Andreas Apter began working construction jobs in high school, but it wasn’t until he attended a conference and heard Walt Stoeppelwerth predict remodeling would outpace new construction by the year 2000 that he chose to make remodeling his focus. Now almost all his work is full-service remodeling; 40% to 50% of it coming from architects.
• Networking with architects — dropping by to chat or to do lunch — keeps Apter Remodeling top-of-mind.
• Four years ago, Apter bought a foreclosed building and renovated it for his office, tripling the square footage.
• The building’s conference room contains product samples. Apter uses the samples, and a large-screen TV to browse the Internet to help clients focus their selections.
• To create his company’s employee manual, Apter purchased a manual from a legal website, then spent two months tailoring it to his company’s needs — asking staff for feedback before finalizing it.
• In 2012, the remodeler and his crew tackled a school addition, completing three months of work during the school’s two-month summer break. The key to success: thorough pre-construction planning. “We ‘built’ the job in our office before we started it,” he says. “We spent a month planning, prepping, ordering materials, and scheduling subcontractors. On the first day of construction, we hit the ground running and hit it hard.”
