Contractor Nation | Home Improvement Contractor Coaching, Marketing, Sales Training

Larry Janesky and Contractor Nation See Even Greater Success in Atlanta

2021-05-13T13:56:10.05Z

SEYMOUR, CT -- For more than 30 years, contractor and entrepreneur Larry Janesky has proudly served homeowners in Atlanta. He’s worked behind the scenes, developing the best products and systems in the basement waterproofing, crawl space and foundation repair industry that were installed in Atlanta homes through his national network.

Now, Janesky and Contractor Nation will work directly with homeowners in Atlanta and serve them even better.

Contractor Nation is proud to announce the opening of Atlanta Basement Systems, a provider of basement waterproofing, crawl space repair, foundation repair, basement finishing and other home services.

“We will become the provider of choice for these services to homeowners in the Atlanta area,” said Janesky, Founder and CEO of Contractor Nation, the original and most successful network of home improvement and home services contractors.

Atlanta Basement Systems will operate from 33,000 square feet of new office and warehouse space in Alpharetta, GA and serve homeowners across the Metro Atlanta area.

Josh Sulfridge, one of the strongest leaders in the Contractor Nation network, has been named General Manager of Atlanta Basement Systems. Sulfridge was most recently general manager of Contractor Nation’s Knoxville, TN operation, Master Services. Under Sulfridge’s leadership, Master Services saw revenue surge in 2020 while adding new services including roofing, gutters and junk removal.

“I’m already building our team and I look forward to leading them so they can serve the homeowners of Atlanta better than they’ve ever been served before,” Sulfridge said.

Atlanta is the 15th and latest partnership company for Contractor Nation. “We have a long history of building successful contractors all over North America in a wide variety of services,” Janesky said. “We’re contractors who are in business for the right reasons. We are the originals, and we have the recipe for success.”

To learn more about Atlanta Basement Systems, go here.

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Contractor Nation is the original and most successful network for home improvement services contractors in North America. Larry Janesky started in the home improvement and home services industry 33 years ago when he founded Connecticut Basement Systems, a basement waterproofing company, which has since expanded into basement finishing, crawl space retrofits and other services. Since then, the company has significantly expanded and become the state’s dominant provider, performing work in more than 85,000 homes. In 1990, while still running Connecticut Basement Systems, Janesky launched networks for basement waterproofing, crawl space repair, and structural repair. These networks, as well as other companies, have become part of the Contractor Nation network, which is committed to creating even greater success for home improvement and home service businesses across North America. Click here to visit the Contractor Nation website.

The businesses and networks in Contractor Nation include Basement Systems, CleanSpace, Total Basement Finishing, Dr. Energy Saver, Attic Systems, Treehouse Internet Group, The School of Entrepreneurship, MoreHouse Finance, Supportworks, National Radon Defense, Klaus Roofing Systems, Gutter Shutter and The Junkluggers.

Contractor Nation Inks Deal with North Carolina Partner, Expands Footprint in the South

2021-03-02T10:53:37.05Z

SEYMOUR, CT – Contractor Nation has acquired one of its highest-performing dealerships, expanding its presence in the Southern United States and strengthening its position as the original and leading network of home services contractors in the country.

Contractor Nation has acquired Southeast Foundation & Crawl Space Repair of Clinton, NC, an award-winning provider of home improvement services, and plans to enlarge Southeast’s service offerings to include roofing and the Gutter Shutter gutter system.

“Southeast has been providing the highest quality products and services to homeowners in its service area for years and this will continue,” said Contractor Nation Founder and CEO Larry Janesky. “We’re going to accelerate growth of the business so we can serve even more homeowners, create more jobs and have an even bigger economic impact on the community.”

Southeast President and Founder Christopher Reeves, who has been a member of the Contractor Nation network since 2010, called the deal “the right thing to do.”

“Passing the baton to Larry and the Contractor Nation team is a great decision for me, my family, my team and the community,” Reeves said. “Contractor Nation helped me create this successful business and I know they will create even more success now for others.”

Southeast provides foundation and crawl space repair, basement waterproofing services, concrete leveling and humidity control. Learn more about the company here.

Contractor Nation is the original and most successful network for home services contractors in North America. Larry Janesky started in the home improvement and home services industry 33 years ago when he founded Connecticut Basement Systems, a basement waterproofing company, which has since expanded into basement finishing, crawl space retrofits and other services. Since then, the company has significantly expanded and become the state’s dominant provider, performing work in more than 85,000 homes. In 1990, while still running Connecticut Basement Systems, Janesky launched networks for basement waterproofing, crawl space repair, and structural repair. These networks, as well as other companies, have become part of the Contractor Nation network, which is committed to creating even greater success for home improvement and home service businesses across North America.

Contractor Nation Sees Garden State Growth In Latest Dealer Partnership

2021-02-18T14:04:31.05Z

SEYMOUR, CT – Contractor Nation has partnered with New Jersey-based Quality 1st Basement Systems, the leading provider of basement, crawl space and foundation repair in central and northern New Jersey, and plans to help the company accelerate its growth through existing and new services.

Quality 1st has been in business since 1986, and joined the Contractor Nation network in 2001. Owner Tom Roman and General Manager Bob Cherry lead a team of more than 50 employees at their Cliffwood, NJ headquarters.

“We are looking forward to partnering with Tom and Bob, and the rest of the great team that they've assembled in New Jersey to grow the company to new heights,” said Larry Janesky, CEO and Founder of Contractor Nation. “We’re very excited about the growth opportunities.”

Quality 1st provides basement waterproofing, foundation repair, crawl space repair, moisture control, and concrete leveling to over 400 towns and cities in central and northern New Jersey. The company recently expanded their services to include roofing and gutters.

“Quality 1st Basement Systems has been working with Contractor Nation for many years now, and a formal partnership only helps strengthen our team and our ability to service our customers today and many years to come,” said Tom Roman. “Contractor Nation has been the mentor to our company that most home services companies need. Having them partner with us is an honor and also a testament to their dedication in helping us.”

“Our mission at Quality 1st Basement Systems is, ‘Being relentless in the pursuit of constant improvement for our team and our customers,’” said Bob Cherry. “A partnership with Contractor nation, our trusted friends and mentors, is following the very mission we live every day, which is an improvement for our team and our customers.”

To learn more about Quality 1st, go here.

Contractor Nation Partners with Longtime Buffalo Dealership; Accelerated Growth on Tap

2021-02-11T13:45:52.05Z

Seymour, CT—Contractor Nation’s national expansion continues as the company has finalized its latest dealer partnership, setting the stage for accelerated growth and higher performance for another company in its network of home improvement and home services contractors.

Contractor Nation has partnered with Frank’s Basement Systems, of Tonawanda, NY, which has been providing basement waterproofing, foundation and crawl space repair and plumbing services for more than 35 years.

“Frank’s has been doing great work for a long time but there are so many more homeowners to serve in the Buffalo area and we’re excited to help them do that,” said Contractor Nation Founder and CEO Larry Janesky. “We’re going to continue what’s being done well then add Contractor Nation’s established and proven practices so we can grow faster and take even better care of Frank’s customers and employees.”

