It provides a systematic way of periodically checking in on the top 5 things that will move our plans forward.  As each item is completed a new one takes its place, and each company manager is accountable for completing their action items.

 One aspect of the plan I am really excited about for 2012 has to do with our Employee Owner satisfaction.  We received feedback from our Employee Owner survey (look for an upcoming blog that will address this further), that piqued our interest in Wellness Programs.  We began to study what leading companies are doing to create a healthier environment for their employees, and decided to initiate one of our own.  One of the recommendations from the health and wellness experts is that for any initiative of this nature to succeed, it must be at the highest level of company goals, along with customer satisfaction, financial goals, and other high priorities.

 So that’s what we did.  We included employee owner health and wellness goals into our business plan, and as a result, we have a program in the works, with guidance from a consultant that specializes in corporate wellness.  We’ve established a “Wellness Committee” comprised of five employee owners; Kathy Paul – Chief Estimator, Bella Babot – Director of Marketing, Susan Pines – Finance and HR Manager, Kai Jensen – Project Manager and me, Ciro Giammona – President. We are starting a terrific program requiring a minimum investment of time, and are all excited to be on our way to healthier, happier employee owners and improved productivity.

 So as it turns out, our business plan is actually capable of helping our employee owners fulfill some of their New Year’s resolutions!  How cool is that?

My wife gave me a new coffeemaker as a gift – probably not like one you might be imagining. It amazes me how many different devices have been invented to address the centuries old process of steeping roasted beans in hot water and extracting the part one wants to drink from the waste.

One might think that the best way to do this would have been figured out long ago. Then came dozens of innovative improvements including the percolator, the French press,  Mr. Coffee, the Keurig cup, and now the Aeropress. I have to say, as unusual this thing looks and operates, it makes a really good cup of coffee.

For some, the process of making coffee is partly about the ritual - comfortably repeating a task you’ve done over and over year after year. For others, its about the coffee, and that’s it – “I don’t care how its made; just get me to a Starbuck’s.”  Regardless of the process, its true that it’s basically all coffee, but obviously quality and flavor will vary, and the evolution of the process continues to evolve through innovation.

What does this have to do with remodeling?  Some might say “I don’t care how its done – its just remodeling”. But is it?  Just like the idea of what constitutes good design has changed dramatically in the last century, innovative new materials and methods are being invented all the time.  The ubiquitous cordless screwdriver (and similar tools) has reduced the level of skill required to install a screw, but again, results will vary.  Knowing when to use a screw instead of a nail, what size screw, what type of screw and what material to use and whether to use a cordless or old-fashioned hand-operated screwdriver are all things that come with experience and training.

Nevertheless, innovation can work in everyone’s favor and as a company, we are always on the lookout for new materials and methods on behalf of our clients.  Its also why we strive to sort out the “leading edge” of design and construction technology from the the “bleeding edge”, as we really don’t want the results of our work to be an experiment that our clients end up having to live with or readdress.

I think I’ll go make another delicious cup of coffee now.

In contrast, one of the most effective business practices I can think of is the creation and execution of an annual business plan. This is on my mind because our management team recently approved our plan and each manager is now in the process of fine-tuning their department plans to support our overall plan.

I’ve come to realize that having a plan is good, but the process of creating the plan is probably just as important, and of course the mindfulness and discipline required to carry it out is the most critical part of it all. A finely crafted business plan that ends up gathering dust on a shelf is no better than those long forgotten New Year’s resolutions.

What makes a good plan? Ours has 6 main sections: vision, mission, objectives, strategies, plans and actions. You can think of them as moving sequentially from the grand scheme of the vision with ever-increasing resolution to the actions required to get closer to making the dream come true. Plenty of books and websites illustrate how to create an effective plan and most will suggest it should be concise, even to the point where it will fit on one page. We’ve not succeeded in keeping ours on one page, but we understand the logic of keeping it simple and ours is a little over 2 pages.
Surprisingly, a good plan might not need to change much from year to year. Like a resolution to make a significant lifestyle change, some business plan objectives need several years of persistent effort to get where you want to be.

Our objectives (aka goals) for this year address 5 main areas: customer satisfaction, our employee owners’ satisfaction, tending to our company culture, financial goals and productivity. Having a concise list really helps to stay on track and avoid being distracted or spread too thin.

As I write this, I am pleased with our progress, and continue to address those “resolutions” as we approach the 6th week of 2012. Part II will follow next week.

Ciro Giammona
President
Harrell Remodeling Inc.

I guess I’ve always been kind of a geek, and when I began to study electronics in high school, I was intrigued by the idea that with the invention of photovoltaic solar cells, sunlight light could be converted to electricity. Our teacher told us that they solar cells were fine for powering a transistor radio, but they would never be able to generate enough electricity to power a car.

Now with the passage of time and through the amazing advances in technology, as impossible as it once must have seemed, I can now say that I drive a car that is powered by the sun.

