Production

Ep.110: Providing Energy Audits with Larry Mayer

July 6, 2020 00:31:46

Energy, and more specifically energy efficiency, has been a critical issue for building and remodeling since the late 80’s and 90’s when the attention seemed focused on window size and glazing. Fast-forward to today where the discussion has advanced to green energy, solar and thousands of products focused on energy conservation and efficiency.

An important step in the process is to analyze the current situation with an Energy Audit, performed by a trained professional and perhaps build that into your service offering as a builder or remodeler. Some lenders are requiring it and in many municipalities, it is required for the resale of a residence.

Tim and Steve welcome Larry Mayer to the show to discuss the topic further. Larry is the Owner of Comfort Choice Homes in Fargo, ND, which he founded in 2001 after a successful career with Honeywell. In addition to home building and remodeling, Larry’s company provides Energy Audits to both the residential and commercial markets.

In this episode, Tim, Steve and Larry cover:

What an energy audit is and some background on the need for them
What is involved and what the tests are
Who is qualified to provide an energy audit
Why Builders and Remodelers should pay to have this done
The need for energy audits in different climates

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Ep.109: NARI Work Force Training with Michelle Glassburn & Asher Nichols

June 29, 2020 00:37:56

The skilled labor shortage is a challenge we hear far too often about in our industry. In many cases we have asked “What are you doing about it?” and for many, it has been very little.

It’s tough for business owners to take this on themselves because of the finances and resources needed to tackle the issue. It is refreshing to see the trade association stepping up and making a difference.

Tim attended a dinner meeting with the Eastern Mass NARI group a few months back and during that meeting he learned more about their work force development project.

Tim and Steve welcome Michelle Glassburn and Asher Nichols to the program to discuss the progress and success of their program.

Since 2013, Michelle Glassburn has served as Executive Director of the Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of NARI. The organization has created the Youth Remodeling Career Day event, a complement of programs that support vocational schools in the area, a mentorship program for emerging businesses.

Asher Nichols is the owner of Asher Nichols & Craftsmen, LLC in Newton, MA. He has been in business for 15 years, and is a member of the Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of NARI. For the past 2 years, he has worked with Michelle on the Youth Remodeling Career Day Event.

Ep.108: The Impact Your Production Team Has on Marketing with Spencer Powell

June 22, 2020 00:38:48

Raise your hand if you are a salesperson… Maybe a few business owners raised their hands, but most likely our production people and our Project managers, Lead carpenters, and Production managers all kept their hands down. Not so fast!

In this episode, we step out of our comfort zone a little and talk about the impact that your production teams have on sales and marketing. For this discussion, we bring in an expert in the marketing world, one who has worked with hundreds of remodelers and home builders all over the country; Spencer Powell.

Spencer is the President of Builder Funnel, a Colorado-based firm that focuses on providing sales and marketing services for homebuilders, remodelers & contractors. Spencer earned his Inbound Marketing, HubSpot, and HubSpot Partner Certifications in 2010, and has been practicing and teaching inbound marketing to businesses ever since.

Tim, Steve and Spencer talk more about:

The impact production has on the Client Experience
The Top 3 things that will create negatives in the clients’ mind
The Top 3 things that create a positive reaction with a client
How the production team can create vital content for the marketing effort
How owners and leaders can get buy-in from the team and show the impact they have on the business

Two Production Courses Coming up in July!

These sessions are bi-weekly and you can bring as many team members or managers that you need… and they are virtual so you can access them from the field. These classes will fill up fast and they are coming up in July so register soon!

Production Team Training:
This course has proven to be game changer for companies all over the country and will definitely raise the bar in your world. Click Here for More >>

Management Training:
Is your Production Manager struggling with managing a team of employees and trades? This course is designed for Production Managers and Owners , however is appropriate for anyone that is responsible for managing others in your company.
Click Here for More >>

Ep.107: Services Under One Roof with John Ploumitsakos

June 15, 2020 00:36:19

For a remodeling or general contracting firm, having trusted trade partners is critical. Often they can be the key to a successful project and overall experience for your clients.

Over the years, we have worked with several remodelers who have considered having a service, like plumbing and electric, as part of their service offering, to have more control over the quality of the end product.

In this episode, Tim and Steve welcome John Ploumitsakos, CEO of Modern Homestead and Homestead Plumbing and Electric in Boulder, CO.

After founding his remodeling business, John chose to add a plumbing and electric company. While they are different corporate entities, John and Tim discuss the advantages and challenges of running both companies under one roof.

Prior to founding Modern Homestead in 2018, John practiced law for five years and then spent 12 years working in senior leadership positions for technology companies such as Google and Twitter.

John added Homestead Plumbing and Electric in April 2019 and in its first year of operations, Homestead P&E went from a single plumber to two plumbers and two electricians, while maintaining a 5-star customer rating.