Contractor Nation has not wasted any time implementing its growth plan - a new headquarters building in Tonawanda has been purchased and Frank’s has already moved into it, taking Frank’s from a 16,000-square foot campus to a 60,000-square foot one.

“This move is beneficial for the operations of our business, and we are so grateful that we are able to make this move to help provide the best facility for our employees who make this company what it is,” said Owner and Founder Frank DiMaria. “We love the growth and improvement mindset that Contractor Nation brings to our company - it’s a win for our customers and employees.”

In addition to the new space, Frank’s Basement Systems has been hiring across all departments, adding managers and employees to keep up with demand for services and oversee its growth. Former Sales Manager Frank DiMaria, Jr. has been named General Manager of the operation. To learn more about Frank’s, go here.

Service: The Guardian of Your Reputation

2020-03-16T00:00:00.05Z

The phone is ringing – how will your company answer?

A customer has a complaint and they’re calling to see what we're going to do about it. This is an opportunity. Are we going to give the same great service that we did before we had their money? Are we going to show up and stand behind what we promised in the first place? This is a test, another step in the journey of the Customer’s Experience of our company.

Handle it wrong and you've turned a satisfied customer into an unhappy customer. Unhappy customers complain about your business – to their friends and family; and on the internet, for the whole world to see. Handle it right and a service opportunity often turns into selling more work to the same customer, or even a referral. Just like a new lead, you have an opportunity.

In a previous entry we talked about turning Service into a Profit Center by envisioning and creating an Annual Maintenance Program to promote Lifetime Customer Ownership. That’s a proactive approach. This article is about Responsive Service calls.

Fix it Fast. Fix it Today.

Get someone out there as quickly as possible and fix the problem right away – the right way.

You can’t fix a problem with good intentions alone, that means your Service Technician needs to do the work right. The customer is watching how you handle the situation with a microscope. If you don’t get it right, tension goes up pretty quickly.

The customer – and your company – want a quick and satisfying resolution, so if the service was scheduled for today, it gets fixed today. That means if the guy you have out there doesn’t know how to fix the problem they encounter, send someone who can to help him.

You don’t want a case where the customer sits at the dinner table that night and talks about their disappointment:

“Yes, they did come, honey. But the guy they sent here was confused and couldn’t figure it out. He left and said that the office would call tomorrow to try to set another appointment.”

“Well why did they send someone who doesn’t know what they are doing? We paid a lot of money and we have to have the problem fixed!”

You aren’t going to get referrals that way.

Handle it right and there might be a very different conversation around the dinner table:

“Did they come to fix the problem today honey?”

“Yes, they did. The guy checked it out and came back later with another guy, but it’s all fixed!”

“Great. I knew they were a good company!”

Your reputation is protected.

The day’s work is not done unless all the service calls scheduled are completed and each customer is happy. What are you doing to guard your reputation?

See you soon.

Hiring: The Talent Scout

2020-03-09T00:00:00.05Z

Let’s get some new blood in here.

Professional sports teams are always looking for new talent. If they can get an ace pitcher into the rotation, they send the journeyman on to pursue excellence elsewhere. If they find there’s a better point guard available, they go after them. They have an Always Hiring Mindset.

Why? If you follow baseball season enough you’ll understand. Team X’s pitching gets them into the late innings but they consistently don’t have the relief pitchers to seal the deal. Team Y has good hitting – at the front of the order. After that, they can’t buy a hit. Or take football. Your team’s defense smothers your opponents, forcing punt after punt, turnover upon turnover. But when you have the ball, well…let’s just say most of your games are pretty low-scoring for both teams.

That’s why the talent scouts are out there at every opportunity, radar guns in hand, taking notes, working the numbers, working toward the Dream Team. It’s a competitive market for the best talent, but these guys believe in their team and they want to win. The same holds true for the most successful home improvement, home repair businesses. That means the only reason to keep low performers onboard your team is if you haven’t actively been searching for someone who can do the job better.

Why is it so critical to get the wrong people out and the right people in? It’s simple really, remember what we said about your weaknesses becoming the ceiling of your growth? Poor hiring is an organizational weakness that needs fixing and great hiring isn’t just the cure for what ails us – it’s rocket fuel for our business:

Great talent helps you move forward faster than any other factor.

Poor talent is the greatest detriment to your growth.

Be Always Hiring, Always Growing

Chances are you have some employees that you would not hire over again. So how fast can you get someone to replace them? Now that doesn’t mean just hire anybody, we don’t want to act rashly and hire the wrong person (remember our goal isn’t just to hire a replacement it's also to fix a Poor Hiring choice – let’s not hire poorly again and just hope for the best with the new guy).

We need a hiring process that is going to seek out and attract new talent, screen potential candidates with patient care, and onboard them well after everyone on our existing team says “Hell yeah!” to their future team mate.

Are we only hiring when we’re fixing a problem? No. If the best people make the best teams that make the best businesses, why wouldn’t you always be on the look out for new talent? Just like professional sports teams, if we adopt an Always Hiring Mindset, we’ll be on the lookout for opportunities to elevate our game. We become the Talent Scout, working toward the Dream Team.

If you’re the Leader Who Others Follow, sharing the vision with your people and leading them onward, you’re going to attract the best people. And those high-quality people are going to create a high-quality business that other rising stars want to hitch their wagon to.

Sound like a good enough reason to always be hiring? See you soon.

Leadership: Fostering Great Teamwork

2020-03-02T00:00:00.05Z

“Are we winning?”

That’s a pretty easy question to answer if you’re the coach of a sports team. Indeed, any player can glance up at the scoreboard and see how things are going for themselves. It helps that everyone is playing in a very simple environment under very specific circumstances: we’ve all come here for x hours to watch the Blue Team play the Red Team, and the one with the highest score at the final buzzer is the winner. Easy.

Business is a different animal – but the question still remains “Are we winning?”

The thing is – for our home improvement, home service business – it’s not so easy most of the time for the 'players' to find out what the score is. There’s no great, big flashy display hanging from the rafters of the auditorium shouting out “Your team is down by 10 points with 40 minutes left in regulation – so get on with orchestrating your comeback!” or “It’s the 5th inning and we’re down by 4 runs, so we need to change our approach at the plate.” In fact, even the leader might not have a clue which way things are going.

The Leader who has done an Honest Assessment of where their business stands, and then drawn out ambitious but achievable goals and created a plan to reach them, can see better than anyone else how things are going. They are the one best able to best answer the question “Are we winning?” As Team-Builder-in-Chief they’re hard at work assembling the team whose combined efforts can close the gap between where the business is today and where it could be tomorrow: the Promised Land.

The challenge becomes: That big picture is all in the Leader’s head. How can you make your vision the vision of the team and foster the kind of teamwork needed to make it work? This is a larger conversation, which we’ll attack at the foundational level. Where does Great Teamwork start? Leadership.

We talked about being the Leader that Others Follow before but this point cannot be overstated. The success of the team rises and falls on leadership. The leader must be committed to the success of the team and each of its members. This is something that can’t be faked – and the team knows when it’s there. This kind of leader inspires a shared vision, gives stability to team, promotes harmony, gets people to want to work together, enables and empowers others, models the way, challenges the process, and encourages the heart. That’s a lot – let’s unpack that first piece here.

