Qualified Remodeler helps independent remodeling firms to survive, become more professional and more profitable by providing must-have business information, namely best business practices, new product information and timely design ideas.
Issue link: https://qualifiedremodeler.epubxp.com/i/822462
QR: Who started your company? MF: My wife and I. QR: What did you do before becoming a remodeler? MF: I worked in the financial services indus- try (MetLife, Prudential, NY Life) in middle management for 14 years, where I learned about networking, meeting customers' needs and the subtle nuances of sales. QR: What does being part of NAHB Remodelers mean to you? MF: Being part of NAHB Remodelers is a pin- nacle for me. ese men and women are the best of the best. After meeting and getting to know several of my competitors at CADRE, IBS, and at the local and state level, I would consider many of them to be "tip of the spear" great. It is an honor to have my achievements considered among theirs at the same level. QR: Where do you go to look for solutions and ideas for your business? MF: I am friends with many of my compet- itors, as I am highly involved with the local HBA and serve as an officer on the Remodel Council. Plus, I read industry and trade pub- lications, read trends online and participate in continuing education courses. QR: How has the remodeling industry changed since you've been involved? MF: ere is much more focus on green build- ing and aging-in-place. Having earned my designation for CAPS and working on my designation for green building, we will be positioned to better capture the remodeling market as it moves deeper and deeper into that territory. Plus—while some of the competition come from our websites. ese websites are deeply seeded with SEO keywords and posi- tioned with our social media presence of over 15,000 followers (10,000 just from Facebook and LinkedIn). We use an incredible website administrator who ties our other social me- dia programs into everything for maximum optimization, and a separate person uploads fresh content and pictures every day. We have three Facebook pages and pages on Google+, Angie's List, HomeAdvisor, Houzz, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, Manta, Merchant Circle, and almost 200 videos on YouTube. QR: What motivates you every day? MF: I have repeatedly been told I am an over- achiever—it's just me; I don't know any way to be different. I rise early, have my daily devo- tion, get to work and don't stop working until I'm done that night. I love my Lord, Pam (my wife of 40 years), our family and our business. My motivation is internalized; it doesn't take much for me to get started. QR: Is there anything else you'd like to men- tion about career accomplishments? MF: I have had three previous businesses ven- tures fail, have been laid off twice and fired once. After each defeat, I came back better than before. en, at age 42, we started Sonrise with one truck and one trailer, and cash advances as needed from Visa. Now, al- most 18 years later, we have served over 11,000 customers, work with over 350 associates and have morphed into three different companies. It's been a fun run, and I'm not about to stop anytime soon. | is great—we will continue to provide exem- plary customer service along with our superior standards of detail and quality control. QR: What is your focus as a remodeler? MF: My focus is to do the great things that got us here. Profits will continue to tighten as costs inevitably rise, but with continued networking, repeat customers and referrals, we expect to continue seeing a steady rise year- by-year with our revenue stream. QR: Are you seeing increased job sizes? MF: We are not only doing more remodel proj- ects than ever before in the history of our company, but we are also doing more higher priced remodels. People can only not spend for so long, and wallets have become increasingly open as consumer confidence has grown. QR: What is your No. 1 source of leads? MF: We have three websites for "e Sonrise Companies" with hundreds of pages of content, over 1,000 pictures, and over 100 blogs. A solid 80 percent or more of our leads Websites, Social Media for Leads Fournier finds value in having social media programs and websites with SEO keywords. Interviewed by Kacey Larsen MIKE FOURNIER, CAPS, CPB The Sonrise Companies Broken Arrow, Okla. sonrise-construction.com TITLE: Owner YEAR FOUNDED: 2000 NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: Work with more than 350 associates Read the complete interview at QualifiedRemodeler.com/NAHBR. The Sonrise Companies tackled this project, dubbed "Little House on the Prairie," and took the residence from 1,200 to 2,500 square feet. Photo: Mike Fournier, The Sonrise Companies PROFITS: NAHB Remodeler of the Month 18 May 2017 QR QualifiedRemodeler.com