To differentiate their business from other local remodelers, Tim Derr and Michael Wimberly created a full-service design/build company with a 4,000-square-foot showroom and design center. “Most clients are so busy with their personal lives and jobs,” Derr says, “they value having one company they can work with in sales, design, and project management.”
This one-stop shop includes an exterior and window and siding division as well as a flooring segment. The company can do everything from kitchen and bath remodels and additions to outdoor living projects. And because of MHR’s purchasing volume, competitors can’t compete on price.
• Located on a main artery in Houston, the company’s 20-foot sign and LED message board advertise to thousands driving by each day.
• MHR continued marketing, bringing on skilled staff, and investing in its showroom during the downturn.
• Little League sponsorships and community and charity events ensure a strong community presence, and a deal with a vendor lets MHR bring in chefs and hold cooking demos in its showroom for fundraisers.
• The company is putting together a referral partnership program with local Realtors and designers.
• All sales reps and designers use iPads; designers use AutoCAD and Chief Architect. TVs in the showroom feature before and after photos of MHR’s work.
• The company has a three-year warranty on all projects.
• Next up: a streamlined process of ready bath designs in eight themes that clients can choose from in showroom vignettes. “The bath program will allow us to be more scalable so we can grow our business faster,” Derr says.