Inspiring a Shared Vision

Shared Values – these define a team. “Who are we?” “Why are we here?” “What do we do?” “How do we do it?” The answers to these questions give an identity to your team. Randomness in identity leads to randomness in effort. That means you want to be intentional. What’s your Company Story? Do you have a company Vision, Mission, and Values?

Clear Goals – a goal is a compass for the team. It determines which direction is the right one, and which direction is not. If you don’t have a goal, there is no reason to have a team. With a goal you can go somewhere, and without a goal you can’t go anywhere. Goals are also landmarks along the way, they mark progress and meeting them gives reason to celebrate. Put goals in front of your team that flow from their shared values and they’ll go after them.

Are you winning? What are you doing to foster great teamwork in your business? What could you be doing?

See you soon.

Leadership: Team-Builder-in-Chief

2020-02-26T00:00:00.05Z

The lone wolf. The high plains drifter. The one-man army.

Is that so different from what we say about the entrepreneur, this vision of one man against the world? The independent pioneer cutting new trail. The master of your own destiny, coming up with solutions to every problem out there in the wilderness – alone. Sounds about right. Well, maybe at first.

Loners work alone, they’re independent. But in home improvement, home service one of two things often happen to loners:

1) There are so many things to do that we can’t possibly be good at all of them at once or

2) We need to do things we are not good at, and those become our limiting factors.

Can an installer or technician do his job well if he has to answer the phone and help people every time it rings? Can an accountant do their job well if they have to run leads and sell jobs? Can a salesperson do their job well if they have to do the marketing or run service calls also?

Take it further: imagine if you had to do all the work, every step in the Business Machine (maybe that’s what you’re essentially doing now). First, you have to do the marketing to get leads. Then you have to be there to answer the call when it comes and set an appointment. Then you have to sell the job and prepare all of the paperwork and work with a finance company. Then you have to schedule the job for a definite date to get it done. Then you have to get all the materials together and go out with your equipment and install the job. Then you have to do the accounting and pay the bills, and be there to service the job forever.

That’s a lot on one plate. Maybe you can handle it for a while, but what happens if you get sick? Or hurt? Or just plain burned out? There’s not much margin for success in a one-man-show, if the one man doesn’t show up. Doing things ourselves is a recipe for failure, frustration, burnout, and letting our customers down.

Teamwork is the answer.

Divide the Work – Magnify the Effect

Humans are interdependent social beings. We all have different strengths and talents, but no matter how talented we are in one or two areas, we are weak in others. As leaders, we need to hire people to fulfill the needs of the organization. But we’re not just hiring individuals, we’re hiring team members. As leader, a big part of your job is Team-Builder-in-Chief: you build teams that collaborate to get things done well.

The Business Machine model we use at Contractor Nation encourages each team member to specialize. Team members who specialize in what they do best, can stay in their strength zone all day and not have to worry about things they are not good at, don’t have time for or don’t know how to do. However, when we have teams of specialists, they need to work together. Specialists are interdependent with other specialists.

That’s another key component of being Team-Builder-in-Chief: you have to foster great teamwork amongst the people that you hire. (We’ll talk about that more, in our next blog entry.)

Are you the lone wolf? Do you have a company of individuals that aren’t quite a team yet? Or are you the Team-Builder-in-Chief, hiring and training your people to be the great team?

See you soon.

Leadership: It's Not Rocket Science

2020-02-17T00:00:00.05Z

Complexity is your enemy.

When bureaucrats have a problem, they add a step, an inspection, a manager, an employee, a checkbox, a form, a process, or a manual. Now that isn’t to say there isn’t a time for adding, but if that’s your go-to tool, adding winds up making an organization cumbersome, slow and difficult to work in.

Real genius is solving problems by taking things away: removing bad attitudes, ending gossip, focusing your services, and getting rid of unnecessary steps and burdens. (Remember Diamond Cutting and The Editor-in-Chief?)

A home improvement, home service business might have a lot of moving parts but that doesn’t mean it has to be complicated.

The more complexity you introduce, the greater the chance things will get out of control. Keep it simple. Diversifying makes the business more complex, although it may be necessary. As you grow, you may create too many departments or management positions, or take on more overhead. You may not make any money. You may have people who become disengaged or aimless and pollute the rest.

So if Complexity is the enemy. Does that mean that Simplicity is our ally? Absolutely.

Contractor Nation believes in simple ideas, ruthlessly executed. That mindset is woven into the DNA of everything that we do. Our School of Entrepreneurship program represents the core knowledge that successful contractors can use to build an even more successful business. These are ideas that we’ve gathered and tested for decades. But it’s not rocket science.

These ideas are ‘Doable’ (If anyone can do it, then anyone can do it – right?). And ‘Scalable’.

That’s the powerful truth about simple ideas: they scale. That means that they can be taught and implemented, whatever the size of your business. What do I mean? What about a simple 8-Step Sales process that anyone can learn? Or a program for handling calls and scheduling appointments better? Or a functional model that works for any business at any size?

Is your business simple enough? Have you made it more complicated than it needs to be? Are you taking advantage of the ideas that Contractor Nation is offering?

See you soon.

Leadership: Fix Your Organization

2020-02-10T00:00:00.05Z

Problems roll uphill.

Last week we talked about what’s involved in being the leader that others will follow. A big part of that was taking Responsibility: owning our own personal weaknesses and then determining to become the caliber of person that others put their trust in. Well, where else can you take responsibility for problems and set about fixing them? You know where I’m going with this: your business.

How much of what’s wrong with your business is your responsibility though? Let’s take a sampling of key problems that might need fixing:

1. Poor hiring.

2. Marketing isn’t good – not enough leads.

3. In Sales, ADL (Average Dollar per Lead) is too low.

4. Production rates or quality is low.

5. Facility is too small or depressing.

If you have these kinds of problems and no one is fixing them, who are you expecting to fix them? It’s your business, right? That makes these kinds of problems, your business problems – right? If there’s something wrong in your business, don’t expect someone else to fix it (unless, of course, you get/hire someone else who can fix it).

As the leader, you are the one responsible for fixing your organization’s weaknesses. That’s the job. You can provide systems and processes, lay out a plan of training, empower managers to make things right – but the fixing is going to start with you. That means you need to show leadership and courage.

Just how important is it for you to fix your organization’s problems? Very.

Let’s draw an analogy:

You’ve got a high-performance car. The wheels may be fine at 60 mph, but the car shakes at 120 mph. The intake manifold and valves were good until you hit 100 mph – now they just can’t let enough air into the engine. The transmission was fine when we were going slower – now we need another gear. If you want your car to perform at its fullest potential, you’re going to need to fix its weaknesses.

In your home improvement, home service business it’s your strengths that have brought you this far. But it’s your company’s weaknesses that set the height of its success. It’s up to you to remove the constraints on your business, so that it can perform at its potential.

You need to tune up your car so that it can take 120 mph without breaking a sweet. You want that machine to purr.

Do you have key constraints that are holding your business back? What are they? Can you name one now? And what are you going to do about it?

See you soon.

Revolution in Aisle 5: Connecticut Entrepreneurs Transform Former Sears Store

2020-02-03T15:39:11.05Z

WINDHAM, Conn. - Hundreds of Sears stores have closed across the country in the past few years, including several in Connecticut.

