As homeowners continue to demand more for their money and remodelers look for new revenue generators, Grand Mark Solutions is offering an option that could please both groups. Grand Mark’s interior door replacement technology and HomeStory brand have the company poised to capitalize on an untapped segment of the interior design market.
“Interior door replacement can quickly and easily change the visual appearance of the entire home, as opposed to remodeling a kitchen or bathroom, which is expensive and only changes one room,” says Grand Mark Solutions president Dave Winter. “What we’ve been able to accomplish with this technology changes the whole house with no mess. Instead of a renovation, it’s a redesign.”
Unlike complete door replacement, which can be a tricky and technical process, Grand Mark offers its Jamb-Scan technology, which captures the geometry of existing door frames and mills new doors to the jamb’s exact dimensions. The system can accommodate any type of door except steel. “Even if the jamb is bowed, the fit of the new door is great and has an even reveal all the way around,” Winter says. “The system also picks up locksets and hinges, so the hinges on the new door slide right into place.”
Because the process is automated, Winter says Grand Mark has eliminated much of the time and labor associated with door replacement. Installers don’t have to take the time to rip out jambs or plane doors on-site, and high-wage skilled labor is unnecessary. Winter estimates that replacing all the doors in a home could take as little as three hours with this process, compared to three days with traditional products and installation.
“The door market has never been able to offer a complete finished product before,” Winter says. “Now, we’re in the position of an industry, like flooring, that can offer a complete product with a big impact that’s valuable to both the consumer and the remodeler.”
|
|
|
|
Franchises Wanted
In gearing up to introduce door replacement as a remodeling option, Grand Mark Solutions has conducted demographic and psychographic research to identify its target customers. “It’s phenomenal what the consumer’s mind goes through when they’re considering an upgrade like this,” Winter says. “One of our research consultants said a few customers mentioned that when they had their doors replaced, it was like they hung new art throughout their home. That’s what excites me as we go to market.”
Of course, going to market means building a salesforce, and Grand Mark Solutions is eyeing remodelers as ideal candidates. “A remodeler is someone who appreciates the design and architecture in a home,” Winter says. “Remodelers who understand and appreciate that can take the opportunity to focus on a niche that is totally untapped.”
This year Grand Mark Solutions hopes to bring on a dozen HomeStory franchise dealers, followed by 25 more next year. Within five years, the company hopes to have upward of 125 dealers throughout the country. Winter says that some vendor customers have tried to market the service as an add-on or supplemental product, which hasn’t been successful. Instead, the company believes door replacement needs to be considered a primary channel in order to reach its full potential.
“Grand Mark is not just about the technology — it’s about creating an entire market with the right approach,” Winter says. “The right franchise dealers get to go to market with our technology, and they’ll get the credit for creating the market.”
—Lauren Hunter, associate editor, REMODELING.