Milwaukee/NARI Members Celebrate 50 Years of Commitment to the Consumer

The Milwaukee Chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) recently recognized three member companies that marked 50 years of membership in Milwaukee/NARI: Auer Steel & Heating Supply Co. in Milwaukee, J.D. Griffiths Co., Inc. in Milwaukee, and Quickflash Heating & Cooling Services in Milwaukee.

Milwaukee/NARI is an association of more than 700 members, dedicated to the home improvement and remodeling industry in southeastern Wisconsin. Through its seminars and training courses, it helps contractors become more adept at managing their businesses, and also more knowledgeable about good practices and new technology.

“NARI has always been a great partner for Quickflash,” said Kevin Voight, who represents the company, which sells and services heating and cooling systems. “Milwaukee/NARI members have been a source of great ideas for us. The HVAC business has changed a lot since I started and NARI’s changed with it. Buyers are more knowledgeable and demanding than ever and we have to be ‘at the top of our game’ at all times. NARI helps us do just that.”

One of the benefits of Milwaukee/NARI is the name recognition by consumers that a Milwaukee/NARI member is someone who meets the association’s stringent criteria for expertise, a commitment to high standards of practice and NARI’s Code of Ethics.

“Milwaukee/NARI really looks out for the consumer,” said Bob Griffiths, whose father started the custom garage building company in 1947. “We’ve had people comment that when they learned we were involved with NARI, it provided them a comfort level that work would be done correctly and professionally.”

NARI member companies benefit from the opportunity to network with each other, learn new methods of operation, and rely on other professionals and affiliated businesses, such as insurance and financing.

“There are many resources for the contractor to be educated about agreements, negotiation of contract issues, and good business practices. We are utilizing all that information in our business,” Griffiths said. “I think NARI gets better and better every year.”

Joe Curtes is Director of Product at Auer Steel, a family-owned full-service distributor of indoor comfort products. “We’ve been a distributor for 74 years and a member of Milwaukee/NARI for 50. We’ve been a part of it for such a long time because our contractors, who are our customers, are involved in it. It benefits us to be there for them. We work with our contractors about what the best products are that make people comfortable in their home.”

Curtes said the consumer has changed in that the demand for a product or service is always immediate. “We live in a now environment,” he said. “New technology and technical advancements are hitting the market every day. Customers are more and more reliant on us to educate them about what is in the marketplace and availability of products.”

In addition to its other services, Milwaukee/NARI’s annual Home Improvement Show in February and Fall Home & Remodeling Show in September, both at Wisconsin Exposition Center at State Fair Park, gives contractors and suppliers a wide audience to showcase their products and services.

“We’re among the few who are original to the Home Improvement Show,” said Griffiths. “Those shows have always delivered a lot of customers and good relationships for us.”

Said Curtes: “Milwaukee/NARI puts on very nice home improvement shows and we support our contractor customers who exhibit there. At the end, we are all in the same family.”

The Milwaukee/NARI Home Improvement Council was chartered in July 1961, as a Chapter of the National Home Improvement Council. In May of 1982, the National Home Improvement Council merged with the National Remodelers Association to form NARI – the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.

The Council’s goals of encouraging ethical conduct, professionalism, and sound business practices in the remodeling industry have led to the remodeling industry’s growth and made NARI a recognized authority in that industry. With over 740 members, the Milwaukee Chapter is the nation’s largest.

For more information or to receive a free copy of an annual membership roster listing all members alphabetically and by category, and the booklet, “Milwaukee/NARI's Remodeling Guide,” call 414-771-4071 or visit the Council’s website at www.milwaukeenari.org.