That possibility has been a long time in the making, but when it finally came about, it happened quickly. A couple of years ago, on a lark, I bought a used electric car imported from, where else? – China. It was really only a “glorified prototype” with a top speed of 40 miles per hour, a range of 15 miles, and absolutely no safety features, but it got me back and forth to work in fair weather and made me feel good about reducing my carbon footprint. Every commute day was an adventure, and I felt somewhat like a pioneer, wondering if today was the day that I wouldn’t make it home.

So it wasn’t a huge leap for my wife and I to make a reservation for a Nissan Leaf on the company’s website, as soon as we found out it was possible to do so. One Tsunami and a few months later and we got a call that our all-electric car was on the way.

That’s when the reality of what it would take to charge began to get my attention. It was clear from the beginning that the electricity required would cost less than gas, but based on our electricity usage, we were already in PG&E’s Tier 4, paying 2.6 times our baseline rate by the end of each month. Obviously, an electric car was going to make our electric bill go up even more.

So we began to wonder if this was the right time to consider getting solar panels installed on our home. As a Certified Green Building Professional at Harrell Remodeling, I had already learned a lot about Green remodeling and solar technology, so I knew there would be some great reasons to combine PV and EV (Photovoltaic and Electric Vehicle) in our household, but having just bought a new car, the idea of another large expense was unsettling to say the least.

Working through this with our solar installer and then crunching more numbers on my own, I realized that if I applied the tax credits, rebates and other incentives for the car to the solar along with its own tax credits, rebates and incentives, we would have the solar installation paid off in less than 6 months, leaving only the car payment. Furthermore, with the money saved on gas and the reduction in our electricity use each month, the net outlay for the car would be less than $300 a month. What I had been reading about solar power eventually becoming cost competitive with other methods of generating electricity was coming to pass right before my very eyes.

I suppose I could still be considered an “early adopter” – one those people who are willing to take a chance on a technology until it becomes mainstream. My sense is that all-electric vehicles and new plug-in hybrids are becoming mainstream very quickly. My Leaf effortlessly achieves freeway speeds, gets me to and from work with power to spare and is highly rated for safety with airbags and numerous other features. It’s very quiet and actually a lot of fun to drive, and while in some ways I still feel like a pioneer, I have no doubts that it will get me home.

The main objection that people voice about the Leaf is that it has a maximum of 80 to 100 mile range on a full charge. A couple of statistics that are worth considering is that there is an average of 2.28 cars per household in the U.S., and one of those is driven an average of 29 miles per day. That’s almost exactly how it plays out for our household, and while this thought might be naively simplistic, using that set of stats alone would seem to justify using an electric car or plug-in hybrid to replace half of the cars on the road!

Considering that I’ve been dreaming of the possibility since I was a kid, it is remarkable and rewarding that a sun-powered car has become a reality in my lifetime.

 The dinner and awards ceremony  is commonly regarded as one of the premier events of the year throughout Silicon Valley’s remodeling industry.  It was Wednesday December 14, 2011 at the San Jose Country Club, the event was attended by more than 25 of the industry’s award- winning and top tier design, remodeling and architectural companies .

“It’s an honor to participate in the award process each year” says Ciro Giammona, President of Harrell Remodeling.  “The independent validation of our employee owners’ ongoing commitment to innovative design and remodeling solutions is invaluable feedback, and provides a great deal of pride among each of our forty-six employee owners.”

 Contractors from all over Silicon Valley vie for the awards on an annual basis. All projects submitted for judging were an improvement or an addition to an existing structure, with the exception of one category, “Residential Exterior Specialty.” Otherwise, new construction projects were not eligible.  In addition, competing projects were completed between July of 2010 and September of 2011 and were not submitted in prior NARI contests. An impartial panel of judges who are experts within the industry and associated fields, selected winners based on each entrant’s binders, which include “before and after” photography and project descriptions.  Judging focused on problem solving, functionality, aesthetics, craftsmanship, innovation, degree of difficulty and entry presentation.

 Harrell Remodeling is an employee owned, full-service design + build residential remodeling company based in Mountain View, California. For many Silicon Valley homeowners, they are pleased to be their client’s “contractor for life.” For over twenty-five years they have focused on providing homeowners with innovative design, meticulous craftsmanship and high quality, personalized service.

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Media Contact: Bella Babot

Director of Marketing

Harrell Remodeling, Inc.

650.230.2900

bbabot@harrell-remodeling.com

Hopefully we have purchased some gifts locally to stimulate our community’s economy.  Shopping locally-owned, independent businesses may bring some unexpected rewards.  Unique gifts, quite possibly not found in other locales along with the more obvious benefit of supporting our local shops or businesses are two examples. When they thrive, our community thrives.

 Many families will be considering more modest gifts this year when a gift from them is expected or “required”. I also believe the lists of gifts may be shorter in this economy, though maybe that’s not such a bad thing after all.

How do we give family members who may be in need of so much, something they will really appreciate while preserving their dignity? I have a family member back East who, like so many others, was unemployed for two years and recently obtained a part-time job.  Possibly a gasoline gift card to assist him with the cost of commuting  while waiting for his much needed paycheck would be a very helpful  gift.  Many of us have someone whom we are carefully measuring how to help, and ponder what might be most appreciated in a season when gift giving is customarily expected. 

