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SPECIAL REPORT: COMMUNITY SERVICE Community Service Community service is a top priority for many remodelers who donate time, money and services to charitable causes in the areas in which they earn a living By Rob Heselbarth I t is not enough to be a profitable remodeler today. Increasingly, society expects businesses to contribute to the communities in which they thrive. Those in the post-X generations — future clients — are are taught concepts such as connectedness and giving back, so if you're not yet involved in community service, it could be smart to begin. For inspiration, take a look at what these remodelers are doing. Howard Chermak Chermak Construction Edmonds, Wash. chermak.com E a c h yea r, C h e r m a k Construction par ticipates in the Edmonds, Wash., Fourth of July parade. The remodeling firm's goal has always been to be patriotic while fostering a sense of community. In 2012, the goal was expanded to include building a custom dog house used as a mini-float. Employees and their families marched with the dog house waving flags, after which it was donated to the local community college's scholarship auction. "One would think that a construction company could build a simple dog house in an afternoon, but that was not the case," says Kathy Hashbarger, who works with Chermak. "It took time for us to agree on the floor plan — the design of the entry pillars was a major point of differing opinion. Gathering our team on time off was another obstacle. "Howard donated his meticulously clean garage for the build, gathered the materials and rallied the team. After the canine residence was constructed, moving it became the challenge. We fortified an underlying support system and had all hands on deck to move the WEB EXCLUSIVE: structure to a trailer. One lucky dog now Podcast interview with architect Steve lives in splendor; his new home has a Mouzon about green roof, a gutter system that provides community and rainwater to his dog dish, and a covered connectedness. deck to enjoy the great outdoors," ForResidentialPros. com/10977785 Hashbarger says. The Chermak Construction crew is most proud of the team-bonding and sense of community resulting from the effort. "A community partner donated the custom metal 24 July 2013 QR ForResidentialPros.com Chermak Construction built this dog house, which was auctioned off to raise money for a scholarship program. work, community members laughed and smiled as we joined together in celebrating this great nation, and lucky students benefited from the proceeds through the scholarship program," Hashbarger says. "This year, we are building a custom chicken coop that will be donated to an organization that fosters urban agriculture." Melissa Irons Irons Brothers Construction Shoreline, Wash. ironsbc.com The ow ner s of Irons Brothers Construc tion would rather spend money on what it calls "cause marketing" that gives back to those in need in its community and to organizations they believe in, rather than paying for advertisements in directories, print ads and other media outlets. The challenges with executing the company's "cause marketing" efforts boil down to time and money, says Joseph Irons, CGR, GMB, CAPS, CGP, president and general manager. The Irons Brothers Construction team participates in Rampathon each year to benefit its community. "We annually par ticipate in the same communit y and philanthropic event s — Rampathon, Painting a Better Tomorrow, Seattle Aids Walk and North Helpline fund raisers and similar events," says Irons, who singled out Melissa Irons, CGR, CGP, CFO and office manager, for her efforts. "Melissa is the driving force behind all these efforts. She makes things work by coordinating material donations, reminder calls, scheduling, and all of it. She makes it happen," Joseph says. "Each year it is a challenge finding enough money to make these programs successful for our team. We also struggle at times finding enough skilled volunteers to complete the philanthropic and community projects. To help, we recently have partnered with businesses in our community, past employees, colleagues and vendors to team up and make successful events happen, and again, Melissa is a big part of all of it," he adds. Beyond company recognition and brand awareness, Irons Brothers Construction is viewed as a well-respected and involved company. "We have received awards and acknowledgement for our services, including the 2012 Shoreline Rotary Community Service Award, the 2008 Puget Sound Rental Housing Association's Community Service Award and annual acknowledgement since 2005 as a builder captain for our local Master Builders Association's free wheel-chair ramp program, Rampathon. It is a great reward to be able to use our skills and knowledge to benefit others, our community, and in turn the reputation of remodeling," Joseph says. Kevin Knox K.J. Knox Contractor Tallula, Ill. Employees of K.J. Knox Contractor in Tallula, Ill., have been working with a nonprofit group for 25 years to restore a neighborhood