by Forbes Magazine Many home improvement projects don’t add value to your home, especially in a down market. In fact, some improvements can even detract from the asking price when you decide to sell. On the other hand, some projects can add significant value to your home. So which home improvement projects should you invest
When you do business in a small, close-knit, rural community like Taneytown, Md., you have to make sure to do it right. If you do, people will talk. And if you don’t, people will talk even more. That’s why the principals at J.R. LeFaivre Construction Co. make sure the approximately 70 jobs they do per
Who wouldn’t like to gain the equivalent of an extra work day per week, speed up employee training, reduce mistakes increase sales and profits, sleep better and take two real vacations every year? Thanks to a 250-page three-ring binder on his desktop, Matt LeFaivre of J.R. LeFaivre Construction, Taneytown, MD, says he is enjoying all
Remodeling magazine Writer: Matthew LeFaivre A few years ago, Michael Gervais, owner of Prime Construction in Burlington, Vt., was putting an addition on a house and was trying to match the color of the shingles for the new roof. It just so happened that the homeowner had saved half a bundle when the house had
Remodeling magazine For Jim LeFaivre, 55, there was never any question as to who would take over J.R. LeFaivre Construction Co.: It would be his son, Matt, 27. Matt proved himself a worthy partner over the past seven years, doubling sales from $900,000 to $1.8 million. Jim LeFaivre invested well for his own retirement, putting
Remodeling magazine Writer: Jim Cory North Carolina remodeler David Tyson sees them all the time down at beachfront properties on the coast. “Somebody gets a bright idea: Why not put a deck up there? But with no thought to loads, weight, or waterproofing.” He’s talking about decks that are built over existing living space. And
Remodeling magazine Writer: Jim Cory Matt LeFaivre, of LeFaivre Construction, in Taneytown, Md., is “a vinyl guy.” That means, he says, that “I specify vinyl exclusively unless something else is requested.” And from the manufacturer whose products he uses, LeFaivre says he wants “things that we consider standard.” For instance, argon gas between panes, low-e
Remodeling magazine Writer: Matthew LeFaivre My dad, Jim LeFaivre, formally began the exit process in 1999 after he’d owned the J.R. LeFaivre Construction Co. for 23 years. But I believe he had a plan in mind long before he actually set things in motion. This began the long goodbye. I joined the company full time
Source: REPLACEMENT CONTRACTOR Magazine LITERATURE AND LAMPS: SILENT SCREEN Selling aids will enhance your credibility accordingly. For instance, when selling a window job, Maryland contractor Matt LeFaivre, of LeFaivre Construction in Taneytown, gives homeowners information on low-E and other aspects of the wood and vinyl windows his company installs. “They read while I’m measuring,” he
