Diversification is often seen as a growth strategy: When times are great and you’re looking for a way to exponentially increase your volume, offering more services and adding employees is a natural choice. But it seems that remodeling companies who are already diverse in their offerings are poised to better weather the current downturn.

“Remodeling activity has been strong in our area for those companies who already are or are becoming more diverse,” says Allan Terhune Sr., president and owner of ATCO ENT Inc. in Beechwood, N.J., No. 474 on this year’s list. “It’s definitely been better than new construction in our area.”

Terhune says that with the drop-off in new home sales and construction throughout the Northeast, customers are looking to stay in their homes longer and are often undertaking larger, more complex jobs such as room additions and even whole-house remodels. “The specialty firms in our area have to compete on price only. Companies that offer soup-to-nuts service are poised for a stronger presence.”

Terhune says the strongest segment of his business has been with the higher end clients. “They usually want more than just their siding redone. They usually add a few other things to the job as well.”

In markets suffering through slower sales and lowered prices, many remodelers say they still have plenty of potential jobs out there, but those jobs may be harder to get. “People are looking more carefully at remodeling jobs, and price is not the only factor like it may have been a couple years ago. Value is the big word now — both in terms of what the job will bring to the home and what kind of experience you can provide to the customer,” says Terhune.

Josh Baker, president of Bowa Builders (No. 22) in McLean, Va., agrees. “The jobs are still there, but clients are always becoming better educated and more value-focused. Clients are just more careful with their money in times like this.”
Baker also sees an opportunity in the current downturn in that it has flooded the market with many potential employees from other firms who have had to lay off or have gone under. “It’s always a challenge to find and keep the right people, but now’s the time to be aligning teams of the best suppliers, trades, engineers, designers and whoever else you can to deliver an enjoyable experience for the client and add value to a home. It’s what times like these are all about.”