A Note from the VP, Jim Greatorex: March 2022

Published in Home Modifications on March 23, 2022

Happy Spring, everybody!

For everyone in the northern U.S., it’s time to come out of hibernation and get some vitamin D!

This month, I have some quick key announcements to bring your way as we have a lot of projects in the works.

Welcome new corporate partner SanSpaUSA! We are happy to announce a new partnership with SanSpaUSA, wh make a swing open, walk-in tub that is best in-class quality and priced right for your customers. SanSpaUSA offers marketing support to you and your customer, plus installation training for your installers. You can now say yes to consumers who ask about getting a walk-in tub. Stay tuned for an upcoming webinar that launches their program. Meet sales managers Ed and Wayne at the Heartland Conference or later this year at our Building Opportunities Executive Summit Nov. 10-12 in Tampa, FL. 

HomesRenewed update: The home accessibility bill has not been introduced as of this writing, but we do expect it to before March ends. When it does drop, we will be holding a virtual town hall meeting to discuss the bill and it’s content, how we can support it, and action items we all can take to move it forward. A special announcement will be coming with further details.  

Having issues with stairlift price increases and supply chain issues? We are hearing that some manufacturers have had dramatic price increases or significant extension in shipping times. If you are having one or both of these issues, I would highly recommend you connect with LAH partner, Harmar. They are ahead of the game in raw material purchases, and their tireless effort to find the best freight prices have put them in a great position to serve our members well. Timelines for shipping straight stairlifts are less than one week, vehicle lifts are days after order, and VPL’s are averaging less than three weeks. Harmar has had price increases like everyone, but not to the extent that we are hearing from others in the market. Contact Jessica or Jim at LAH and we can connect you to the Harmar rep in your area.

Building an apprenticeship program: We were introduced to an institute that focuses on the construction industry and have agreed to facilitate building an apprenticeship program for the home accessibility industry. A committee of Live at Home members have volunteered to work with us and the institute to build this program. To get and keep great employees, we need to put forth a career path that allows our people to build the skills they need to be successful and the means to get a middle-class career in this industry. We will need your input moving forward. Soon we will be sending a survey out seeking your insights and comments on how we shape this program. We would ask that you take 5- 10 minutes to fill out the survey and help us build a great certified program. We all know our companies are only as good as the employees we have, so let give a path to success as the industry grows.

Save the date: We have secured a spot for our next event for Nov. 10-12 in Tampa, FL. The Building Opportunities Summit will be a bigger event than what we have ever done before. It will include great educational tracks on best practices, sales training, and concurrent installation training from our corporate partners. There will be great networking, exhibits, and some VGM fun. This will be the biggest and best attended event we have ever had, so mark your calendars for this can’t-miss event.

2022 is going to be another great growth year for the industry, and we hope you are as excited as we are. We thank you again for your membership and the great work you do in the communities you serve.

Jim

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