That’s a lot of empty storefronts to fill. Tear them down? Break them into smaller shops? Let them sit idle and fall into disrepair?

A Connecticut entrepreneur had a better idea. Klaus Larsen looked at the shuttered Sears Hardware store in Windham and saw a space that could serve as headquarters for a revolution.

“We are going to transform the roofing industry,” Larsen said. “We are ready to do what no one has ever done before.”

Larsen and partner Larry Janesky, founder and CEO of Seymour-based Contractor Nation and Connecticut Basement Systems, have launched Klaus Roofing Systems, a network of roofing contractors committed to delivering the highest quality products and unforgettable experiences for their customers.

The Klaus Roofing Systems headquarters officially opens on Tuesday, Feb. 4. The building will be open to the public for tours from 4p to 7p, and guests will have the opportunity to meet Larsen and Janesky. Where there once were Kenmore washing machines and Craftsman tool boxes, there are now modern offices, a 400-seat auditorium and a two-story home - inside the building.

“There’s no other building like this anywhere,” said Larsen. “We have built a training center that will attract roofing contractors from across the country. A house inside a building ... are you kidding me?”

Larsen and Janesky are intent on building a business that’s going to create a greater level of success for the contractors through a relentless commitment to training.

“For years, roofing manufacturers have focused on product sales,” said Janesky. “We’re focused on building businesses - we put the contractor first. We train the owner how to be an excellent leader and we train their people on how to deliver the highest quality for homeowners.”

Klaus Roofing Systems is part of the Contractor Nation network of home improvement and home services companies. Other businesses and networks in Contractor Nation include Basement Systems, CleanSpace, Total Basement Finishing, Dr. Energy Saver, Attic Systems, Treehouse Internet Group, The School of Entrepreneurship, MoreHouse Finance, Supportworks, National Radon Defense and Junkluggers.

For more information or to schedule an interview with Larry Janesky or Klaus Larsen, please contact Tom Matthews, National Marketing Director, at 203.517.5435 or tmatthews@contractornation.com.

The Entrepreneur's Path: The Leader's Responsibility

2020-05-04T00:00:00.05Z

Be the leader others will follow.

Will they follow you up the mountain? Will they follow you into the valley? Desire, goals, and planning are critical for building a home improvement, home repair business that thrives. But you’re not going to make it far if you can’t lead people well.

So, just how are you showing up to your people now? To answer that question will require Honest Self-Assessment and soul-searching – but also willingness to ask your people for their unvarnished opinion. Some of those questions may unearth some uncomfortable truths: “Some of the guys left because they said you’re unpredictable,” “You can be mean when things aren’t going your way,” “What you did, it was kinda hypocritical.”

No one likes to hear that kind of stuff. But when it’s true and you’re not hearing it, how are you going to change?

The first time you discover that you’ve got a weakness that hurts your business, it can be crushing – but it becomes empowering if you look at it the right way. If something you’re doing is causing a problem, then it’s your responsibility. Think about that word: response-ability. You are the one who is able to respond to that feedback and make things better.

Yeah, it made you uncomfortable to hear, but do you want to remain comfortable in your mess? No! Entrepreneurs thrive on getting way, WAY uncomfortable. It’s how we grow.

And this is an area that you’re going to need to grow in if you want to have a great business.

People are watching you all the time, even how you run your personal life. Mistakes can be made after hours, at parties, in bars, on the internet and on the weekends. Leadership doesn’t end at 5:00pm.

We all judge ourselves based on our intentions, but we judge others by their actions. That’s how your people are judging you. They’re making the calculation about whether they really want to stake their future with you or just stick around for the paycheck until they find a better gig.

How you communicate, what you communicate, and with what energy and intention all matter a lot. Good people don’t work for bad bosses – they leave. Bad people don’t work for good bosses, they wind up leaving – or being asked to ‘Change Teams’ – because they get held accountable.

So what's it going to take? What are some qualities people are looking for in a leader?

• Trustworthiness – People want to know they can trust what you say. They also want to know they can trust you with the company’s future. They know you own the place and can do anything you want. Earn their trust.

• Courage – People want to know you have the courage to confront and handle difficult situations that come up. They want to know you will protect the company and them.

• Caring – Perhaps most of all, people want to know you care about them. They want to know you have their backs and will protect them from threats.

Have other high-quality people responded to you as a leader they will follow? What do you need to do to become better?

Get uncomfortable. Make some changes. Be the leader others will follow.

See you soon.

The Entrepreneur's Path: To the Promised Land

2020-01-27T00:00:00.05Z

It all fits together.

The starting point of all achievement is desire. Back in October of last year, we started a journey with a declaration: “I’m going to start a business.” That declaration springs from the core mentality of an entrepreneur: We have the ability to create ourselves.

From there, we continued forward to sketch out the challenge and the hope of creating ourselves through starting a business: An entrepreneur spends the early part of their career being desperately underpaid, so that if they get it right, they can spend the rest of their career being wildly overpaid.

In that statement is the hinge on which this home improvement entrepreneur thing swings: If you get it right. How are we going to ‘Get it right’? We’re home improvement, home repair, home service contractors – let’s treat it like something we know: Let’s look at our business like a Jobsite. First, we looked at the problem (where you are), then envisioned the solution (what you want), and finally we made a plan to get it done (how to get there).

After taking an Honest Self-Assessment, setting Clear Goals to pursue with Burning Desire, and drawing up a Plan to reach those goals, we set ourselves to work building our business: One Step at a Time.

To take on this task we followed the journey of a lead, the lifeblood of our company: our Great Brand empowers our Marketing, which generates leads that we convert into Appointments, our Salespeople turn those appointments into jobs sold, which Production then installs, and then – before we ride off into the sunset – we seek to turn that Satisfied Customer into a Lifetime Customer. Lastly, we touched on the numbers and how we should proceed with eyes open regarding our finances, so that we don’t crash the car that is our business.

With each step along a lead’s journey through our business, we made recommendations on how to think about and improve each function of your business, at a foundational level. Why? Because every step of a lead’s journey through our business is like a handoff in a relay race. The better we get at those handoffs, the more successful our business becomes and the closer we come to fulfilling our goals. Our eyes are on the prize.

That’s your job. The Leader’s job. You build the team that runs the race. You hire, train and equip your people to run, passing off the baton with a purpose: to win. You see the big picture and where this whole thing is going. You see the trees but you don’t miss the forest. You provide and sustain the vision for your business, so that you and your people can reach the Promised Land.

Just how important is it that the leader have the right kind of vision?

Let’s imagine another Jobsite:

A man sees workers on the jobsite. He asks the first, “What are you doing?”

“I’m toiling away in the hot sun mixing this mortar and moving these heavy bricks.”

He asks the next worker, “What are you doing?”

“I’m building a wall, 20 feet high, 70 feet long, and two feet thick.”

He asks a third worker, “What are you doing?”

“I’m building a great cathedral, where the people around here will worship for generations, where countless couples will be married, babies will be Baptized, and the fallen will be remembered.”

It all fits together. For a purpose.

See you soon.

Accounting: Your Spread

2020-04-27T00:00:00.05Z

Have you ever gone driving with your eyes closed?