Many of the gifts I am giving will include chocolate toffee made by a neighbor and client whose remodeled kitchen was enlarged by our company just so she could make more of her glorious homemade holiday candy. Chocolate is almost always welcomed in small amounts, even among us who are calorie conscious.

Buying local, green cuttings for wreaths, or decorating the dining table or stairway seems like a “green” (double green!) choice of gifts. I think we hold onto the tradition of green cuttings for multiple reasons. There is the fragrant smell of fresh holiday sprigs of pine or cedar boughs, the festive feel it lends to our homes or offices and the age old design concept of bringing some alfresco inside so we feel more connected to the outside, especially during our blustery winter weather.

One of my favorite “green” gift traditions is the white elephant gift giving we do at our annual company party. This event is always fun as people really scramble and strategize to obtain a present for which the giver has absolutely no use. This is a great form of “recycling”. Your clutter becomes someone else’s cherished possession.

The other gift giving quandary we all wrestle with is what to give the family member who has everything. This dilemma has yet to be universally solved.

A “green” way to solve this problem might be to make a donation in their name to a charity or non-profit for which their family has an affinity. Certainly the needs of non-profit organizations are at an all-time high, with people donating less when an enlarged number of unemployed Americans are in need of their services, often for the first time in their lives.

Another option would be to give the gift of time. If a family member or friend you love cherishes your presence and you enjoy being with them, that is a treasured gift requiring no purchase. What my late mother-in-law held most dear, was the gift of our coming to sit with her to simply chat or even just quietly keep her company as her once active life slowed considerably in the last six months of her 93 years.  Before she passed away, I made sure to write her a lengthy personal note telling her how she influenced me positively in the 32 years I had known her. She was the one who first taught me the concept of thinking “green”. She was way ahead of her generation in so many ways.

Consider writing a personal note to a special family member or friend who will be honored by your written gift letting them know they have made a lasting impression.

Everyone wants to feel like they have made a positive difference in this world in the form of some kind of “legacy”. I ponder this legacy of “green” thinking that my mother-in-law gave me and wonder how I might carry on her legacy through my own actions while I am still here to enjoy yet another holiday season.

May your holidays be joyfully “green” in every way possible.

 Iris F. Harrell

CEO

Doesn’t that sound like what is currently happening today, except instead of salt, we are talking about OIL? I hope I live long enough to read the history book that explains why oil was no longer what made the world go round. Oil possession may soon no longer be what wars are fought over.

We can either transition from oil to alternative energy in a proactive manner, or we can use every last bit of oil that we can find in the ground and then have our world come to a screeching halt. The latter just doesn’t sound like the way to move forward for the next generations. If we are really going to leave our children a world that’s better off than what we found, we really need to wean ourselves off of this oil addiction. And to do that we need a whole new infrastructure made up of electric charging stations instead of gas stations.

One of the primary ways to live the “post-oil” dream is to get our private vehicles filled up with something other than gas. The cleanest form of alternative energy transportation is electric cars and trucks. Today more than 25% of all cars and light trucks on the road worldwide are in the U.S. “More oil is consumed by internal-combustion engines used in transportation that in any other human activity.” (Christian Science Monitor October 10, 2011)

There are great all-electric and plug-in hybrid cars available with 100-300 miles ranges between charges. Nissan, and our local manufacturer Tesla are producing all-electric vehicles while Ford, Chevrolet and Toyota have plug-in hybrids available now with all-electrics coming soon. The federal government is now encouraging installation of electric charging stations in local communities at no cost to the applicant. And if you install a charging station on your commercial property, it shows up on GPS maps so electric car owners will know where they can park and get a charge with their handy credit card. Every shopping center and every nationwide business chain (such as Denny’s or Applebee’s) should be flooding the government for requests to have charging stations put in their parking lots. City planners are anticipating a traffic jam of plug-ins waiting to be charged. From Seattle to Boston progressive planners are installing thousands of charging stations.

What are the travelers going to do during the half hour or more while their car is charging? They are going to eat or shop or do both and what better news can that be for the American economy? And the cost of charging your car at a charging station is $2.00 an hour and depending on the charge rate, that hour could get you another 100 miles or so down the road. What a bargain!

The other big consideration is that private car ownership is the biggest source of rising energy consumption for transportation. If more high speed rail existed in our country, there would be fewer cars on the road and fewer traffic accidents. Is it really un-American to get in a vehicle that is carrying more than 1 or 2 persons?

We know that the oil addiction we’ve been living with is causing national security issues whenever there is a threat of supply disruption. We know that oil is a limited resource and will be competed for more fiercely with the rise of emerging nations like China, India, and Brazil. We also know that oil is one of the key contributors to global warming.

So what are we doing about cutting our own oil consumption? We live in a progressive community that is known for looking ahead and creating new ways of living. After all, we are Silicon Valley- home of the internet and the iPad.

The transition away from oil for energy is already happening. I, for one, am evaluating which electric car to get in line for. I want to speed up the writing of that book we have all been waiting for… Life After Oil.

Iris Harrell

CEO

Harrell Remodeling