For 3 Generations Improvements, it’s all about the long game. Consider the company slogan: “It’s not just your home, it’s our legacy.” That legacy started in 1950 with Bob Owens, who worked his way up to vice president for Alsco. Then he started a new business, called Owens Western Building, with his son, Kurt. Next came Jeremy, who joined forces with his dad and granddad after realizing he wasn’t cut out for a corporate lifestyle.
Today, the Owens legacy continues as Kurt looks to retire. “That slogan is our marching orders, because we’re thinking of this business as something we want to hand off to one Jeremy or Logan's kids” he says.
The legacy isn’t just about the business; it’s also about how the business gets run. The Owens clan prides itself on running a no-nonsense professional company that customers can trust.
“There’s no negotiating. There’s no sales. There’s no funny discounts if you sign today,” Jeremy says. “It works more times than not, but if it doesn’t, that’s okay.”
That’s because 3 Generations is also building a sophisticated marketing and referral network. Every call is tracked to know where leads are coming from and to determine cost per lead and sale. A MarketSharp customer relationship management system creates automatic “drip” campaigns to nurture leads and keep the company front of mind. A generous referral reward program offers a $50 gift card for leads and $250 for leads that turn into sales.
“It’s way higher than our competitors, but this way, you just kind of kick that referral program into high gear,” Jeremy says. That approach seems to be working, as the company has grown steadily from $2.6 million annually in 2016 to an expected $3.4 million in 2018.
But it’s the family approach the Owens' credit most for their success, especially as remodelers begin taking customers for granted in these boom years.
“When people get busy, they don’t even care.” Jeremy says. “They think, ‘I’m busy for three months,’ and they don’t think about the long term. For us, it’s all about the long term.”
