Wade grew up on a farm in Indiana. In addition to being a farmer, his dad was a woodworker. Wade enjoyed working alongside his dad doing basic repair on barns and houses. While in high school, Wade also worked for his uncle, who was an electrician. He took some drafting classes and decided to go to college to become an architect.

Then he met his lovely wife, Carol. They got married and instead of college, Wade took on a job as a tool and die maker so he could put Carol through school. He really enjoyed this type of engineering, and ended up starting his own tool and die company. His company custom designed and built specialty equipment for use in the auto industry. “I spent the largest part of my career—35 years to be exact—in this field,” Wade explains.

After a lifetime of working and also raising their son and daughter during those harsh Indiana winters, Wade and Carol decided to move south where it was warmer. Wade sold his company and moved to North Carolina, spending his first year and a half remodeling the home they purchased in Hickory.

Then Wade started looking around this area for a job position with a residential home building company. He heard so many good reports about Vision Design Build Remodel that it piqued his interest and he emailed Cody Byrd. After a full day on the job, Wade impressed Cody with his skills and he was hired full time as VDBR’s Lead Carpenter.

As far as Wade’s main job responsibilities, he interacts daily with our customers. He has the ability to converse face-to-face with clients and manage their concerns. He understands how important it is to keep clients informed and guide them through the remodeling process, as he also guides the team through the process. “Customers must be satisfied,” Wade insists. His technical skills of running projects, planning, and organizing have caused Shirley Rhymer, VDBR’s office manager, to remark:

“Wade is an anomaly in the construction business!” 

“I was careful—very selective—when choosing a company to work for,” Wade declares. “I was very impressed with the quality and reputation of Vision Design Build Remodel. I appreciate the type of work they do, their commitment to quality and their all around experience. Earlier in my life I enjoyed building custom machinery according to my client’s vision. It was exciting! Now I’m working with the same concept as we build and remodel homes.”

Outside of work, Wade enjoys spending time with his family. He especially likes to explore the miles and miles of gorgeous hiking trails this area offers. He also loves to cook, experimenting with new international dishes from Mexico, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and India. When he eats at a specialty restaurant, he will often come home and try to recreate the dish in his own kitchen. One of Wade’s hobbies is to use reclaimed materials—such as wood or metal—to build furniture on the side for other people.

In October, Wade plans to travel to Peru with “Be the Change Volunteers” (BTCV) to help build an administrative office for a public school in a village along the Amazon River. Keep watch for photos of his mission trip in our upcoming eNewsletter.

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Rodrigo was born in New York City, but his family moved to this area when he was just ten years old. He’s been living in North Carolina since that time and considers Hickory his hometown. 

His dad works in the construction field, so while Rodrigo was growing up he was exposed to the construction process and began to comprehend it. “I think looking at projects as a kid sparked my interest in the field,” explains Rodrigo. On top of that, he was always interested in art and design. He remembers taking one or two classes every semester in high school because he enjoyed the classes so much. 

Rodrigo recently graduated from Western Carolina University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Interior Design and a minor in art. In school he was mostly interested in residential interior design courses. After taking many classes, and his summer internship with Walker Woodworking in 2017, he realized residential interior design was definitely his goal for his future occupation. During his senior year at WCU, he had the honor to be awarded the Rising Star in Interior Design Award by the International Furnishings and Design Association.

Because of the passion Rodrigo felt for residential interior design, he decided to apply for the position of interior designer at Vision Design Build Remodel. “At VDBR I knew I would be able to explore my creativity and learn more about the field,” Rodrigo emphasizes. “I also knew I wanted to work for a smaller construction firm because they always have a welcoming environment. After speaking to Cody, I realized this would be a great opportunity to start my career in the residential design field.”

Rodrigo’s main responsibility at VDBR is designing all the interiors of our projects. He designs functional spaces that meet our clients’ needs and wants by completing design interviews, specifying materials and finishes, etc. Recently there was a remodeling project that offered Rodrigo a bit of a challenge. The space allowance for the kitchen was small, so designing and configuring a new functional kitchen took a great deal of serious thought. He collaborated with Cody and explored different kitchen layouts to see which design worked the best. Rodrigo eventually finalized the perfect design.

“Here at Vision Design Build Remodel I am creative and motivated to do my best work,” Rodrigo affirms. “I believe with collaboration, we can conquer any project. My favorite thing about working at VDBR is the work environment. Every day in the office is a good and welcoming day.”

