The Tim Faller Show

Today's episode of The Tim Faller Show is a special one—it's our annual live recording at Summit and, poignantly, the final episode of the podcast. In this memorable send-off, host Tim Faller is joined by Greg and returning co-host Steve Wheeler for a heartfelt conversation. Together, they reflect on Tim's remarkable career, the journey of...

Most remodeling companies are small businesses with simple structures, and team building can be difficult. Imagine the challenges of building a real team with more than 70 people in the field and an almost equal number working in the office.  In this episode, Bruce Case talks to Tim and Steve about what it takes to...

With business booming and companies growing, one of the questions a lot of remodelers find themselves asking is, “Where can I find a good Production Manager?”  It is hard to find people that can do this very difficult role, and this episode will continue to look at this role in a company and who may...

Across the country, companies are increasingly empowering project managers to review budgets and the entire project packet before the client's final sign-off. This practice varies widely—some companies conduct a review only after the job is sold, while others do it beforehand but may not allocate enough time. In many cases, project managers are simply asked...

Restoring a home after a catastrophe like a fire or flood is fairly specialized, not something most remodeling companies do. There are different challenges, like dealing with insurance companies and payouts, so these companies have different perspectives on production. Mike Carey has worked in insurance restoration for 25 years, as well as doing residential remodeling...

Some remodelers want to stay small… just do the work themselves, avoid the challenges that managing a team can bring and just “build things.” However, there are those that embrace the challenge of building their companies, wear all the hats, and make the transition from Carpenter to Business Owner successfully. Tim and Steve welcome Jared...

The hiring process is a big challenge for, well, all of us.   One way to assist in this process is by having a good set of interview questions, and the skills to actively listen to the responses given.  Without these tools, you may find yourself later on wondering how you missed red flags in an...

You don't need a crystal ball to look into the future for your Production Department. A master schedule can give you a predictable look at what's to come, backed up by solid data.  Tim and Steve get insight from Aaron Enfinger, Chief Operations Officer of The Cleary Company. Aaron joined the Columbus, Ohio, design/build remodeling company as...

In the interview process, actively listening is key. But how? And how do we change if we “really need someone”? Then, of course, there are all the other times that when we look back at a difficult situation, whether a client or an employee, we see all the signs of the challenge were there, but...

There's a traditional divide between Sales and Production. It's always a challenge — they have different goals, processes, and personalities. Typically, Production is left out of the conversation when it comes to scope creep, leading to delays and change orders during construction — and disgruntled clients. Will Giesey and his team are changing that situation...

Estimating accurately is critical to the success of any remodeling business. As you grow your business or hand off estimating to an employee, having the right system in place is paramount. It can feel like an overwhelming decision — there's so much software available. The wrong decision will cost you lost revenue, but even worse...

There are many things that can destroy a company. Recession, pandemics, and yes, even growth; especially, if the growth occurs with no planning or control. In the past few years, our economy, and our industry, have grown significantly, and many companies have struggled to keep up. Growth is usually controlled by the amount that a...

The Tim Faller Show aims to shine a spotlight on the diverse efforts within the remodeling industry. Today, we are joined by two accomplished production managers, Peyton Atchison and Solveig Haugland, as they share their inspiring journeys to becoming project managers. Peyton is a project manager at Adams Company, a women-owned and operated remodeling firm...

Imagine you've just finished a job, and as you move the dumpster, it damages the client's driveway. On the Tim Faller Show today, Vaughn Royer shares his strategies for keeping clients happy by taking steps to prevent these giant steel containers from causing any property damage. Vaughn Royer is the Production Manager at Caine+ Company...

Today on The Tim Faller Show, an exciting conversation with Paola Enriquez. This is part 2 of the engaging discussion that Tim and Greg had with her on Season 5 Episode 3. In the previous episode, Paola talked about the upcoming Spanish-speaking training at JLC Live. Now, Paola will share her thoughts on how the...

Do you have a way to be sure that your clients understand the scope and plans of the services you offer? Simply asking for their signature on future plans does not necessarily guarantee that they understand what it is they are signing.  Like many of the topics discussed on this show, there is no magic...

The future of remodeling hinges on the next generation of skilled workers. Tim has previously engaged with teachers who mentor young people in the trades. Our guest today, Gregg Helmich, is one such teacher. Gregg has been instrumental in working closely with students in the trades and has employed unique industry partnerships to enhance the...