Being so busy growing the company and not watching the numbers at all is like stepping on the gas and closing your eyes. You’re going somewhere but it might not end so well. Let’s extend out our illustration, assuming that you at least look at your financial statements: if you’re looking at your numbers only when you look at your financial statements, it’s like relying solely on the rearview mirror of the car – you find out what’s happened after the fact. Financial statements are like history books and we need to understand our history so that we can chart a better course today and into tomorrow.

But the rearview mirror isn't enough by itself. We need to go about growing our business with our eyes open and looking out the windshield. How? Well, lets talk about a bathtub.

What can a bathtub teach us about our financials?

Plenty actually. Let’s say the faucet is receivables (money customers owe you for work completed), the drain hole in the bottom of the tub is payables (bills that you’ve received but not paid yet), and the water in the tub is cash:

You’ll notice that in our illustration, the level of the water is labeled ‘Spread’. To calculate your Spread take

Cash + Receivables - Payables.

If the Spread gets high enough, you can take some money out of your company in the form of a “distribution to shareholder” – that’s the overflow drain. If the tub goes dry – meaning all the cash drains out – you’re out of business.

What’s the advantage of measuring your Spread and when should you do it? The first time you measure your Spread it won’t mean anything to you. Is what you see good or bad? Not easy to say, because it’s one data point. The power comes when you look at the Spread over time and start seeing patterns of change:

(5+ years of ABC Co’s Spread numbers)

The Spread is something you should measure at least once a month, and even twice a month in periods of change or crisis. It’s very easy to measure and understand. What’s the value? If you can see how your financial picture is going before it happens, then you can act and make adjustments before you get in financial trouble.

Ask your accountant to place the numbers in a line chart form, this way it is very easy to see the history and trend of each number. Try out using Your Spread to help you get better grasp on your finances.

Your Spread is an exercise in Contractor Nation’s School of Entrepreneurship program, the core knowledge of Contractor Nation. If you’re interested in learning more about this exercise or the program itself, please let us know.

See you soon.

Service: Make Service a Profit Center

2020-01-13T00:00:00.05Z

What’s done is done.

When the work is finished and the job is done, we pack up our tools, shake the homeowner’s hand (after collecting any outstanding balance for services rendered), and ride off into the sunset never to return. At least that’s what happens for many home improvement contractors (the story’s different for HVAC contractors and other service oriented businesses, but bear with me).

In our story that I’m sketching out, we’ve done everything right up till now: we’ve marketed ourselves well, set the appointment when the opportunity presented itself, sold the job that met the homeowner’s needs, installed the work with integrity and quality craftsmanship, and were paid as our just reward for a job well done – but what happens next? For many contractors this is the end of our relationship with this particular homeowner. That’s par for the course, just the way things are.

Time passes, the homeowner forgets who came and did the work for them or maybe the house is sold to someone new, someone who doesn’t know anything about the work that you did there (the average homeowner moves every seven years). But what if there’s an opportunity here that we’re breezing past because we just can’t imagine it?

Let’s give a name to that opportunity: Lifetime Customer Ownership.

What’s the cost of acquiring a new customer? Well, marketing dollars and reputation went into getting that customer. Since reputation is a tricky thing to measure let’s stick to marketing dollars. What is your allowable cost per lead? For the sake of this exercise, let’s say it’s $120. But that’s your cost per lead and not every lead turns into a sale. Let’s say one out of three does buy from you, so that's $120 x 3 or $360 in marketing cost. (Add in the cost of your marketing manager while you’re at it.) Point being: new customers are expensive to come by.

Now imagine a different end to the story. Instead of riding off into the sunset, what if we could find a way to never part ways with the customer? This is what we at Contractor Nation call the “Perennial” idea. Contact them once a year (or more) to schedule maintenance, service, inspections or about another service. Get in front of them, show you care about the continuing results they are getting from the work you did originally, maintain your relationship, and sell them something else when you can. That’s Lifetime Customer Ownership.

Remember, new customers are expensive to come by. What if you made even a fraction of those new customers into lifetime customers?

“But” – perhaps you interject – “can you develop an annual maintenance program around a trade that does not involve ‘live’ products or situations like HVAC, generators, landscaping, etc?” I say that you can – and it becomes even more impressive when you do.

What might Lifetime Customer Ownership look like for your business? Consider the Perennial idea and how it could impact the way you do things. You might realize – as I did – that Service can be a Profit Center. And a big one at that.

See you soon.

Production: The Value of Job Quality

2020-01-06T00:00:00.05Z

What’s the payoff?

We’ve been talking about the journey that a lead takes on its way through the various functions of your business. Marketing generates leads off the strength of your Great Brand, your Appointment Center turns those leads into sales appointments, your salespeople turn those appointments into work to be installed.

This is the ‘Work’ that most people think of when they think about a home improvement, home service contractor. The Work is what our customers care about most, the stuff they’re willing to pay you for with their hard-earned money. This is the Production function of your business. The business end of your business.

A while back in our ongoing conversation, we set an aspiration for Production to ‘Install More and Better’. So, how do we go about making said improvement a reality?

Let’s establish two broad categories:

1) Job Quality

2) Production Rates

We talked about Production Rates in a prior entry. For now, let’s start out with a sketch of what we mean by Job Quality: If you get customer complaints on a high percentage of your jobs or if your crews require lots of supervision to get things right, it will affect your reputation and hinder your business growth. And when you do grow, those problems will only multiply. You don’t want to grow a broken business.

What do I mean by ‘Broken Business’? If you have one production crew out on the road that’s making mistakes and needs a lot of supervision, what if you add another crew to your business? What’s going to prevent your second (or third crew) from having the same issues that your first has? That will cost you time, money, and reputation. Let’s not do it that way.

To grow an even more successful home improvement business, we’re going to want crews that can be sent out to jobsites without the owner’s personal supervision. That scales. But how do we accomplish this goal?

What if you could train and equip your crews so that they need less supervision and you get fewer complaints? What if the processes you teach one crew can easily be taught to any crew – standardized and scalable to handle any volume of leads turned into jobs sold? What if there was a way to reduce employee turnover so you’re not always replacing those experienced people that know what they’re doing?

These aren’t hypotheticals. This is what Contractor Nation dealers have done, using approaches employed across our networks. To add more quality crews to your Production Department you need strategy and processes, like those outlined in the School of Entrepreneurship exercises Wow! Foreman and The BOBR System:

(Please, check out our SOE program or a Member Program if you’re interested in learning more about these tools and others likes them.)

We’ll be talking more about how to improve the Production function of your business down the road, so stay tuned.

See you soon.

Sales: Measuring for Success

2019-12-30T00:00:00.05Z

Winning contractors are sales driven.

Having a team of salespeople out on the road selling each day is how we grow and scale our business. That means we:

1) Need a plan to build and train a team of salespeople that deliver consistent results and 2) Need a means of measuring the success of that team.

We’re going to talk more about building and training a great sales team down the road but, before we do, let’s start with that second item: How are we going to measure the success of our salespeople?

Total sales in dollars? That’s problematic because salespeople don’t work from the same number of leads, so you’re not getting a fair picture of how effective each one is.