Whenever Rodrigo has free time, he especially enjoys painting, drawing pen and ink illustrations, and going on day trips with his friends.

If you are considering a home remodeling project, contact VDBR at 828.292.0615 or visit our website. Our creative interior designer, Rodrigo, is here to help you plan your vision.

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Why it’s important to choose the right contractor

The Case of “I’ll Be My Own Contractor”: We often hear about homeowners who coordinated their own remodeling or construction projects. This has been on the rise as do-it-yourself home-improvement shows become more and more popular, with Pinterest boards and HOUZZ pages showing “DIY” ideas with picture-pretty results (often achieved with professional help). And Hey! who doesn’t want to save a little money; why not be your own general contractor?

More often than not, this decision ends up creating a disaster and we get the call to clean up the mess. If you don’t work with trade contractors all the time, it’s difficult to know their work ethics. When you’re in the business, you know which subcontractors (such as plumbers, electricians and excavators) are reliable, dependable and capable of establishing a good working relationship. A good contractor knows who to trust and who will do a top notch job for you.

The Case of “Choose the Cheap One”: While we’d never buy a cheap pair of shoes and expect them to hold up over time, or allow our children to drive a vehicle without a valid license, it’s amazing how many folks will hire the cheapest contractor they can find and–too often–one without a license and insurance. Often, these “contractors” are people who’ve worked as a laborer or a framer for a short period of time and decide that they’re ready to start their own business. When you get the bid, you’re pleased to see how much this person/company says they can save you. You may even see “licensed, bonded and insured” on their business card or ad.  I have met people who say, “I have a driver’s license and my van is insured, that’s why it’s on the business card”.  They wouldn’t know what a proper contractor’s license or a worker’s comp policy looks like even if they’ve seen one! 

At first things may seem fine. In a day or two, a worker shows up and starts measuring, or a small load of material is delivered to the job site. Then the excuses begin. After a week has passed, with no work being done, you call your unlicensed contractor. You leave a message. You don’t get a response. After multiple messages, you get an apologetic call telling you about some catastrophe involving his truck, his family, his help or another job he just had to complete. He promises to get right on your job the next day. A week later, he still hasn’t shown up, or he does show up and says he needs more money.

Sound crazy? It happens every day. Work that is done turns out to be shoddy or won’t pass inspection/isn’t up to code. Fly-by-night “contractors” take your hard-earned money and disappear. The customer has no recourse but to try to find the unlicensed “contractor” and take him to court. Sadly, we get calls each month from people who chose the wrong contractors–companies or individuals with little capital and less experience who have no external verification of their quality, service, ethics and customer satisfaction. Never hire a contractor without checking out the company’s record.  

This is another reason why we utilize the Design/Build method and fixed contract pricing! Choose the right contractor from the start. It’s important to be able to trust your contractor. We’re proud of our A+ Better Business Bureau rating, membership in professional organizations and our customer satisfaction awards over a span of many years! Our solid reputation, dependability and good work ethics are three of the most important reasons for choosing Vision Design Build Remodel as your contractor.

Visit our website to read the reviews on GuildQuality from our happy clients!

The post NO CONTRACTOR? WRONG CONTRACTOR? appeared first on Vision Design Build Remodel, Lenoir NC.

The exterior of the building has custom fiber cement siding, cedar piedmonts in the gables, and extensive custom rock and masonry work.  The rock tapered columns are topped with real stone slabs cut to our specs.  Cedar posts and bracing hold up the front porch.  The front porch has a cathedral tongue and groove beaded pine ceiling.  We have new seamless aluminum guttering and a architectural shingle roof. The lap and shake siding was finished with Sherwin Williams paint and Superdeck stain for durability.  Do you like our color choices on the paint? Black trim is very popular right now!  We have installed a Fiberon deck featuring some of their superior composite decking and railing products.  We have a mahogany entrance door to invite you in with a craftsman style cast iron door handle.  We installed a custom ‘made to order’ wrought iron railing system on the front entry. Don’t miss our lighted sign post with the cedar pergola surrounding it.  With the new sidewalks and accessible ramp, you can part on either side of the building!

The post Design – Build – Remodel Studio for Lenoir, Hickory, and Morganton Opening in Early March! appeared first on Vision Design Build Remodel, Lenoir NC.

