Chandler, Ariz., called his Avonite fabricator, and the two set out to make a translucent countertop from the solid surfacing...

     

  • Masterful Master Bath

    In the master bedroom, architect Milford Cushman included easy-to-operate pocket doors for the entry-way to the bathroom and the closet.

     

  • Access Granted

    When Stowe, Vt., architect Milford Cushman was asked to design a custom home for a couple, the fact that the wife is in a wheelchair was just another design issue. Though Cushman chose universal design elements for the kitchen and bath that work specifically for these clients, he says much of the...

     

SPEC BOOK

  • SpecBook: Sinks

    Providing a clean, sleek look, undermount stainless steel sinks are all the rage in kitchens. But alternative materials are also showing up, along with interesting basin shapes and configurations.

     

REPLACEMENT

DECKS

Windows

PRODUCTS

FIRST LOOK

IN FOCUS

ON THE JOB

  • Personal Protective Equipment

    All field employees should be trained on what personal protective equipment to use in every work situation, and lead carpenters and production managers should set a good example to ensure personal protection becomes a habit.Steel-toed boots and shoes can prevent injuries ranging from stepping on...

     

READERS CHOICE

  • Reader's Choice: Panasonic Bath Ventilation Fans

    Remodeler Lawrence Murr works on bathroom remodels for many clients who dislike the noise of their existing exhaust fans. Because it does no good to install an exhaust fan in a humid bathroom if the homeowner won't use it, Murr offers to upgrade his clients' ventilation system with a Panasonic fan.

     

  • Reader's Choice: KitchenAid Pro Line Appliances

    Remodeler Dominic Maltese frequently works with clients who want "bells and whistles" kitchens while staying within a budget. When KitchenAid introduced its Pro Line a few years ago, Maltese started recommending the line to these clients for a high-end, professional appearance at competitive prices.

     

  • Reader's Choice: Icynene Insulation System

    Remodeler John DeCiantis learned about the Icynene Insulation System while attending a trade show several years ago. The system is applied by licensed Icynene dealers, who mix the two-part formula on site.

     

TRENDS

  • EPA Announces 2004 Energy Star Partners of the Year

    The United States Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star program and the Department of Energy have named the Energy Star 2004 Partners of the Year for Excellence in Efficient Products. Lennox Industries, Sea Gull Lighting, Whirlpool Corp., Good Earth Lighting, and Gorell Windows and Doors...

     

  • ODL Rolls Out Franchise Program

    Door glass and decorative window manufacturer ODL is rolling out a national franchise program that will allow remodelers and other independent entrepreneurs to tap into their local markets for upgrading existing steel and fiberglass entry doors by providing on-site door glass installations. Called...

     

  • Granite Countertops Becoming An Affordable Upgrade

    With all the countertop options available these days, you might think that granite has receded into the background in all but high-end kitchens. Because granite is becoming so much more widely known, a lot of people have moved into this industry.

     

LAST WORD

Bench Mark

  • Statistics on the 2004 Class of Big50

    Every year, our search for the Big50 uncovers some of the best-performing remodeling companies in the country. Nearly half of this year's Big50 Companies show revenues of between $1 million and $2 million.