Ann Arbor Area BUSINESS MONTHLY magazine brings the reader the latest business news and information important to the businesspeople in Washtenaw County. Each month articles cover real estate, legal, Internet, employee concerns and the climate of business in the greater Ann Arbor area. There is news about company employees and feature articles on local businesses. We cover business news from Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Dexter, Manchester, Milan, Saline, Whitmore Lake, and Ypsilanti.
Local Businesses Possess
A Positive Outlook
By Stephanie Kadel-Taras
Bob Ender, DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen
"We refuse to participate in a bad economy." So says Bob Ender, one of the owners of Ann Arbor's DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen franchise. Since they opened their showroom and custom remodeling service four years ago, sales have gone up 30% each year, so their declaration seems to be working. Ender attributes the growth to systematized, data-oriented business practices, customer service, and widespread marketing.
"Fifty years ago, if you hired someone to do a remodeling job, they did it," says Bob. Dream- Maker has tried to replicate that approach by hiring all staff carpenters rather than scheduling a series of subcontractors to show up on the homeowner's doorstep. Dream- Maker also sells all the products for bath and kitchen renovations, creating a one-stop shop for design, materials, and installation. "We take the client from designing their new kitchen to starting the first pot of spaghetti," says Bob.
Ender sees the potential to consolidate and systematize the highly variable remodeling industry and believes DreamMaker, with more than 190 locations, is on the forefront of that process. "I've always believed you can systematize this business to get repeatable performance and customer satisfaction. We definitely run by the numbers around here."