At Sashco, our foundation, all we do and decide, every bit of our direction, is built around five foundational values: truth, trust, care, forgiveness, and respect. We’ve been operating by these core values for more than 85 years.
When we were developing our values, the subject of care came up. Do we care about each other? Who do we need to care about? As we looked back at our discussions, we realized that, in a way, we were debating over who we didn’t have to care about! That realization made our answer crystal clear: yes, we do need to care, and care must be all-inclusive.
Sure, that’s easy to say, but what does that look like on a practical level? Let’s be honest. No one always likes everyone they work with. Does that mean we can’t still care about them? Absolutely not. Does all-inclusive care mean there’s never conflict? Negative ghost-rider. Conflict is often a necessary part of progress. Without contrasting ideas, it’s almost impossible to truly drive innovation. Can you engage in caring conflict? You bet!
Living and working by values like care mean you assume, look for, and point out the best in your team. Care means working together for the company’s and the customer’s greater good, rather than stepping on heads to get ahead. Showing care demonstrates the values we hold. It tells the truth, it trusts and respects others and their ideas, and it’s quick to forgive.
To be a company driven by care, though, you must go beyond just the team’s inner workings. You must demonstrate and extend all-inclusive care to everyone with whom you interact. Our shipping team cares about the UPS and FedEx guys who pick up from us each day. Our customer service team cares about the stressed-out homeowner on the phone who desperately needs a little guidance. Our sales team cares equally about the buying manager and the sales floor clerk.
Kindness is a bit of a buzzword. It’s simple to talk about being kind. Care, though…care requires putting kindness into action, even when it’s not easy. And when care isn’t shown, it means making it right. The right thing is often the hard thing, but the worthy thing.
How can you reduce callbacks for repair jobs?
We talked to high-performance builder, Matt Risinger of the Build Show to see what tips he had to share.
What do six months in the field working as a warranty manager teach you? Two things, callbacks are common and costly!
That was the eye-opening experience that taught Matt Risinger why high-performance products truly matter. Matt and his team have been building architecturally driven homes that meet the highest standards of craftsmanship, durability, efficiency, and comfort. As host of the “Build Show,” he has become a nationally recognized expert in building science and high-performance construction. Through education and practice, Matt is driven to elevate the standards of the building industry.
Benefit from Matt’s experience with some of his top tips for avoiding the pain of callbacks.
Material selection is VERY important!
It’s one thing to filter callbacks as the warranty manager for a prominent builder. It’s a very different beast when the company is your own. Customers aren’t calling a warranty manager. They’re calling you! After making many costly mistakes, Matt realized that not all products are created equal. Especially when it comes to caulk and sealants, Matt’s top tip is to draw a hard line for durability and reliability. Matt explains that “When it comes to selecting a sealant, I’m always asking myself, ‘Is this going to be better than what I’ve used? And will it be lasting and durable?” You feel a well-built home when you walk in. So does your customer. A high-performance sealant matters big time.
To learn more about high-performance sealants watch this Sashco & Build Show Webinar:
Think long-term.
You know the scenario. You’re standing in the caulking aisle. There are countless choices. Do you choose the tube that runs you a couple of bucks, or do you opt for a high-performance sealant that will last? Even if it means paying two or three times more? According to Matt, a high-performance caulk like Big Stretch pays dividends well worth a few extra dollars. “I started using Big Stretch because it created very few callbacks. I love Big Stretch. It’s a little more than a commodity product that will look great the day you install them. But one month, one year, five years later, it’s going to look very different. A high-performance product has to adhere well, bend, and stay flexible and elastic. Low-cost products may have one quality. Big Stretch is the one that has all three. Easy choice.,” explains Matt.
Coach the customer!
You’re the pro! Your customer depends on you to help educate and guide them. They have input on the budget, yes. But what they want is excellent work. Help your client understand why product selection is essential and how the minimal cost of high-performance products ultimately gives them what they desire most, a well-built house to enjoy for years. Matt encourages you to translate his experience to your customers. He says, “I’ve experienced a lot of failures in my 25-plus years in business. Those mistakes have driven me to want to pick the right sealant for the application. Regardless of cost, because how much does it cost to come back and redo caulk that’s failed? Probably several hundred and a man’s day of work. Not to mention my reputation and the trust of my customers. It’s just not worth it.”
Are you a pro passionate about high performance? Want more tips about how to sell that passion to your customers? Watch the entire episode of Les’s Corner!
Be sure to follow us on social to keep up with how Matt Risinger and other pros like to use our high-performance products.
We are all experiencing product shortages caused by disruptions to the supply chain and a lack of labor in the workplace.
The result is empty shelf space.
How do you navigate this?
Instead of calendar-driven resets, be nimble around your supply flow. Consider quarterly resets or just allocating a portion of shelf space to in and out products that you place as you secure.
Bring in off-shelf products to fill gaps in your assortment temporarily.
Offer store associate and shopper education on products that can be substituted, via email, website, and in-store communication.
Sashco is here to help!
See this webinar and tech bulletin explaining sealant technology swaps pros can make as they navigate shortages.
Print this Sealant Technology Swap Cheat Sheet for in aisle.
Ah, summer. The moneymaker! You’re in the thick of the busy season. It’s easy to get caught up and put off planning for leaner times. Don’t make that mistake! One of the wisest ways to prepare for the slower season is to build value-added services into your business now. These four “all-season” money-making services keep your bottom-line consistent and strong all year long.
As a contractor, pricing your services is one of the most important keys to business survival…and one of the most difficult to master. Charge too little and your business won’t make it; charge too much and you risk losing business to competitors. We’ve all been there, and we feel your pain.
