An Educated Success

The challenge now is to keep sales up despite dealing with consumers who are nervous living in homes that have devalued, Criner says. “They’re asking themselves, ‘Is it prudent to invest in my home?’ It is difficult for consumers to answer this question. What we’re trying to do is market more to people who have been in their homes a long time and are planning to stay there. We’re not trying to be all things to all people; we’re doing the more complicated projects, not the handyman/repairman work. We’re going after the market we’re best suited to serve.”

Importance of Being Educated

Criner’s professional path follows that of many successful remodelers, except that, unlike him, those who graduated college began a little higher on the ladder than he did. Criner did not graduate college, but he values education. When Criner was taking classes at Christopher Newport College, he had three or four of his classmates working for him, at which point his professor noticed. “The day the professor asked me for a job, after looking at my success and trying to find out how I was doing it, that’s when I thought I might not need the formal degree to become successful.”

Not possessing a college degree doesn’t mean Criner’s not educated. On the contrary. “I’d still be in the stage of having a job rather than a career if it wasn’t for the educational opportunities I’ve taken advantage of. I believe education is important. It’s important to clients whether they know it or not. I offer more because of my education and experience, and my experience is always a topic of discussion.”

Typically, a remodeling contractor comes from the field where he’s working for a boss who is making all the money, and he thinks, “I can do that,” Criner says. “And he can be an excellent craftsman, but if he doesn’t know how to run a business, he won’t be successful.”

A key moment in Criner’s career was meeting Walt Stoeppelwerth, who taught estimating for remodelers. Criner spent time learning how to run a business, taking business and drafting courses. “Anyone running a remodeling company must know how to do both.”

Another meaningful moment in Criner’s career was joining the local Home Builders Association in the mid-1980s. Seven or eight years into his career, he was approached by members whose success intimidated Criner. “They had offices, and signs, and staffs. They would bid against me and they’d win. They were big shots. It took me a few years to join, after they talked me into it. Then, they got me involved, which is more important than joining. Involvement is where you start learning. So I started down the education path where I earned all my designations. The association was a source for me to get remodeler-specific education. Education at a local college is good, but it’s nothing compared to what you can learn when taught through an association by other remodelers.”

In addition to continuing education and the support of a strong staff, Criner adds, “I would not be enjoying this success without the love and support of my wife of 29 years, Aggie.”