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Milwaukee/NARI Members Say Supporting Local Remodeling Contractors has a Riplle Effect in the Community

MILWAUKEE – Hundreds of communities across the state embraced Small Business Saturday – the Saturday after Thanksgiving – as they patronized the smaller merchants in their community. Founded by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday is an effort to dedicate a portion of holiday shopping to local, independently owned small businesses. Making a difference to the local economy not just on Small Business Saturday, but every day, are members of the Milwaukee/NARI Home Improvement Council – many of whom are small business owners who know that when a small business does well, the community does well too. Susie Feia and her husband, Duane, have owned Feia Construction, Waukesha, for 28 years. “We are very supportive of our local community and we try to use all local resources. We like to support people in our community because they are the ones doing business with us. It is a mutual relationship,” Susie Feia said. “The nice thing about working with a local small business is they live in your community, they are invested in your community. For example, not only are you supporting us as a design-build firm, you are also supporting all our trades people involved in the project who also live in the community,” she said. “It’s true that when consumers spend money with a Milwaukee/NARI contracting business, they are supporting a lot of different individuals in the community,” said Bill Wandsnider, owner of Wandsnider Landscape, Menomonee Falls and the Milwaukee/NARI Treasurer. Wandsnider has been designing landscapes for local businesses and homeowners for more than 30 years. “I don’t outsource. My staff is from the community and most of my materials come from suppliers in the community,” he said. “There becomes this tremendous ripple effect of a dollar that is spent with a small contracting company continues to be re-spent with other small contractors or suppliers in the community. The paycheck I get from my business means that I will spend with other businesses in the community. “When people are spending money with small local businesses, it comes back in full circle and benefits them in some fashion. That is very different if you buy a product that is shipped in from overseas. There is nothing that stays locally as much as buying from a small contractor. All my business expenses stay right within the community,” Wandsnider said. Local Professional People Doing Professional Work Consumers also benefit from the certification process many Milwaukee/NARI members attain, and those credentials are respected throughout the industry. The NARI certification program recognizes that the contractor has met certain criteria for experience, commitment to ethical conduct, and professionalism. “Members of NARI are true professionals. They work hard on their business and provide a service to the customer in an organized and cohesive manner so the customer knows they are getting quality products,” Wandsnider said. Like many small businesses, Milwaukee/NARI contractors rely on referrals. “We work almost 100 percent through referrals,” Feia said. “We like the relationships we’ve developed with our clients over the years […]

Dec 3rd, 2014 by NARI Milwaukee