Do you want to grow your contractor business with great marketing, but don’t want to break the bank? We’ve got you covered with three of the best contractor marketing tips that won’t break the bank.
First, understand inbound marketing!
Inbound marketing is more of a methodology than a list of strategies and campaigns. Inbound marketing aims to attract prospective clients to your business versus going out to find them with traditional marketing like email lists, cold-calling, advertisements, and direct mail. Inbound marketing entices your audience to “opt-in” to your marketing. The best news of all? Modern inbound marketing is much more affordable than traditional marketing, making it the best approach for small to mid-sized businesses. The following three inbound marketing techniques are realistic and effective.
We devote a lot of time sharing what to do to make your business more successful. This month, we’re sharing four things smart business owners should avoid doing!
Every month we feature a contractor, business, or success story. Learning from others in the biz is the best kind of learning. This month, discover why WoodTeks is one of the best in log home finishing.
Meet Jason Benge with WoodTeks, LLC out of Jonesville, NC. Summer busy-ness is in full swing, so we’re grateful for the time that Jason with WoodTeks, LLC spent with us, sharing more about his business in North Carolina.
Are you wondering what the secret is to running a successfully family business? Here’s everything you need to know!
It is challenging running a family business successfully. After 84 years in business, the Sashco family knows what it takes to succeed!
Here’s what Les Burch said when we asked him, “Les, if you could only give one piece of advice to someone running a family business, what would it be?”
What We’ve Done Well.
We have made mistakes over the years for sure, but we have done at least one thing right and it was intentional. You should never hire family members should solely because they are family. This is the one of the most common mistakes family businesses make. It’s a natural mistake because inherent in the concept of ‘family business’ is the fact that several family members work in the business, through many generations.
Nothing can hold a family business back more than a family member, especially in a key position, who is not suited well for their job. They cause discouragement among other employees and sometimes the loss of good ones.
The original Sashco family.
Give “The Speech.”
Before you ever hire your first family member, set clear ground rules. Here’s the speech — “Because you are family, we’d love to have you work here, but we aren’t pressuring you to do so. We will only hire you if you fit the job. Like anyone else, you must have the talent and skills needed to fulfill the position. You will go through our formal interview and decision process. If you get this job, you will know we would hire you even if you weren’t a family member. We won’t put you in a position just because you are family and rob you of knowing you are a respected contributor to our team.
You will receive our regular market wage and start at a scale commensurate with your experience and performance. And, you will be on the same bonus and incentive programs as our other company members. Because you may also be a part-owner of this company, we want you to understand that ownership and job duties are separate concepts with distinct reasons for income.
Owners get distributions, and employees get wages — don’t confuse them. If you are an owner and we declare a distribution, you will get that whether you are employed here or not. If you get a distribution and are also an employee, it won’t subtract anything from your regular wages or bonus.”
The crucial “Bs.”
Family businesses are often put in a bind because family members expect to get awarded positions and income just because they are family. Doing this hurts the enterprise and, ultimately, all the family members. With missed opportunities and when profits decline, the business suffers.
Be fair, be intentional, be a business at work and a family at home. This advice will help protect your business and your relationships.
Don’t compromise at the end of a long and arduous journey by using an inferior stain not designed for logs. Capture and Cascade deliver performance worthy of the journey that got you here.
Moves with your logs and timbers
Won't hide the wood grain
Easy clear coat maintenance with Cascade(R) exterior clear coat
Backer Materials that Seal Things Right the First Time Backer Rod, Grip Strip, and Log Gap Cap all help you create the ideal joint desing for a long-lasting, durable seal
Logs are in constant dynamic motion. That's why there's Log Builder®, the sealant made for log structures. Stretches up to 500% of original size, while still maintaining tenacious adhesion to the wood.
When other chinking pulls away, Log Jam holds its seal With Log Jam chinking, you can keep the cozy feel and rustic look of a log home without compromising comfort and performance.
Easy to Use - Hard to See Keep out weather, bugs, and moisture without seeing it. Conceal disappears into the woodwork so you don't know the wood starts and the caulk begins.
It's Music to the Eyes Symphony works in harmony with the unique character of your logs and wood to reflect an atmosphere or cozy warmth and elegance while creating and scuff-resistant and durable surface that's easy to dust.
Right Color. Right Quantity. Right Now. Never run out of stain at the jobsite again. Stock exactly what you need in your truck or trailer at the jobsite.
Easy to mix
The same color, durability, and application you've come to expect from Capture Log Stain and Transformation Log & Timber
Maintenance Made Easy Now that Capture® Log Stain is applied, it’s time for Cascade® Clear Topcoat to bring out the depth and character of your unique woodgrain while protecting it against moisture, mildew, and algae. Predictable and affordable routine maintenance with Cascade throughout the years means your home stays protected and beautiful. Easy!
Keep the Color the Color Colorfast delivers the ideal canvas for stain application and leaves behind the strong foundation necessary for long-lasting color. It’s color confidence for your log home.
Rot, weather, insects, fungi all pose a serious threat to your logs. Protect your investment—treat your logs first to make them last. Tim-bor® helps protect your home from the costly damage caused by rot and insect infestation.
Bugs don't stand a chance
Easy to mix and apply
Prevents decay fungi
Costs 5 times less than glycol-based borate products
Remove Wood Felting and Raised Grain Remove wood fuzz (called felting) after power washing or media blasting, and knock down excessive raised grain with Sashco's finish sanding tools
Clean and brighten bare logs and wood, remove surface dirt, pollen, and kill mold for maintenance, and keep your logs looking fresh with CPR Log Cleaner and Brightener
