Magazine Columnists and Contributors
Linda Case, CRA, is founder of Remodelers Advantage Inc. in Fulton, Md., a company providing business solutions through a network of experts and peers. 301.490.5620; linda@remodelersadvantage.com; www.remodelersadvantage.com. Linda's Column
Victoria Downing, President, Remodelers Advantage Inc., co-author of Mastering the Business of Remodeling. Home of Remodelers Advantage Roundtables with over 200 members nationwide. Victoria's Contributions
Tim Faller owns Field Training Services in Westerly, R.I., a firm committed to training production staff in good jobsite management, helping companies develop training programs for their field staff, and assisting companies with their production systems. Tim's Contributions
Andy Hannan began his construction career in high school, learned all phases of construction and building practices at U.S. Home Corp., ran his own construction company for 11 years, and has been with MARK IV Builders since 1995, where he is now production manager. Andy's Contributions
Shawn McCadden founded, operated, and sold a successful design/build remodeling company. A co-founder of the Residential Design/Build Institute and former director of education for a national K&B remodeling franchise, Shawn frequently speaks at industry events and consults with remodeling companies. shawnm@charter.net. Shawn's Column
Mark Richardson is co-chairman of Case Design/Remodel and Case Handyman Services. His new book, “How Fit Is Your Business?” will be published in October, 2008. mrichardson@casedesign.com; www.casedesign.com. Mark's Column
Joe Stoddard is an industry consultant and the director of builder operations for Dynami Solutions; www.joestoddard.com. Joe's Contributions
Web Experts, Bloggers and Contributors
Michael Anschel is the owner and principal of Otogawa-Anschel Design Build, a nationally recognized and award-wining design and build firm and a committed leader to the green building movement in Minnesota. A native of Minneapolis, he lived and worked in China as a teacher and TV show host, returning to Minnesota to study sculpture at university before forming his company in 1997. Among other professional affiliations, Michael is vice-chair of the board of directors of Minnesota GreenStar and CEO of Verified Green, Inc., which consults with builders, remodelers, architects, and state and city officials on green building. Visit his Web sites at www.otogawa-anschel.com and www.verifiedgreen.org. Michael's Blog
Greg Antonioli founded Out of the Woods Construction & Cabinetry Inc. in 1992. Greg is also a long-time member of Remodelers Advantage Roundtables, vice president of a NARI chapter, and a Sandler Sales trainee. He is also an avid reader of business books & periodicals, a regular magazine contributor, and (some have said) a twisted thinker and believes that his company’s #1 obligation is to its construction clients. Greg is a native of California’s Silicon Valley area and a graduate of Santa Clara University. He and his wife have three daughters and live in Acton, Mass. Greg's Blog
Brindley Byrd, CGR, CAPS, is a national speaker, author and advocate who has served the construction industry for over 12-years. He established the Responsible Remodeling™ core operating system for dust-safe work practices to protect the health of workers and customers. He has guided hundreds of professional remodelers through the regulations and work practices of managing remodeling air quality. Contact Brindley at bbyrd@qx2.net or visit www.qx2.net for more information. Read Brindley's contributions or ask him a question.
Jim Cory is editor of Replacement Contractor, a Hanley Wood publication for roofing, siding and window contractors. Prior to the launch of Replacement Contractor, in the fall of 2002, he was Senior Editor at Remodeling. He contributes to both Remodeling and Replacement Contractor as well as their respective Web sites. He organizes the Replacement Contractor Executive Conference, an annual event focusing on sales and marketing in the home improvement industry. Jim's Blog .
Les Cunningham, CGC, CR, CCR, CGRa, is an international business consultant who works with hundreds of companies on an ongoing basis. He has worked as a teacher, commercial airline pilot and owner/manager of his own remodeling business. His firm, Business Networks, specializes in helping businesses become more profitable through interaction with their industry peers. Les can be reached at 800.525.1009 x 14 or through email at Les@businessnetworks.com. Read Les' contributions or ask him a question.
Ted Cushman attended Harvard College in Cambridge, Mass., served for 4 years as a U.S. Army paratrooper, and worked as a frame and finish carpenter for 7 years before joining the staff of The Journal of Light Construction (JLC), where he anchored the news desk for 4 years and edited technical and business feature articles. In his 15-year career as a construction photo-journalist, Ted has earned a national reputation for insightful, accurate, and practical coverage of homebuilding techniques, building science, and housing economics. Ted now covers the homebuilding industry as a freelance writer from his base in the hills of Western Massachusetts, where he lives with his wife, psychiatrist Cynthia Cushman. Ted and Cynthia have three sons (Jack, Adrian, and Isaiah). Read Ted Cushman's Remodeling Blog .
Diane Gilson (dcg@infoplusacct.com), created the accounting firm of Info Plus(+) Accounting® in 1994 with the intent of providing current and future-oriented management accounting services to small and medium-sized businesses. Since the firm’s inception, Diane has worked exclusively in QuickBooks® – a powerful, flexible, multi-functional software accounting system currently used by 70-85% of small to medium-sized businesses in the United States. She is a Certified QuickBooks® Advanced Professional Advisor and Certified QuickBooks Enterprise ProAdvisor (through Intuit), and a Certified QuickBooks® consultant (through the Sleeter Group Consultants Network). Read Diane's contributions or ask her a question.
