Nation's Building News Online

The Cream of the Crop Sit On My Board of Directors

Gary Eichhorst

I have been a member of the Remodelors™ Council for many years and found that membership has afforded me a back stage pass to the inner circle of the top professionals in this industry.

I look at the friends and contacts I have made solely as a result of membership and its networking opportunities, which include Big 50 winners, Remodelor™ of the Year winners, national board members, Certified Graduate Remodelor™ (CGR) instructors and Hall of Fame members as my board of directors.

Whenever I have an issue or problem in business, I know that I can pick up the phone and get a reliable, knowledgeable answer no matter what the question. I no longer need to reinvent the wheel every time something comes up.

I have also found that the diversity of the members in this group is great. Whether they are “start-up” owners, small, medium or one of the “big boys,” we all experience the same issues and someone always has an answer that makes sense.

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Designations Put Me Ahead of the Competition

The designations I have — CGR, Certified Graduate Builder (CGB), Graduate Master Builder (GMB) and Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) — really set me ahead of my competition. They demonstrate to my clients that I am committed not only to delivering a superior product but running an efficient, professional organization.

It is hard to quantify what the designations have done for my bottom line, but I can attest to the fact that many of our more profitable projects were a result of our certifications, thus validating, perhaps, why we were the more qualified contractor choice even though we were higher priced. My take is that professionals and specialists command a higher price, because generally we bring a lot more to the table.

Participation Opens Doors

I have also found that membership has opened up avenues of opportunity for education and business. By being a local chairman of the Remodelors™ Council for the last two years, I have gained a lot of knowledge just by becoming involved and helping other remodelers grow their businesses.

Jud Motsenbacher told me a long time ago that the best way to learn is to teach! I guess that is why he deserved to be the first inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Gary Eichhorst is the president & CEO of Eichhorst & Company, of Spring Grove, IL.

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