In this episode, Tim, Steve and John discuss:

The background of the decision to add Homestead P&E
How the two companies are structured
The challenges and opportunities of managing two companies under one roof
Exploring staffing and cultural differences between the two companies
How the COVID-19 crisis has effected operations
And more…

Two New Production Courses Coming in July!

With Tim taking time off from the road because of travel limitations, we’ve got the next best thing… Tim working with your production team online! We have 2 great courses coming up in July; One for your team, and one for your managers.

Production Team Training:
This course has proven to be game changer for companies all over the country and will definitely raise the bar in your world. Click Here for More >>

Ep.105: Solving the Skilled Labor Crisis with Clayton DeKorne

June 1, 2020 00:41:12

For the last decade (pre-COVID), the demand and lack of skilled labor may have slowed production and increased housing costs more than any other factor. This condition is not new to the U.S. housing industry; the nation faced similar conditions at the founding of the country, and the evolution of the U.S. education system and the building trades have contributed to our modern labor woes.

Is there a path that will lead us out of this? The answer
will depend on where the future of housing is going, which is any one’s guess
now. But, by exploring our past, we may be able to see more clearly what got us
here and help us avoid repeating past mistakes.

In this episode, Tim and Steve welcome Clayton DeKorne to the show to explore this topic further. Clayton is Chief Editor of the JLC Group for Hanley Wood, LLC. Clayton has been with JLC since it’s “early days” in 1988, joined Hanley Wood when JLC was acquired, and also was the founding education director for the JLC Live series of events held annually around the country.

Tim, Steve and Clayton address the skilled labor issue,
which includes:

The role technology plays in the future of our workforce.
How our colonial history can possibly transform the state of the industry today.
How income plays a role in how some choose a profession.
And more…

Get More From Tim Faller…

If you are not already subscribed, don’t miss Tim’s “From the Field” Monthly Newsletter. Tim shares his experiences from the road as he works with production teams across the US and Canada, gives you a glimpse behind the scenes as he scours the waters of New England for fish and lobster, and more. Don’t miss it; Click Here to Subscribe to “From the Field.”

Ep.103: Moisture Control with Bill Robinson

May 18, 2020 00:41:42

In this episode of the Tim Faller Show, Tim and Steve explore some of the more technical aspects of the remodeling and building industries. In this case, we take a closer look at moisture control and bring in an industry veteran and well-known speaker, Bill Robinson out of New Orleans, Louisiana.

Bill is a nationally known construction trainer and presenter. He has demonstrated the proper use of building products in many parts of the country and at dozens of trade shows. Bill’s overarching message is understanding, detailing, and managing the building envelope and you can learn more about him and his business here.

Free Webinar: Recovery 2020: Let’s Get Ready to Restart!

As the world battles through the COVID-19 Pandemic, one theme is constant throughout North America; “How do we Recover?” Every area is effected differently and each remodeling company must look at the next 6-8 months and plan accordingly.

This month’s webinar features Tim and Doug Howard, taking a closer look at positioning your business to succeed and hitting the ground running as we all emerge from this disruption in the market.

This webinar will be a dual-presentation; first Doug will address the business side and then Tim will handle the challenges faced on the production side. Click Here for More Information and Registration >>

Ep.100: A Conversation with Tim

April 27, 2020 00:37:06

Congratulations on Reaching 100 Episodes!

To celebrate this milestone, we’re changing up the format, turning the tables and featuring our Host, Tim Faller!

In this episode of the Tim Faller Show, Steve interviews his co-host and explores Tim’s background as a lead carpenter, business owner and his transition to a trusted advisor and sought-after industry “guru.”

Steve and Tim discuss:

Shifts in the industry, from 1-2 person operations to larger design/build firms we see today.
The birth of the lead carpenter system and its evolution.
Common issues and challenges that Tim sees in working with Remodelers in the US & Canada.
Finding good help and building an awesome production team.

A few items that Steve and Tim reference in this episode:

Ep.99: The Punch List as a Profit Center with Derek Stone

April 13, 2020 0:32:27

As he’s stated many times, Tim wants to see punch lists eliminated completely. The punch list can be an invitation for clients to find fault for remodelers. In new home building, there’s a part of the budget set aside to take care of the punch list. It can be a drain on profits.

Usually.

Derek Stone built a business, in part, by completing punch lists and warranty work for other building companies.

In this episode, Derek talks to Tim and Steve about a different side of the building business, and how his systems and training can help your remodeling company.

Derek is the CEO of Stone’s Repair and Remodel in Nashville, TN. Derek started his company as a one-man show in 2011. After working 80 hours a week, for three years, and missing his family, he learned the principle of leverage. He hired his first subcontractor, and within the next nine months, he hired 10. In 2017, he had over 28 subs punching houses for 14 different builders. In those three short years, he went from $68,000 in revenue to 1.2 million.

