NARI Highlights the Best in Remodeling

National Association of the Remodeling Industry members are excited, enthusiastic, and eager to talk about why they love their careers.

Our members play roles across the entire remodeling industry, from construction managers to general contractors to designers and space planners, but what they have in common is an unfettered joy in their remodeling careers.

Through hard work, smart decisonmaking, and help from and found within NARI, our members enjoy long-lasting and successful businesses. We're happy to shine a spotlight on some of our industry's brightest starts in a recent video series, #MyCareerinRemodeling. Contributed by members, these videos are both heartwarming and educational, funny and inspiring.

Let’s review what the top entries are saying.


 

A Rewarding Career In Remodeling: Interaction, Relationship, Craftsmanship

At the end of the day, we want to feel like our work makes some kind of difference and has meaning. NARI members know what that’s like.

One contest winner, Chad Vincent of Renaissance Remodeling in Boise, Idaho, says, “The most rewarding aspect of being in the remodeling industry is bringing clients dreams to life and getting to know each client on a personal level. He adds that he stays inspired by understanding each of his client’s unique needs and wants.

Another part of customer interaction comes from understanding how clients will react to their new, more functional space after remodeling. Jon Edwards, a remodeling carpenter at Degnan Design Build Remodel in De Forest, Wisconsin, highlights this transformational aspect of remodeling work. "I love the idea of being able to take something that somebody’s unhappy with and turn it into something that they’re proud of and can show their neighbors,” he says.

For other home remodelers, focusing on the craftsmanship is what makes his job worthwhile. “I’m a designer by education, a craftsman by trade, and an artist at heart. To me, remodeling is the intersection of all these disciplines,” says Martín Gutierrez of Madison, Wisconsin-based TDS Custom Construction. He adds that remodeling offers a “way of learning from the past so we can build better in the future.”
 

Never a Dull Day in Home Remodeling

Not everyone is built to clock in and do the same thing day in, day out. Some of us want to be surprised and challenged by new problems to solve and new projects to take on. That’s something many NARI members highlighted in their entries in the #MyCareerInRemodeling contest.

Jonathan Kelly, of Fireplace & BBQ Center of Overland Park, Kansas, loves the variety in his job. He finds his work enjoyable because of the “challenge[s] every day, the uniqueness of every project, and hands-on learning.” Does that sound familiar to you?

The remodeling industry is full of opportunities to transition your current career skills into a more dynamic profession that works for you. After a 20-year career in corporate information technology, Judy Transue of CHC Design-Build in Lenexa, Kansas, joined her husband in a residential design-build firm. “Business management and project management came naturally for me, and with experience, education, and learning from others, I’ve excelled in the remodeling industry,” she notes.

Remodeling is a Growth Industry

It’s darn near impossible for homeowners to hire a competent, certified remodeler—many of our members are reporting being booked up for jobs far in advance. In fact, the National Association of Home Builders predicts that by the third quarter of 2022, investments in repairs and improvements could reach $400 billion.

That kind of growth and long-term stability is what attracts many NARI members to this field. Fireplace & BBQ’s Kelly says he got his start in the industry with in a salaried job, health insurance, and a profit-sharing plan. “I like that consistency,” he states. “And now I own the business.”
 

Standing Out Among the Competition

Remodeling is an industry where your career can grow with your interests, directly from your efforts and investment in new skills. Many NARI members started in apprenticeships or through a career transition and have attained master-level knowledge.

Ongoing Education

You can stand out among the competition by honing your certifications. NARI offers a wide variety of courses where you can attain certification in topics such as project management, universal design, carpentry, and more. Get started with the Build a Better Business online workshop, or other webinar content.

Networking and Mentorship

NARI offers multiple ways for remodelers to enjoy fellowship and share ideas and experience. In the NARI Network, an exclusive online community, remodelers talk about key business issues. We also have dozens of chapters in cities from coast to coast where you can mix and mingle in person with other professionals.
 

What Do You Love About Remodeling?

Think for a moment about what you value about your remodeling career. How can you enhance those aspects of your work? How can you improve the parts you don’t enjoy?

At NARI, we’re by remodelers, for remodelers and have cultivated resources that you can use right now to improve your business and career. Learn more, get started, and share your story at NARI.org.

| 1/7/2022 3:18:25 PM | 0 comments