What about closing ratio? That doesn’t take into account the size of the jobs. Maybe Skip closes fewer jobs than John but when he closes he brings in more money on average.

Well, then what about average sale? If John and Skip both had 50 leads and John’s average sale was $5000 and Skip’s was $4200, is John better? Measuring Average Sale size would say 'yes'. But what if we also took into account that Skip’s closing ratio was 42% and Johns was 29%? Skip sold $88,200 (50 X .42 X $4200) and John sold $72,500 (50 X .29 X $5000). Measuring average sale isn’t going to give us the clear picture we need.

Well, it would seem we have a measurement dilemma.

What’s the answer? Average Dollar per Lead or ADL.

How does it work? Well first off, we count every lead. This is the only way you can get accurate numbers to compare salespeople, compare your overall company progress, and understand your marketing costs correctly (remember every lead cost you marketing dollars). Let’s look at some numbers:

Anything stand out to you? The numbers tell some interesting stories but I’ll just point out a couple things here: Andrew brought in the most money, but he went through the most leads to make that happen. Sam didn’t get that many leads but when he got one, he did well with it.

What else can we say about this sales team? What about taking a closer look at the marketing cost for each salesman (divide cost per appointment by ADL):

Very interesting…

To set things right, you have to see things right. Having an effective means to measure the success of your salespeople is a critical piece for any home improvement, home repair contractor looking to take their business to even greater heights.

Try using ADL to measure your team’s effectiveness and see what results you get. Maybe you’ll be surprised.

See you soon.

Appointment Center: Leads into Appointments

2019-12-23T00:00:00.05Z

In a relay race, you’re only as strong as your weakest runner.

A home improvement, home service business is a lot like a relay race. Our marketing gets us started with a well-communicated Great Brand, which they pass on to our potential customer. The homeowner, when they feel the need for our service, then passes the baton on to the next member of our team by contacting us. That lead now needs to be converted into an appointment for the race to continue, on to the salesperson. What happens to that lead next is the difference between potential growth for our company or nothing.

Nothing. Zilch. Nada. That lead, that you paid for with marketing and reputation building, can vanish into the air without benefiting you or your company. How? The phone rings at your company but nobody answers. The homeowner gets a busy signal when they call. No one follows up on the internet lead or they don’t do it fast enough. Or the lead isn’t handled right when someone does catch it. Homeowners have a zero percent chance of buying if you can’t get your salesperson in front of them.

So there’s two points here that we need to pay attention to if we’re going to makes this part of our business a strength:

1) Catching the lead and 2) Handling it right when it’s caught.

How important is getting this whole appointment thing right? Well, your business can be double or half its sized based on how well this part of your business functions. Put plainly: The growth of your entire company is at stake.

What strategies might you consider to up your lead to appointment ratio? Contractor Nation has identified six distinct roles that an Appointment Center can implement for even greater success. (We’re going to touch on these in the future, so stay tuned, but if you want to go deeper, check out our School of Entrepreneurship program.)

A good place to start, without getting into the Six Roles, is to identify where you have ‘holes in the net’ and work to eliminate them. Have you looked into where you might have holes in the net? What would be a percentage to aim for? Contractor Nation sets the standard at 95% Lead to Appointment Conversion. How does that sound?

See you soon.

Excel at Marketing: The Internet

2019-12-16T00:00:00.05Z

“If you build it, they will come.” Well, not exactly.

There’s a sentiment in that old movie quote that has a certain amount of truth to it: you can’t get people to pay you for your work if you don’t have a functioning business. But having an office, a truck, tools, and the ability to do great work isn’t enough.

If nobody contacts you to come and do work for them, then you don’t get leads. And leads are the lifeblood of your company.

Last week we talked about the importance of having a Great Brand that you can ride to even greater success. It’s the critical ingredient that you use to excel at marketing your company, so that you can bring in more leads. If you’re fishing for leads, it’s better to have a brand that’s going to stick in your customer’s mind than one that they forget a moment after they see it. But where are you fishing for leads?

Yes, your truck should be lettered, yard signs are important, there’s mailings, home shows, radio, tv – and you need to get the right mix to make the most of those opportunities. But if there’s one place you need to excel at marketing to bring in the lion’s share of leads, it’s the Internet.

Why? Well, you know that old saying “All roads lead to Rome?” It used to be that if you wanted to get in touch with a business, say one you heard about on the radio or noticed on your drive to work, you’d go to the Yellowpages. Back then, every road that a lead took, led there. Now, the Internet is the new Yellowpages.

Your potential customer, says, “Oh, yeah, that company that does x that I heard of because of y. I’ll look them up on the internet.”

That means when a potential prospect does a web search and they come to the virtual storefront that is your website, you don’t just want to be ‘okay’ at digital marketing. You want to be excellent. What steps are you taking to excel there?

You might have noticed, if you took a look around our website here at Contractor Nation, that we’re a bit of an expert when it comes to digital marketing and contractor SEO for home improvement, home service contractors (see our Treehouse Internet Group). We’d love to chat about how we can help you excel even more at digital marketing, contact us and let’s start a conversation.

See you soon.

Ride Your Great Brand: Who Are You?

2019-12-09T00:00:00.05Z

There are different types of fishing.

In bait fishing, you take the bait that’s most likely to draw the fish you’re looking for and sink it out in the water. Fish sees bait, fish nibbles on bait, fish is hooked – then the fisherman has to reel them in.

Marketing is about catching people’s attention and sticking in their minds. What’s the critical ingredient of great marketing? A great brand. Before there’s a yard sign, a lettered truck, a mailer, or a website, there’s your brand. What do I mean by brand? In this instance it’s your name, logo and anything else that goes with that logo.

It’s the bait on the end of every hook that you have out in the water. It’s how your customer identifies you from every other home improvement contractor out there trying to get their business.

Just being in business means your name is out there, but anybody can slap their name on the side of a truck. That alone doesn’t make it memorable or get the phone to ring. A home improvement contractor who wants to dominate their marketplace needs a great brand, the kind of brand you can ride to even greater success. What makes a brand great?

A great brand:

1) Sticks, 2) Tells what you do, and 3) Inspires trust.

Let’s go back to fishing for a moment. What happens when a whole bunch of fishermen converge on the same stream? Well, the ones who position themselves well and use the right bait are less likely to go home hungry. It’s not so different than marketing your home improvement, home service business.

Think about it, how is the homeowner going to make their decision on who to call? If there’s no memorable brands out there, it’s going to be an open-ended web search or a call to “that guy my sister had do that work a while back”. (You’re going to want a strong web presence as well as referrals, but we’ll touch on those in later entries).

But what if there is a memorable brand out there, and you’re it? Then you’re top-of-mind when said homeowner decides they want to get that work done. That makes getting leads a lot easier.

It takes creative thinking to come up with a great brand, but it’s worth the effort. Once you’ve got one, you stand out from the pack, people know who you are, and it’s easier to become ‘famous’ in the marketplace. A great brand is something you can ride to even greater success.

Want some help working on your brand? Check out Contractor Nation’s School of Entrepreneurship.

Contractor Nation and The Junkluggers: Perfect Together for Homeowners

2019-09-18T12:58:23.05Z

SEYMOUR, CT – Contractor Nation is taking another step toward providing a comfortable home for customers across North America.

