Blue Ribbon Residential Construction, Inc. was formed after Hurricane Fran in 1996 to satisfy the repair needs of Andersen Homes, Inc. clients. John Sperath was selected to begin Blue Ribbon. John had fifteen years prior experience owning a remodeling company on Long Island, NY. The remodeling company was a natural off shoot for the organization. John purchased the business from Andersen in 1998 and continues to satisfy clients throughout the Triangle Region of North Carolina. He has over 25 years experience in residential construction mostly in remodeling and renovation.

Blue Ribbon currently has two divisions although more are planned. The Design / Build division is responsible for all additions, kitchens, baths, master suites and sunrooms. This entity handles the project from concept to completion of construction. The Exteriors Division is responsible for clients who have projects entailing windows, doors, siding, painting, and roofing. We are especially proud of our relationship with James Hardie Siding and Hurd Windows.

We consistently manage two to three projects concurrently although that is subject to change based on the complexity of the projects to be managed. If the management load gets too great things begin to get missed and that risks unhappy clients.

We have a full-time staff of six employees, The make up of the staff include: Owner, sales coordinator, office manager and a three person carpentry crew. Licensed services require outside trade personnel on a contract basis. If a project is particularly large, we have relationships with trade contractors to help us with the larger portions of the project.

Our success is directly proportional to the quality of communication that we have with our clients. This strategy has been developed and refined for the past twenty-five years. While we continue to tweak the system it works very well leading to our referral base.

We believe that customer satisfaction through two way communication is our highest priority. This, combined with great and innovative designs, skilled craftsmen and tradesmen to do the job, and full and complete follow through earns highest praise from our clients.

We work in the Triangle area of North Carolina with a main focus on Western Wake County. Our clients have a great appreciation for high quality work and they are looking for a contractor that can handle the job from start to finish. They also focus on engaging a company that they can trust and that can communicate well.

Have you ever considered a theatrical production? We use the same method that creates Block Buster Broadway Plays with raving fans. It's all about listening to client's expectations, explaining to them what we can and cannot do. Then, as the project progresses, communicating and educating them about the tasks at hand. Keeping people informed throughout the many steps along the way allows understanding if problems arise. It also keeps those small bumps from becoming a case of the mumps.

We believe in continuing education and always arrange for and encourage our employees to take advantage of classes in their field of expertise to continue to develop themselves within the company. All personnel take a psychological profile that allows us to understand how people interact and learn. We discuss these attributes during our staff meetings. This also holds true with our trade contractors. We expect everyone involved with Blue Ribbon to care about bettering themselves. This approach helps them by making them more valuable and it helps the company by having a better workforce.

By compensating our workforce for the great jobs that they do and recognizing that they are the backbone of the company. We are also strong believers of advancement from within, which ties directly to self improvement.

As the owner of the company, I love what I do and am passionate about taking care of client and making their lives better. Other than financial compensation, this is my strongest reason for being in this business. We also have created a staff that continues that vision.

Prior to the design phase we always ask if customers have a mental design or sketches that show how they have visualized their project. That helps us understand the owner's "vision" so we can interpret their concept, likes and dislikes. Customers help to make the relationship successful by maintaining close communication during the project. That enables each phase of the project to go smoothly for us and the homeowner. If communication breaks down, quick sand will surround us both.

The majority of our customers learn about us from past satisfied clients. For the design / build division they are most often are our marketing team. We do participate in the Southern Ideal Home Show twice yearly to help with branding the name and to introduce us to the public. With the opening of our exteriors division we have hired a marketing company to help us with the launch and the marketing for that division. We strive not to use "in your face" approaches but try to lead people to the conclusion that we are the right contractor for them.

While there are several challenges, quality personnel is the focus for remodeling companies. Many workers in the construction trades aren't qualified to do remodeling. It isn't as simple as hiring new home trades people to do remodeling as there are more difficulties involved i.e. someone will be living in the construction site, security is a great concern, daily cleanliness, respect of property and many others. The second challenge facing remodelers in our area are the people and firms that are not licensed and insured. They seem to think they can low ball prices, get the job, and in the end the consumer takes the hit.

While there are many things in the business plan, we need to stabilize the "exteriors division" prior to moving into other areas. Projects that are next in the business plan include the creation of a Handyman Division responsible for contract maintenance for past clients. Some of our past customers are getting up in years and will eventually need help staying in their homes long term. That is a niche that will become more necessary as we enter the later years of our lives.

While we are not perfect, our clients can count on us to strive for that level of satisfaction. We know that we aren't the right contractor for everyone but those we work with to meet their needs find satisfaction and success in the execution of their project.