A lot has changed over the nearly 60 years C&R Remodeling has been in business. What hasn’t changed is the family running it. Today, with its focus on kitchens and baths, C&R is beginning its third generation. President Beth Rhoades is applying her hospitality- and restaurant-management education and expertise in innovative ways.
Noting that 66% of clients are referrals or repeat business, she is doubling down on that demographic with a new monthly mail touch campaign that’s not your typical marketing. For example, in February, the company sent past customers a Valentine’s Day message with a gift card for artisan bread. May’s card came with a packet of wildflower seeds and the sentiment, “when they bloom, think of us.”
“It’s not an advertisement, but rather a reminder of the family they’re in and that we consider them a part of that,” Rhoades says.
C&R’s community involvement makes it clear that sentiment is more than just words. For the past decade, the company has supported the local Rotary club and other nonprofits that help families in need.
But more than good feelings are fueling the company’s steady growth. As C&R moves toward paperless fieldwork, Rhoades estimates the increased technological efficiencies have led to more than $500,000 in additional jobs—with fewer workers. “We went from a staff of eight lead carpenters to four and we’re producing as much as we did pre-recession,” she says.