Contractor Nation is proud to announce its new partnership with The Junkluggers, an eco-friendly junk removal franchise committed to sustainable disposal and giving back living space to the communities they serve. This new deal positions Contractor Nation as a minority equity partner in The Junkluggers.

“We are going to apply all of the resources Contractor Nation has to offer to help take The Junkluggers to new heights,” said Contractor Nation Founder and CEO Larry Janesky. “The Junkluggers is a great fit for our network of companies that are improving the lives of homeowners across North America.”

In an effort to expand and grow The Junkluggers network, the junk removal service moved their Stamford-based corporate franchise office to a private building on Contractor Nation’s campus in Seymour, CT. This move will allow both parties to work closer together and more efficiently utilize the support provided by Contractor Nation staff.

“Contractor Nation is dedicated to helping home improvement contractors grow and thrive,” said Josh Cohen, Founder, and CEO of The Junkluggers. “We see great synergy between their mission and our growing franchise system.”

The Junkluggers have 21 existing franchisees across North America, and the partners plan to grow that number rapidly, with new franchisees expected to open in Pasadena, CA, Columbus, OH, Knoxville, TN, and several other markets by the end of 2019.

The Junkluggers partnership comes on the heels of several other announcements from Contractor Nation in the past four weeks. Last month, Contractor Nation acquired Master Service Companies, a basement waterproofing, and foundation repair company based in Knoxville, TN with additional offices in Winston-Salem, NC, and Indianapolis, IN. Contractor Nation also launched a new operation in Columbus, OH that will provide basement waterproofing, crawl space encapsulation, and foundation repair. Last week, it was announced that Contractor Nation would be partnering with longtime dealer Lowcountry Basement Systems of Rincon, GA, as well as partnering with Frontier Basement Systems of Nashville, TN, announced earlier this week. Contractor Nation this week launched the Klaus Roofing Systems Network, in which Janesky is an equal equity partner. The mission of Klaus Roofing Systems is to improve the lives of roofing contractors and homeowners by following the proven business practices that have made Contractor Nation the most successful network of home services and home improvement contractors in North America.

Janesky started in the industry 32 years ago when he founded Connecticut Basement Systems, a basement waterproofing company, which has since expanded into basement finishing, crawl space retrofits and other services. Since then, the company has significantly expanded and become the state’s dominant provider, performing work in more than 65,000 homes. In 1990, while still running Connecticut Basement Systems, Janesky launched networks for basement waterproofing, crawl space repair, and structural repair. These networks, as well as other companies, have become part of the Contractor Nation network, which is committed to creating even greater success for home improvement and home service businesses across North America.

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For more information or to schedule an interview with Larry Janesky, please contact Tom Matthews, National Marketing Director, at 203.517.5435 or tmatthews@contractornation.com.

A New Duet Comes To Nashville as Contractor Nation Partners With Longtime Dealer, Continuing Network's Expansion

2019-09-18T09:17:01.05Z

SEYMOUR, CT - Contractor Nation is pleased to announce its partnership with a longtime dealer in one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S., the latest in a series of strategic investments by North America’s leading network of home improvement and home services contractors.

Contractor Nation has purchased a stake in Frontier Basement Systems, a Nashville, TN area -based provider of basement waterproofing, crawl space encapsulation, foundation repair, and concrete leveling services. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We are partnering with Frontier so we can take the business to even higher heights,” said Contractor Nation Founder and CEO Larry Janesky. “We plan to combine our resources so we can create a much bigger footprint in Nashville.”

Frontier has been in business since 2002and employs 80 people at its home office in Joelton, TN. The company serves over 450 towns and cities in the Greater Nashville area and Kentucky. Layne and Judy Gebers will remain in place as co-owners of the company, and their son, Dustin, will continue to serve as general manager.

“We are really looking forward to our partnership with Larry Janesky and his team at Contractor Nation,” said Layne Gebers, who serves as president of Frontier. “I’ve always told our employees that I want to make their dreams come true and this is a great move for our team.”

“We’re creating a better future for our employees,” added Judy Gebers.

Contractor Nation has been active in the past month, making a series of moves to strengthen the one-of-a-kind network it started 29 years ago. Last month, Contractor Nation acquired Master Service Companies, a Knoxville, TN-based company with additional offices in Winston-Salem, NC, and Indianapolis, IN. Last week, Contractor Nation launched a new operation in Columbus, OH that will provide basement waterproofing, crawl space encapsulation, and foundation repair services in the city and surrounding areas. Contractor Nation has also recently launched a network for roofing contractors - Klaus Roofing Systems.

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For more information or to schedule an interview with Larry Janesky, please contact Tom Matthews, National Marketing Director, at 203.517.5435 or tmatthews@contractornation.com.

Contractor Nation Takes Its Mission to a New Industry, Continuing to Grow

2019-09-16T10:07:00.05Z

SEYMOUR, CT - After building up the most dominant basement waterproofing, crawl space encapsulation and foundation repair networks in North America, Contractor Nation Founder, and CEO Larry Janesky has set his sights on the roofing industry.

Contractor Nation is pleased to announce the launch of Klaus Roofing Systems Network, a company whose mission is to improve the lives of roofing contractors and homeowners by following the proven business practices that have made Contractor Nation the most successful network of home services and home improvement contractors in North America.

“We’re not just interested in selling shingles, we’re interested in making contractors successful,” said Janesky. “We want to be an indispensable partner for them so they can grow, scale and build an enduring business that they can be proud of.”

To form the new company, Janesky has partnered with Klaus Larsen, owner of Klaus Larsen Roofing in Hebron, CT and a former student in Contractor Nation’s School of Entrepreneurship. Larsen said the content he studied in the school, then applied to his business was the catalyst for his tremendous growth, and he’s looking forward to providing that same opportunity to others in the roofing industry across North America.

“My dream is coming true,” said Klaus Larsen, President of Klaus Roofing Systems and Chief Executive of its flagship dealer, Klaus Larsen Roofing. “Together, we are going to change the roofing industry forever. “

Joined with Janesky and Larsen is Stephanie Pelizzari, Vice President of Klaus Roofing Systems. “At Contractor Nation, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the impact we’ve had on our Dealer Network. We believe in supporting their professional and their personal goals, and we are doing it again with Klaus Roofing Systems.”

The Klaus Roofing Systems Network already has six operations running, some of which are existing member companies of the Contractor Nation network. Additionally, Janesky and Larsen have formed Klaus Roofing Systems of Ohio, a roofing business and Klaus Roofing Systems dealer located in Columbus, OH.

Contractor Nation has made several announcements in the past four weeks that have fortified and diversified this unique network. Last month, Contractor Nation acquired Master Service Companies, a Knoxville, TN-based company with additional offices in Winston-Salem, NC, and Indianapolis, IN. Last week, Contractor Nation launched a new operation in Columbus, OH that will provide basement waterproofing, crawl space encapsulation, and foundation repair services in the city and surrounding areas. Earlier this week, the network also announced its plans to partner with long-time dealer and network member Lowcountry Basement Systems based in Rincon, GA, to use the combined experience of Janesky and existing Lowcountry founders Rob and Nancy Videon to take the company to even greater heights.