About 60 percent of Derek’s business is punch list and warranty work, primarily for new tract home builders. His company also does pressure washing and screen enclosures. He says he’s personally done about 7,000 houses himself. He contracts with local building companies to complete the work. Derek talks about his slice of the building and remodeling business, as well as his approach to systems and training, including:

How long it takes
Scheduling his subcontractors
What he learned from Chik-fil-A
Creating replicable systems
Training for skill sets
Maximizing efficiency
Working strategically with partners
His profit-sharing plan
And more …

If you or your team would like to see examples of his training approach for his sub-contractors, Derek has videos on his YouTube channel.

Did You Miss Build Aid?

Did you miss it? Thousands of remodelers, builders and industry professionals attended the Live, two-day virtual conference and got to hear 20+ speakers share tips, advice and strategies on “surviving and thriving” during these challenging times…

But we have Good News… We are keeping the Virtual Event Center open for a few weeks so you can access the recorded sessions and visit with the sponsors and partners that made it all possible. Visit https://buildaid.live/ to learn more.

Ep.98: [Back-Up] Getting Selections Done Before the Job Starts with Tanya Donahue

March 30, 2020 00:36:45

Editor’s note: We’re all working remotely, away from the podcasting studio, so we’ve dug into the virtual vault to bring you this episode. With so many projects on hold due to Covid-19 emergency orders, take some time to get your systems and processes ready for better days.

Developing a system that makes your kitchen and bath jobs more profitable has to include getting those all-important selections done early in the process — before the job even starts.

Tim does a session on this, and it’s based on what he learned from Rhode Island Kitchen & Bath, in Warwick, RI.

In this episode, Tanya Donahue discusses that process with Tim and Steve, and why it results in exceptional client experiences, and make everyone in the company happy and more productive.

Tanya is the president of Rhode Island Kitchen and Bath, and provides her team and her clients with proven strategic capabilities, backed by her strong record of success. She’s spent more than 25 years in the home building and remodeling industry, and her main focus is to create, communicate, and implement the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction. Tanya is a member of the Rhode Island Builders Association, served as co-chair of the Remodeler’s Committee and is a former member of the board of directors. She was selected as a 2017 Industry panelist for Harvard University’s Joint Center on Housing Studies, and was a judge of the 2018 National Qualified Remodeler Design Awards. She was also the recipient of the 2017 ProRemodeler Extreme Sales Award.

At the company, when a job packet goes to production from sales, it has every selection made, right down to the color and manufacturer of the caulk to be used. So much money is lost when something is missing on the job. If your company isn’t doing it this way, Tanya says, it may seem overwhelming, but she tells you how to get your organization on board with making selections before the job starts, including:

Making the client the boss, sort of
Getting buy-in from sales and design
How it increases productivity in design and sales
Including photos in the job packet for easy identification on site
Starting with the must-haves
Controlling the client through education in the process
Figuring out how clients make decisions
Why cabinets can drive their start date
Starting with a reservation form, and using it as a reality check on the schedule
The power of the visual production board
How to do it without a showroom
And more …

Integrating sales and production in a continuous communication loop from start to finish is key to the whole process.

Don’t Miss Build Aid on April 1-2…

We want to give back to an industry that has supported us through good times and bad, and so we’ve created Build Aid, a FREE, two-day virtual event to help support our members, associates, and friends in the remodeling community.

Join us on April 1-2 as we explore various ways your business can navigate these tough times, and position yourselves as a leader when the world begins to recover and re-build. Click Here for more information & registration

Ep.97: Getting a Handle On Training with Chris Peterson

March 23, 2020 00:24:29

Training to help move team members up the ladder is important to any remodeling company and its ability to move fast and make money.

Chris Peterson has seen the importance of training from his first days in the field as a carpenter through to his present leadership position. He says it’s a concrete way to coach and promote great people from the ground up.

In this episode, Chris explains his company’s training methods to Tim and Steve, and shows you how to create your own education program.

Chris is a co-owner and vice-president of production at Schloegel Design Remodel in Kansas City, MO. Chris has been with the company for more than 23 years. He started in the field as a carpenter and progressed to lead carpenter, project manager, and production manager. In 2018, he purchased the business with his partner, Charlie Schloegel. He’s seen the need for better training from many angles.

There’s a real connection between emphasizing training and successful financial growth, says Chris. His company has started Schloegel University, which is in its initial growth phase. Some of the training is after hours on a volunteer basis, and there are mandatory meetings. Chris explains why making it cross-functional with classes that include field and office staff is important, as well as:

Reactionary vs. proactive training
Explaining how quality ties into profitability
How much to spend on training
Structuring a training program
Understanding education is already happening
Setting standards so things are done the same way, every time
Putting the responsibility on the learner
Creating enthusiasm around the process
And more …

Dedicating the time to training, even if it’s informal, will help your people be successful, leading to better quality and more jobs for your company, says Chris.