Today on the Tim Faller Show, Tim and Greg are joined by David Parraquirre, a presenter at JLC Live this year. They discuss the abundance of skilled craftsmen in the Latino world, particularly in the metro areas where many sub trades comprise diverse cultures. David also provides a recap of the JLC Live Spanish Speaking...

The production professionals that we work with in our Roundtables Peer Group Program for Production Managers are creatively solving problems and finding new ways to manage jobs. Whether it is motivating their teams, finding new way to drive profit or measuring dollars with a new metric, sometimes we just hear about a cool idea. During our fall...

Change can be very elusive. Podcasts, seminars, books, classes, webinars, virtual classes all give us great ideas for improving processes. But how many actually take root and become what we do as a regular habit or process?  Maybe we just don't know how to change, so we substitute other activities.  In a recent training, guest...

Today on the Tim Faller Show, Doug Panozzo joins the show. Doug shares the many facets of incentives and ways he has been successful in motivating his team. Doug is the production manager at Hogan Design and Construction and joined their team in 2017 after several years managing projects for a technology company.  He brings leadership, communication,...

Today on the Tim Faller Show, Tim and Steve go solo to discuss production system shifts and the changing world of the lead carpenter and project manager. Tim talks about the most significant challenge facing the remodeling industry: increasing sales with the lack of skilled labor. The challenge comes from controlling growth with a limited...

On today's episode of the Tim Faller Show, Jake Carter is a guest to discuss how the construction industry can address the challenges of a shortage of skilled trades workers and a lack of training opportunities. Jake advocates for a collaborative approach within local communities, with support from regional and/or national partners. Many local Home...

We welcome guest Emma Kraft to the show to discuss the struggles of bridging the gap in a male-dominated field as both a woman and a daughter.   Emma Kraft is the President of Kraft Custom Construction, Inc., located in Salem, Oregon.  The company was started by Emma's father, Robert Kraft, in 1982. In 2001, he...

We are pleased to welcome Chris Fox today to discuss the process of hiring an estimator in the remodeling industry. Chris Fox is the Sales and Design Manager at Fox Home Innovations located in Manhattan, Kansas. As the company's Director of Design and Sales, Chris is heavily involved with the management of all design projects...

Today on the Tim Faller Show, Paul Cardis of ON3, joins the show to discuss the enormous challenge of proper staffing in the remodeling industry and how proper education, teaching, and coaching can expand the pool of qualified employees and help you retain current ones. Paul states that one of the most effective methods of “training” is to...

In today's competitive business world, preconstruction is a crucial process that can make or break a company's success. Tim and Greg, in their numerous podcasts, have shared valuable insights on how companies can achieve better results by improving their preconstruction process. One of the key factors, they point out, is having in-house designers, which allows...

Nathan Morris and Sara Hadden, seasoned professionals from CG&S Design Build, have crafted a unique approach to processes that helps management control the way things are done, named the CG&S Way. Tim and Greg delve into the origins of this innovative system and how these experts garnered widespread acceptance. Sara Hadden is the Design Manager...

The four-day workweek is becoming a popular trend for companies, especially with the younger generation joining the workforce. While there are arguments for and against this idea, today's episode features Erich Van Cleave discussing how his company has given a unique twist to the four-day workweek. Tune in to discover how this approach can benefit...

Determining the right amount of work for a company can be a challenging task. The industry has tried to define it, but each company has different budgets and employees who may not work at the same pace. Additionally, the completeness of job packets or job information provided by sales/designers can vary greatly in any company....

In a world where technology is constantly evolving, it's easy to overlook the power of traditional communication tools. Take the humble whiteboard, for example. It may seem outdated, but it's actually a highly effective tool for remodeling companies. Tim and Greg discuss why whiteboards could be a good choice for any team looking to communicate...

On today's episode of The Tim Faller Show, Chris Fox is joining us as the guest to talk about the concept of Capacity Beyond Demand. In order to maintain a good budget and client experience, it is important to determine the capacity of each department, as having an over-capacity department can lead to a decrease...

During Episode 21, Tim had a conversation with Ray Hornsby about his journey from being a Lead Carpenter to becoming a Production Manager. Ray is among the few who have successfully made this transition. He has moved up the growth track and is now the proud owner of Hopkins and Porter Construction located in Potomac,...

Scheduling has been a challenge for everyone over the last few years. Scheduling individual jobs is a challenge by itself but adding the sales design process, the job set up, and then the job itself makes the challenge grow exponentially. Getting the sales design process scheduled is a growing trend in an effort to more...