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For more information or to schedule an interview with Larry Janesky, please contact

Tom Matthews, National Marketing Director, at 203.517.5435 or tmatthews@contractornation.com.

Contractor Nation Strikes Another Partnership As Network Continues Surging

2019-09-10T12:05:13.05Z

SEYMOUR, CT - Contractor Nation has acquired a stake in one of its longtime dealers, continuing its run of formally partnering with growing businesses that are part of North America’s leading network of home services and home improvement contractors.

Contractor Nation has invested in Lowcountry Basement Systems, a Rincon, GA-based company that provides basement waterproofing, basement finishing, crawl space encapsulation, foundation repair, and concrete leveling services.

“Our investment in Lowcountry shows our confidence in the company and our belief that its current ownership can take Lowcountry to even greater heights with our support and partnership,” said Contractor Nation Founder and CEO Larry Janesky.

Lowcountry, which serves homeowners in Savannah, Columbus and Macon, Georgia, as well as coastal South Carolina - from Hilton Head to Charleston - has been part of the Contractor Nation network since 2004 and employs 35 people. Owners Rob and Nancy Videon said the partnership between Lowcountry and Contractor Nation strengthens an existing relationship and provides an excellent opportunity to accelerate growth.

“We already have a lot of the right pieces in place and look forward to working with Larry and his team at Contractor Nation to grow our business faster and better,” said Rob Videon, Chief Executive at Lowcountry. “Larry and I have been friends for a long time and we’re excited about the opportunity to work more closely with him.”

Rob Videon will continue to serve as CEO, and his wife, Nancy Videon, will maintain her role as Chief Financial Officer.

Contractor Nation has been active in the past four weeks, making a series of moves to strengthen the one-of-a-kind network it started 29 years ago. Last month, Contractor Nation acquired Master Service Companies, a Knoxville, TN-based company with additional offices in Winston-Salem, NC, and Indianapolis, IN. Last week, Contractor Nation launched a new operation in Columbus, OH that will provide basement waterproofing, crawl space encapsulation, and foundation repair services in the city and surrounding areas.

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For more information or to schedule an interview with Larry Janesky, please contact
Tom Matthews, National Marketing Director, at 203.517.5435 or tmatthews@contractornation.com.

All Things Basementy Hits Columbus, Ohio; Contractor Nation Networks Keep Growing

2019-09-03T10:34:32.05Z

All Things Basementy Hits Columbus, Ohio; Contractor Nation Networks Keep Growing

SEYMOUR, CT - Contractor Nation has launched a new dealership in Columbus, Ohio that will provide basement waterproofing, crawl space encapsulation, and foundation repair services, continuing the company’s growth and strengthening its position as the leading network of home services and home improvement contractors.

Larry Janesky’s Mid-State Basement Systems, an “All Things Basementy” company,will use the same patented products and industry-leading services supplied to other dealers in the Contractor Nation network that have helped establish them as the providers of choice in their respective locations across the United States and Canada.

“We are excited to launch in Columbus and believe there’s a huge opportunity for us to take care of homeowners the right way in the city and surrounding areas,” said Larry Janesky, Contractor Nation Founder and CEO.

Columbus is Ohio’s largest city and one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S., according to the Census Bureau. Nearly 900,000 live in the city, with another 1.5 million in the surrounding metropolitan area. The city’s population is expected to continue surging in the coming years.

Under the brand of “All Things Basementy,” Mid-State Basement Systems will provide basement waterproofing, crawl space encapsulation, structural repair, and humidity and mold control services. In the Columbus area, the company is the exclusive provider of patented and award-winning products including the SaniDry Sedona dehumidification system, the Triple Safe sump pump system and the WaterGuard basement waterproofing system.

“Our products and services have a track record of success across the U.S. and Canada,” said Janesky. “We can’t wait to provide permanent solutions and peace of mind for homeowners in Columbus.”

Mid-State Basement Systems is located at 2219 Westbrooke Drive inColumbus and will be led by new General Manager Wes Martin.Janesky owns the business and will continue to serve as CEO of Contractor Nation.

Watch the following video to learn more information: https://youtu.be/u3tUh49Hmrs

For more information or to schedule an interview with Larry Janesky, please contact
Tom Matthews, National Marketing Director, at 203.517.5435 or tmatthews@contractornation.com.

Contractor Nation Acquires Longtime Dealer, Strengthens Network

2019-08-27T10:10:58.05Z

SEYMOUR, CT – Contractor Nation is excited to announce an acquisition that strengthens its network of home services contractors and positions one of its highest-performing dealers for even further success.

Contractor Nation has purchased Master Service Companies, a Knoxville, Tenn.-based company that provides basement waterproofing, crawl space encapsulation, foundation repair and concrete leveling services for an undisclosed sum. Contractor Nation Founder and CEO Larry Janesky announced the deal today in a meeting at Master Service Companies’ Knoxville office.

“We will be working with existing leadership and team members to take the company to new heights, starting right now,” said Larry Janesky, Founder and CEO of Contractor Nation, formerly known as Basement Systems Inc. “There is much we can do using our time-tested programs and services to improve on the great work Josh Smith and his team have already done.”

Master Services was founded in 2007 by Josh Smith and has grown substantially under his leadership. The company employs nearly 200 people at its three offices: Knoxville, Indianapolis, Ind. and Winston-Salem, N.C. The company’s senior leadership team will remain in place: General Manager Robin Hurst in Knoxville and Jeff Russell in Indianapolis. In Winston-Salem, Rich Pomales, has been named General Manager.

Smith said that his relationship with Janesky and his team make Contractor Nation the right fit for the sale.

“When I reflect on the most important inspirations for helping me grow this company, I think of my first interaction with Larry and the team at Basement Systems,” Smith said. “The training I have received has been instrumental in my ability to grow Master Services Companies, and I know Larry is the right person to take the business to the next level.”

The acquisition is the first of its kind for Contractor Nation, which operates a network of independent basement, crawl space and foundation repair companies in the United States and Canada. Master Service is the first network company to be acquired by Contractor Nation.

“Our network has been here since 1990. We are not here to flip businesses or people. Master Service employees can count on me and on Contractor Nation,” Janesky said. “We created this industry - we are the originals.”

Janesky started in the industry 32 years ago when he founded Connecticut Basement Systems, a basement waterproofing company, which has since expanded into basement finishing, crawl space retrofits and other services. Since then, the company has significantly expanded and become the state’s dominant provider, performing work in more than 65,000 homes. Shortly after Connecticut Basement Systems was founded, Janesky launched networks for basement waterproofing, crawl space repair and foundation repair. These networks, as well as other companies, have become part of the Contractor Nation network, which is committed to creating even greater success for small businesses across North America.

The businesses and networks in Contractor Nation include Basement Systems, CleanSpace, Total Basement Finishing, Dr. Energy Saver, Attic Systems, The School of Entrepreneurship, Treehouse Internet Group, MoreHouse Finance, Supportworks, and National Radon Defense.

www.basementsystems.com

www.masterdry.com

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For more information or to schedule an interview with Larry Janesky, please contact
Tom Matthews, National Marketing Director, at 203.517.5435 or tmatthews@contractornation.com.