Professional Remodeler articles from December 2005

Professional Remodeler archives from December 2005

Closet Systems.
December 1, 2005... By Kimberly Sweet, Editor More stuff requires more and better storage In a fall filled with hurricanes, Supreme Court nominations, avian flu warnings and war, both Time and Newsweek made room in their pages for an issue that affects...

Culture of Success.
December 1, 2005... By Michael R. Morris, Editor in Chief Alure's emphasis on hiring quality employees allows for controlled, sustainable growth When Sal Ferro, president of Plainview, N.Y.-based Alure Home Improvements Inc., sits down to interview a...

Franchising: Is It for You?
December 1, 2005... Doug Dwyer, Contributing Editor A franchised business is not right for everyone, and not everyone is right to be a franchisee. Why? Let me share two stories that I believe will help you determine the difference. The first story is...

Hiring Done Right.
December 1, 2005... Michael Morris, Editor in Chief One of the biggest concerns facing the remodeling industry as we close the books on 2005 and head into the new year is how to find, hire and retain top quality employees. In this issue, we explore several...

Building Community.
December 1, 2005... Staff Volunteering unites and inspires employees Bonding at home or Outward Bound? Sure, falling backward off a platform and hoping to be caught creates trust, camaraderie and shared experiences that foster teamwork. A company...

Perfect Strangers.
December 1, 2005... Mike Gorman, Contributing Editor My wife loves to entertain; the more the merrier. She can make fettuccine Alfredo with one hand while preparing flan with the other. An intimate dinner at our house may mean 10 people in the dining room...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2005... Staff Your article put into words, what our company has been pursuing since its inception. Defining gross profit Up until almost two years ago, I would give lump-sum bids and not account for if I brought in some part-time labor. I...

Light up the Lower Level.
December 1, 2005... Renee Young Transforming an unfinished basement into a bedroom suite and more Two years after moving into their new 4,000-plus-square-foot Colonial home, these homeowners installed a backyard swimming pool. To make a direct route...

Kitchen Conversion.
December 1, 2005... Kimberly Sweet How to get good looks for less Everything costs more in California, so doing a gut kitchen remodel for less than $50,000 is more of a challenge than you might think. Kent Eberle, CR, CKBR, owner of Eberle Remodeling, had...

Field Tools and Equipment.
December 1, 2005... Staff This is the time of the year for giving and getting gifts. Of course, it's also a good time of year to assess your firm's assets and inventory and see what needs to be replaced, restocked or supplemented. Either way, that means...

The Total Package.
December 1, 2005... Tom Swartz, Contributing Editor Competitive compensation strategies include performance-based incentives When you're trying to woo new employees or keep your current crew satisfied, don't start and stop with hourly wages and annual...

Improving the Odds.
December 1, 2005... By Wendy A. Jordan, Senior Contributing Editor Anticipating the worst allows Olsen Homes & Renovation to plan for the best Jim Adams and his wife, Shirley Layne, are pretty easy to please, but remodelers were letting them down. The...

Hot Kitchens And Cool Baths.
December 15, 2005... By Wendy A. Jordan Rising costs have affected remodeling, though not in the way you might think. Homeowners are eager as ever to remodel, but their priorities have been transformed. Investing in a large addition is not the automatic...

Alure Home Improvements.
December 15, 2005... Sal Ferro, President, East Meadow, N.Y. Total yearly sales : $40 million Headquartered on Long Island, Alure has been serving the New York City area for nearly 60 years. Currently it has one showroom on the island and one in...

Neil Kelly Company.
December 15, 2005... Tom Kelly, President, Portland, Ore. Total yearly sales : $19 million Neil Kelly has been serving the Portland and Vancouver, Wash., areas since 1947 and has two showrooms in Portland and one in Eugene, Ore. In addition to...

Airoom Architects & Builders.
December 15, 2005... Mike Klein, CEO, Lincolnwood, Ill. Total yearly sales : $80 million Founded in 1958, the design/build firm has a major showroom in Lincolnwood, Ill., with a branch office in Chicago's west suburbs. More locations are scheduled to open...

Modest Growth Expected in 2006.
December 15, 2005... By Wendy A. Jordan Bob Gallagher of Sun Design Remodeling Specialists in Burke, Va., has been riding the wave of the remodeling boom for the past several years and doesn't expect to hit the beach now. "I'm excited to go into the fourth...

Case Design/Remodeling Inc.
December 15, 2005... Mark Richardson, President, Bethesda, Md. Total yearly sales : $90 million Case Design/Remodeling has been serving the greater Washington, D.C., market for 44 years and has four area locations. Its handyman division was launched in...