Continuing last week's episode, Join Tim, Greg, and Craig Deimler as they delve into the sensitive topic of firing family members. Learn about the common reasons why letting go of a relative may become necessary and discover invaluable tips from Craig on how to evaluate their performance impartially. Craig also gives advice on how to...

Family members can sometimes bring valuable skills to a company that can help improve it. However, in some cases, it can be seen as favoritism by the owner (usually a parent), who tries to get their son, daughter, or spouse to take on a role without having the necessary skills or qualifications. While hiring family...

On today's episode of the Tim Faller Show, Geoff Clark will join us to talk about the topic of onboarding new hires. He will share the story of how he and the team at Mac Renovations decided to improve their old hiring process and will walk us through the new onboarding process they have implemented....

On this episode of The Tim Faller Show, Candice Rania and Morgan Thomas join the show to answer the question: Can design and production get along? While the production and design teams have the same overall goal of completing a project that will delight their clients, they do it differently. Morgan and Candice talk about...

On this episode of the Tim Faller Show, Tim and Steve discuss the client experience and how to turn clients into raving fans. The client experience is all about how the client feels and not what you do. Tim differentiates the customer service a company provides from how clients perceive that service. Not only do...

On today's episode of the Tim Faller Show, we say goodbye to Steve Wheeler, who has been a Co-Host of the show since its inception. Steve shares his journey in the remodeling industry and how he started his own company. Additionally, Steve takes a trip down memory lane, reflecting on his time spent being part...

We are thrilled to introduce our new co-host, Greg Woleck! As most of you may already know, Tim Faller will be retiring in September of 2024. Therefore, Greg will be joining us as a co-host and will eventually take over the podcast after Tim's retirement. In this episode, Greg talks about his background in production...

On today's episode of the Tim Faller Show, we welcome Trevor Robertson from Innovative Design Build, who will talk about how he uses change orders and how they are coded for cost accounting. Trevor is the Project Manager who oversees the process and communicates the changes with the accounting team. He will also discuss how...

On today's episode of the Tim Faller Show, Tim and Steve are joined by Ian Schwandt to discuss the importance of purchase orders. Although purchase orders have been in use for a long time and are widely used in commercial construction, they are now being increasingly utilized in residential construction as well. Ian sheds light...

One of the most challenging parts of construction is getting the preconstruction part of the job right. Today, on the Tim Faller Show, Dan Purnell and Dan Zimmerman join the show to talk about how they rebuilt this process at Alloy Workshop. Dan and Dan go through some of the red flags they saw before...

Today, on the Tim Faller Show, Billy Dodd shares his insights on accounting for overhead costs in projects based on the expected time of completion for each project. Billy explains how his team uses this approach to manage overhead and execute projects efficiently. He also highlights how he applies the same principles to multiple projects...

On today's episode of the Tim Faller Show, Tim and Steve have a special guest, Paola Enriquez, who talks about a new track at JLC Live. Starting in March 2024, Spanish-speaking workers and owners can access education in their native language at the En Espanol track. This will be presented in Spanish rather than interpreted....

The Tim Faller Show live from Summit! Alison McLennan and Marsha Hanna joined Tim and Steve on stage for a discussion. Alison talked about how McLennan Contracting hired Marsha as a Project Manager, who didn't have any carpentry experience. However, Marsha's non-construction skills made her an excellent choice for the role. They also discuss what...

Today, the Tim Faller Show welcomes Dan Purnell as a guest. Dan will be discussing how his team at Alloy Workshop utilizes GP/Day. He explains what GP is and how Alloy Workshop uses it as a measuring tool. Moreover, Dan differentiates GP/Day from other metrics and its impact on the department. Dan Purnell is a...

What we say is a reflection of what we think, and as clinical counselors will tell you, what we think will dictate how we act. So, how we act will of course dictate success.  Following this logic, words are very powerful factors in our success.  But do we pay attention to those words?  We tend...

Today on the Tim Faller Show, Geno Arroyo joins the show to discuss successful estimating. Geno goes through his process as an estimator for each project from start to finish. Suppose you want a more in-depth breakdown of his methods, including getting labor costs right, then you must attend Remodelers Advantage's Art of Estimating masterclass....

Today on the Tim Faller Show, Tim and Steve talk to Eric Fortenberry, the Founder, and CEO of JobTread Software. While working as a CEO for a General Contracting company, Eric built the first version of JobTread due to the broken processes at the company. Eric gives insights on how he turned the company around...