We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Joey Feyerabend. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with JOEY below.

Hi JOEY, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

Most if not all construction companies take on multiple projects at the same time. Resulting in each homeowners receiving a variety of customer experiences during their renovations. The construction company can charge less up front, but the project almost always results in frustration, a higher amount of mistakes, and a delayed deadline because the workers and management are stretched thin. For this reason, we strictly adhere to one project at a time and only use “owner operator” sub-contractors. This is unique to the industry because we choose to forgo more money in leu of a smoother project. We charge more than the large multi-project companies, but only make that money if the project goes smoothly. For years, our customers have commented how unique this strategy is and the benefits far out way the premium price. It allows the owner, myself, to oversee all work occurring on each project every day. When issues arrive, we solve them quickly with out having to relay information through workers. Often I have heard, “there is no other construction company offering the service you do.” The gamble is on our part because the customer will need to be diligent on their side. Making decisions in a timely manner and having materials they are responsible for on site is critical. A day lost for us is exactly that, a day lost. In my experience, most clients are on top of it and things run smoothly because it is mutually beneficial.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I got into the industry 20 years ago. Building has always appealed to me and even while in school, I knew this was the industry I wanted to be apart of rather than corporate America. I started in a custom cabinet shop and from there became a finish carpenter and woodworker in high end new construction homes. With that as my background, my home renovations have always had a bias towards carpentry and cabinets. I typically find myself working in 80-100 year old homes which presents an array of unique challenges. Nothing is level or plumb and the utilities often need to be replaced. That said, there is nothing like a historic home and they are well worth saving! These projects could not be accomplished without incredibly talented sub-contractors working together. This is just one reason why I only use “owner operator” subs. There typically is no time to waste when working through unique challenges these older homes present. The level of work that myself and subs provide, always impress the customer. Sure this isn’t a scalable business model, but there is no other way to achieve this level of customer satisfaction. That’s a trade off that allows me to sleep at night.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Our business started out as a partnership that I will always remember fondly. We were successful, clients loved the two for one, and we had a ton of fun together. All of this supported the high quality service and product we delivered. But as most partnerships go, we too succumb to our goals not staying inline. After years of success my partner was ready to scale the business whereas I subscribed to the notion of if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I believe that neither of us were wrong. However, I have pivoted back to soul owner operator. What I am most grateful for is that our incredible lineup of sub-contractors have stayed onboard with us. After the split I retained the rights to the main business, however I’ve come to appreciate the cleansing effect of a fresh start. That is why I have decided to rebrand. Same great business model but a fresh start with the areas we serve.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Since the pivot, my hope was to continue acquiring business on a 100 percent referral basis ( I am not the marketing type). I have come to recognize there is a place for marketing and advertisement. However, I still lean heavily on referrals (95 percent) for new work. That’s because at the end of the day, great clients produce more great clients. What helped us build our reputation is what I have heard from our clients over and over again, “We just can’t believe you are here everyday of the project!” Granted, I do take time off. It’s just the most unique thing about our business because no one else is using this strategy while producing at a high level. Not to say owner operator guarantees a smooth running high quality project. I’ve met plenty who just don’t know what they are doing. However, most of the time when a construction company has all the vital pieces in place, they scale up. It’s hard to resist the amount of money that can be made by doing so. We refuse to do that because its simply not possible for us to manage without having to drop the quality. Ashwood Construction Group is truly grateful for all the people who have worked hard to make us a success: our fantastic clients, talented trade partners, and wonderful family!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ashwoodconstructiongroup.com
• Instagram: @ashwood_constructiongroup
• Other: [email protected]

Image Credits

took all myself.