FEATURES

VIEW POINT

FIRST WORD

  • Remodeling is going green

    The last time green remodeling became a national obsession was after the oil embargo in the early 1970s, and it faded almost as quickly as it arose. The current green movement also came seemingly out of nowhere, but appears to have more teeth.

     

News + Notes

MARKET WATCH

  • Local Forecast: Modular Homes Modify One Long Island Business

    In a tough market like this, some companies diversify to find an edge. In the very competitive Long Island market, Jarro Building Industries Corp. has found a niche in something the industry has heard a lot about during the last few years but hasn't seen much action on: modular housing.

     
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    LIRA Forecasts that Recovery is on Hold Until 2009

    The latest release of the Leading Indicator for Remodeling Activity has even the most optimistic industry observers down on the market's chances to bounce back soon.

     

COMMENTARY

LINDA CASE

MARK RICHARDSON

  • Educating clients about risks

    Over the years I have become a bit of a remodeling evangelist, speaking every chance I get not only to the industry but also to consumers. This self-appointed role is good for my ego, but my primary motivation is to fill the information void and correct misconceptions, as well as a genuine desire...

     

SHAWN MCCADDEN

  • Learning how to incorporate "green" into your business

    Remodelers can't escape the pressure to build green. It's a no-brainer that using natural and renewable materials and being better stewards of natural resources will reduce our impact on the environment and prove more cost-effective in the long run.

     

YOUR BUSINESS

Sales and Marketing

  • Web Extra: Subverting Sabotage

    This is a Web Extra for the article "Ears Burning?".

     
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    Building Lasting Impressions

    The punch list is complete, but don't be hurried in collecting that final check. Nor should you exit a sales call on a sour note, regardless of its conclusion.

     
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    Crank Up Online Buzz

    Countless consumers in your area are online right now. If even one is sounding off unhappily about your company, how do you know, much less respond, in a constructive way?

     

BOTTOM LINE

  • Improving your business system

    An uncertain economy is an excellent time to improve business systems. If you can't answer the following questions with “yes,” here are ideas for improvement.

     
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    Having a complete picture of budgets projects

    When John Gemmi of Gemmi Construction, in Doylestown, Pa., started sharing each project's financial information with his four lead carpenters and helping them to understand their contribution to the bottom line, the leads began to actively participate in controlling costs and decreasing slippage.

     

FIELD NOTES

  • Allowing Job Shadowing in Your Company

    High schools run rampant with aspiring dot-com billionaires and would-be pro athletes who will get a rude reality check in a few years. If you're proud of your work and processes and are interested in introducing students to careers that they can realistically get excited about, consider job...

     
  • Risky Bidness

    Strong safety record, high workers' comp premiums? Shop your policy around.

     
  • Checklist for making a pre-construction agreement

    Homeowners have plenty to worry about when they're living through a construction project, from mess and disruption to a complete loss of control over their house, money, and life. Of the many tools we use to lock in our clients' trust, one of the most important is the pre-construction checklist.

     

GOOD FORM

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    Tips on Setting Realistic Expectations

    For Steve Tinter, president of Cook Bros., a design/build remodeling company in Arlington, Va., “Good communication begins with setting realistic expectations.”

     

Ways + Means

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    Selling "green" remodeling

    How do remodelers actually sell “green” work when it costs more and the payback is in the future for the homeowner? —

     
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    Right on Schedule

    As his business grew, Marty Hogan, owner of Martin E. Hogan Corp., in Pittsford, N.Y., began to realize that there were only so many things he could keep in his head at once. “Even a trip to the store with more than three items required a written list,” he says

     
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    Gaining Insight from Outside the Industry

    You're out there doing your thing, working hard, running a remodeling business, and sometimes you forget — or maybe you just never envisioned — that you're an entrepreneur. Rather than reinvent the wheel as you encounter challenges, it's worthwhile to look to organizations and associations of...

     
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    Pinpointing areas of neglect in a project

    When Jeff Talmadge, owner of Talmadge Construction, in Aptos, Calif., participated in a “Circle of Ownership” exercise in which he had to draw a diagram of his work life, the picture took the shape of an ice cream cone (see diagram, right). “I was focusing too hard on one area to the detriment of...

     

KITCHEN AND BATH

DESIGN CLINIC

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    Designs for a handicapped accessible kitchen and bath

    At the Southern Ideal Home show — an annual venue where Peggy and David Mackowski market their remodeling company and highlight universal design ideas — a 60-year-old homeowner approached them about remodeling her house.

     

SPEC BOOK

PRODUCTS

FIRST LOOK

IN FOCUS

TRENDS

LAST WORD

Bench Mark

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    Sizing Up the Big50

    In 2007, the first full year of the housing downturn that continues to put a drag on the economy, many remodeling companies had a rough time. Not so, however, for most members of the Big50 Class of 2008. While those around them were experiencing revenue slides of 25% or more, most of this year's...

     

OTHER ARTICLES

  • Commentary: Green Your Own Planet First

    Remodelers can't escape the pressure to build green. It's a no-brainer that using natural and renewable materials and being better stewards of natural resources will reduce our impact on the environment and prove more cost-effective in the long run.

     
  • Exclusive Coverage: 2008 Remodeling Leadership Conference

    The Remodeling Leadership Conference -- REMODELING's annual summit of home improvement industry leaders that complements the induction of the new class of Big50 winners -- was held May 4-6 at the Ritz Carlton - Pentagon City, just outside Washington, D.C. This year's program was titled "The Color...

     
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    Defining what green building can mean for your business

    When it comes to defining what green building can mean for your business, Corinne Asturias, a consumer strategist for Minneapolis-based Iconoculture, told more than 250 remodelers at the Remodeling Leadership Conference that knowing how green your clients are will, in the long run, generate more...

     
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    Educating homeownders about green remodeling

    Carl Seville, a former remodeler and current consultant on sustainability, says that remodelers are facing the same challenges with green remodeling as they did with design/build remodeling. "We transformed design/build from 'what is that?' to one of the stronger ways to deliver remodeling services...

     
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    Remembering the Fundamentals of Green Marketing

    Outside of a very small minority of remodeling companies, green building practices represent a new frontier for the industry. While the design process, installation procedures, and overall mindset necessary to truly build green are indeed unique, it's important not to forget the basics when it...

     
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    Fundamentals of successful selling

    In his funny and provocative presentation, sales and leadership trainer Michael Hoffman underscored some fundamentals of successful selling that are just as applicable to green remodeling as to any other significant purchase. Phrased bluntly, "You don't know jack" about why individual homeowners...

     
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    Technical solutions to green remodeling and recycling

    Building scientist Terry Brennan is the crime scene investigator of the remodeling industry. He uses forensic analysis to solve vexing issues regarding mold, lead, heat loss, moisture, and general inefficiencies in existing buildings.

     
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    Panel discussion on green remodeling and practices

    For the hundreds of attendees at the Remodeling Leadership Conference, a successful event is all about networking and asking questions - and when it comes to green, boy, are there a lot of questions! With the conference theme of The Color of Money: Green and the Future of Remodeling, a three-member...

     
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    Remodeling at forefront of green building movement

    Van Jones has a grand vision of a revitalized American economy built around the burgeoning green building movement ? and he envisions the remodeling industry at the forefront of the charge.

     
  • Atrium Launches "Training Tuesdays" for Remodelers

    To provide a proactive solution for the challenging construction market and a value-added service for remodelers and building industry professionals, Atrium Companies, Inc., manufacturer of Atrium Windows and Doors-branded products, announced today that it will launch "Training Tuesdays," a series...

     
  • REMODELING May K+B Web Extra