In a year when large building and construction companies still felt the economic ripples of a hard-hit industry, Brian Zeis, president of Anjer Construction, said the small size of his business gave them a strong advantage.
“Because we’re not staff heavy, our overhead is much lower,” he said. “That allows us to be more flexible with our customers and more involved in every step of the process.”
Anjer Construction was incorporated in Georgia in 1985 and has since been engaged in building, remodeling and home repair in the greater Atlanta area. Brian, who began his building career working in Los Angeles, is a member of Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association and National Association of the Remodeling Industry.
In communities like Decatur where Anjer does most of their work, it’s the personal familiarity that makes the small business such a success. Because the team at Anjer is small, homeowners know exactly who will be in their homes at all times. And, because they are well-known among the neighbors where they work and their customers recommend them via word of mouth, Anjer hasn’t felt the need to do any major advertising aside from job signs, which helps keep their overhead low.
While the economy has effected the size of his jobs in the past few years, Brian is now seeing people base their decisions on long-term savings rather than short term cost-cutting.
“A new product trend we’re seeing in 2011 is the use of foam insulation,” he said. “Sure, it costs more up-front, but the temperature and insulation difference is noticeable from the moment we put in the foam. The energy reduction is a big plus here.”
From kitchen remodels to full additions, Brian says his favorite projects to work on are the ones where the homeowners get more involved, even working alongside Brian on things they have experience or interest in doing. “A customer on one of our current projects is building the deck outside of the renovation we’re doing,” said Brian. And if a customer has a particular subcontractor in mind for part of the job, Anjer Construction is willing to work with them. “We have a great list of partners that we’ve been working with for 20 years on electric, plumbing, etc., but if the homeowner has someone else in mind, we are always willing to adapt.”
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