At the 21st century Expo, we were able to meet with First Vice Chair Randy Noel with the NAHB.  He had met with President Trump earlier that day to watch a executive action in signing important health care agenda for associations.  The expo was filled with new products that we are researching to make sure they’re exactly what our clients need.   We attending a lunch and learn with Brent Gleeson, former Navy seal team member, who spoke on Teamwork.  It was one of the best we have ever attended.  His statement “All in, All the time” resonates with Vision DBR on the importance of being in tune with our company processes and our cliant’s projects.

In Nashville at the Remodeling Expo, we attending many new ‘hands on’ product sessions as well.  We met Mike Holmes from the TV “Holmes on Homes” and “Homes Inspections” and were able to sit in on a Schluter System presentation on tile showers.  Cody has always enjoyed watching Mike Holmes on TV, because he shares real home improvement information and showcases many products that we use at Vision DBR.

Cody says “Some home shows on TV give our clients false reality, like remodeling a entire home for $15,000.00 in 30 minutes”.

We want to set realistic expectations on your projects.  We are the experts in the industry and want you to feel like one too when it comes to home renovations!

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I am excited to introduce Vision Design Build Remodel’s new Lead Carpenter, Timothy Swink. Tim lives in Morganton, NC where he was born and grew up. His grandparents raised him on their family farm, so he learned how to care for chickens, cattle and other farm animals. His grandfather was also a master mason and a master carpenter, while his uncle was a master carpenter as well. As a little boy Tim’s passion was for doing construction and building things. Already at that young age he was determined to follow in his grandfather’s and uncle’s footsteps.

The Morganton school system offered many opportunities to learn the trades, and Tim took advantage of everything he could. In 8th grade he had shop, and he was fortunate to have four years of carpentry in high school, even though students normally were not allowed into carpentry classes until they were Juniors. He took block mason classes as well. “As a part of a high school carpentry class, I helped construct the roof over the dugouts at the baseball field of the new Table Rock Middle School,” Tim remarked.” That was was a wonderful hands-on learning experience!”

During Tim’s senior year, he spent half-days doing carpentry projects for his uncle. After graduation he went to work for his uncle full time building homes. When his uncle passed away, Tim got a carpentry job with Jack Lackey who was one of his most influential mentors in the home industry. He also worked for other contractors who specialized  in log home construction.  Later he branched out and specialized in plumbing as well as metal work for other companies. Then he signed on with Master Installs and traveled for five years all over the country remodeling multi-family housing and apartments. Tim loved being able to gain experience in so many different facets of the construction industry. “I’ve done a little bit of everything, including cabinets, solid surface countertops, and plumbing/lighting fixture changeouts” Tim declared.

Finally after five years on the road, Tim decided it was time to move back home to Morganton so he could spend more time with his family. For a year and a half he completed contract work for Home Depot and Sears. Then he learned about the opportunity to work for Vision Design Build Remodel. Tim has been working as our Lead Carpenter since July and I feel so blessed to have him as a part of our team.

“What attracts me to VDBR is the excellent quality of the work we produce,” Tim explained. “Anything that is required to build a 100% top quality project is made available for the job. And if it takes an extra day to make sure a project is just right, we will do it. It pays off in the long run. I also appreciate VDBR’s values, morals, family atmosphere, and high respect for our clients.”

Tim’s main responsibility is making sure our clients are pleased and satisfied with respect to the work that is going on at their homes. This means he communicates with them on a regular basis to keep them informed about what has been accomplished on a particular day and what plans are on the schedule for the following days. In addition to this, Tim does demo work, finished carpentry, schedules the trades and subs, and confirms that all the materials are ordered and in place.

As Tim looks back over his many years of construction experience, he’s very grateful for all the knowledge he’s gained from so many people he’s worked with. “Every project has its challenges and requirements to complete the work,” Tim admits.  “Learning the tricks of the trade from others is very important to success. I’ve been supervisor over four or five people in the past who at the time didn’t have a clue, but now they are trade supervisors themselves. I always say that instead of asking for money, ask for knowledge and you’ll eventually receive more money than you would have otherwise. Knowledge is everything.”

When he’s not at work, Tim enjoys farming, hunting and fishing along with his 13 year old daughter who is an 8th grader at Liberty Middle School. They raise a variety of animals, such as pigs and chickens. His 19 year old son served in the National Guard after graduating from high school. Now he has a great job working for Gaston county. Tim is very proud of his two kids!

We are so lucky to have Tim on our team.  He is a dedicated and loyal team member.  He brings lots of knowledge and motivation to our company! Tim truly know what it means to be a great skilled carpenter.  Welcome Tim!

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