Geoff Graham is the founder and president of GuildQuality. GuildQuality provides customer satisfaction surveying and Web-based performance reporting for homebuilding, remodeling, and real estate companies. Prior to starting GuildQuality in 2002, Geoff worked in the remodeling, homebuilding, and real estate development industries in Atlanta and the South Carolina low country. Geoff is also a partner in the ongoing development of I’On, an award-winning, mixed-use traditional neighborhood development in Charleston, South Carolina. Geoff is a regular speaker at real estate development, homebuilding, and remodeling conferences. He lives in his hometown of Atlanta with his wife, Wendy, and their two children. Geoff's Blog
Steve Gray is the owner of Steve Gray Renovations in Indianapolis. Steve’s vision is to bring professionalism to the home renovation industry. He works with homeowners to turn their renovation dreams into reality using a process that creates long-term relationships through four core tenets: honesty, integrity, quality and craftsmanship. Steve's Blog
Iris Harrell founded Harrell Remodeling in 1985 and it is an award-winning design/build company with nearly 50 employees and $11 million in revenues. As its CEO and president, Iris has received many awards and is also a popular speaker at industry events, where she encourages other remodeling contractors to hire women for non-traditional jobs. Visit her Web site at www.harrell-remodeling.com. Read Iris' contributions or ask her a question.
Shawn McCadden founded, operated, and sold a successful design/build remodeling company. A co-founder of the Residential Design/Build Institute and former director of education for a national K&B remodeling franchise, Shawn frequently speaks at industry events and consults with remodeling companies. shawnm@charter.net. Shawn's Blog
Judy Miller’s first job in construction taught her the perils of running a company without strong internal controls, clear goals or respect for the numbers. She left after 2 years to form J. Miller and Company. As a teacher, trainer, facilitator, author and consultant for over 20 years, she knows all the elements, large and small that make up a successful remodeling company, how to measure them, how to write a process map for each, and how to train good people to implement them.jfmiller@remodelservices.com. Judy's Blog
Tim Nagle is the president of Remodel Buddy, a business organization specializing in coaching and peer roundtables. Tim is active as a speaker in the industry on building a culture of success in remodeling and home improvement businesses and how to develop a marketing system. In the beginning of his career, Tim Nagle took over a local home improvement business with a $1.4 million volume and yearly profit loss of $200,000 and used systems and processes to grow the company in five years into a $10 million company with an annual net profit of $1.4 million. He was also in a partnership for 15 years which evolved into a large, national home improvement company. You can reach him at tim@RemodelBuddy.com or 804-614-5132. Tim's Blog .
Rick Provost has over 20 years experience helping to build the country's largest design/build franchise network specializing in exterior home improvement. Formerly the President and CEO of Archadeck®, Rick is now a principal in SMI Safety, a safety consulting and staffing business that specializes in industrial construction. Rick also consults with emerging franchise companies to help them develop growth strategies and business systems. He can be reached at rickp@smisafety.com. Rick's Contributions
Kathy Shertzer is a freelance writer, originally from the Chicago area. She joined DuKate Fine Remodeling in late summer of 1999. Previously she worked as a purchasing agent for GrimmerSchmidt Compressors for 15 years. Kathy was the first person to be hired at DuKate in an “office” role position and helped to organize and implement DuKate office systems. She is the company’s “gatekeeper”, having been trained in the Sandler Sales System. Kathy has been actively involved with her community and is currently serving on the Board of Directors for a local non-profit organization that focuses on women in crisis. She is also the volunteer director of a creative arts troupe whose target audience is children and the elderly. Kathy has a married son who is an IT consultant for a large law firm, a daughter who is a social worker, and two grandchildren. Kathy's blog
Leslie Shiner, author, speaker, and trainer has more than 20 years experience as a financial and management consultant for the construction industry. She is the owner and principal of The ShinerGroup, a consulting firm helping contractors maximize profits and gain financial control. She is also the author of numerous publications including the Profit Press Profit Guides: Choosing “Best Fit” Construction Management Software and Health Checkup for Your Construction Business, among others. She has three times received the CEDIA Top 10 Instructor Award. She teaches construction accounting and project management seminars around the country and frequently speaks at industry conferences. Leslie's Contributions
Rob Smith has been in the woodworking industry for over twenty years, all of which have been spent with Architectural Millwork in St. Louis, Missouri (AMSL). He began his career in the trade as a moulder operator and rapidly progressed into larger roles as shop manager, estimator, and most recently as an account executive for AMSL. Rob continues his education in the woodworking industry by regularly investigating new machinery, building techniques, and products. He has a strong interest in sustainable building and was a leader in certifying AMSL with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and ensuring all standard substrates and adhesives used by AMSL meet LEED requirements. Rob's Blog
Michael Stone, has more than three decades of experience in the building and remodeling industry. Michael offers coaching and consulting services for construction companies throughout the U.S., as well as audio and CD programs for business management. He can be found on the web at www.markupandprofit.com and www.myconstructionbiz.com, and can be reached by e-mail at michael@markupandprofit.com or by phone at 1-888-944-0044. Michael's Blog
Ed Voytovich is a principal at The BER (Building Efficiency Resources). The mission of The BER is to support and facilitate the building performance industry through administration, education, trainings, and technical consultation, including home energy rating providership. Reach him at ed@TheBER.com. Ed's Blog .
Paul Winans' career runs parallel to the changes in the remodeling industry over the last 40 years. From beginnings as a carpenter who didn’t want to run a business, Paul teamed with his wife, Nina, to build a highly successful remodeling company. After almost three decades, Paul and Nina sold the business to someone outside the company, a rare event in the industry. As a business owner, Paul once saw competitors as threats; over time, he came to regard them as allies, an attitude that propelled him to the office of President of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. Once too shy to speak in public, Paul has for years addressed remodeling audiences at trade shows and conferences around the country. Today, Paul works as a facilitator for Remodelers Advantage, and as a consultant to remodeling business owners. Paul believes there is no one right way to do things, even though he certainly wishes there was. In his blog, Paul provides his unique perspective about life, the universe and other related matters. Paul's Blog .