Almar Building and Remodeling has been providing home remodeling services for residents on the South Shore for over 60 years. In a recent interview with General Manager and Partner, Allison Quinn Guido, she mentioned that Almar also does home additions and custom-built homes, in addition to the remodeling work they’re known for.
In 1959, Gerald Quinn, Allison’s grandfather, founded Almar. At the time, he was an insurance salesman and was getting the same question from a number of his clients – “Do you know anyone who does home repairs?” According to Allison, her grandfather thought he could provide home repair services that were sought by so many. With a partner in the construction business, they started Almar. The gentlemen even named the business after their wives – Alice, Gerald’s wife, and Mary, his partner’s wife.
When asked what Allison thought was the toughest part about starting the business, she replied that it was building a business from scratch. Another hurdle to jump in the beginning may have also been two people with different personalities learning to work together toward a common goal. Today, the business continues with Gerald’s granddaughter, Allison, and her husband, Craig Guido.
One challenge in the history of the business, which has affected everyone in the world, has been dealing with COVID-19. At the start of COVID, it was a challenge to keep up with the ever-changing information regarding masks, safety protocols, and, eventually, vaccine requirements. In addition to the state regulations surrounding COVID and safety, another problem has arisen as a result of COVID – supply chain issues.
With factories closing during COVID, there has been a manufacturing delay on a variety of materials needed in the construction industry. According to Allison, materials available this week may not be available next week. There are also materials that can have extremely long lead times, possibly up to 52 weeks! Unfortunately, these are issues that the team at Almar cannot control. However, they can control the sharing of this information with their employees and clients. Allison stated that Almar has a newsletter to help keep everyone informed of any changes in COVID regulations, as well as supply chain issues.
When asked why people should choose Almar for their home remodeling needs, Allison mentioned three things:
Longevity – Almar has been in operation for over 60 years. These days, most small businesses close within the first three years.
Community – The team at Almar treats every client the way they themselves would want to be treated.
Communication – Almar does its best to provide clear and open communication within the business and with clients. Clients are able to log into the online portal and see what is going on with their project at a time convenient for them. Allison and the Almar team are constantly looking for ways to improve communication.
The majority of the clients are either repeat customers or referrals from past/current customers. Social media has played a part in bringing in new clients, with people sharing photos of the work they had done on sites such as Facebook. The Almar website has also undergone some re-working, including a weekly blog and resources for anyone to access regarding various aspects of home remodeling.
According to Allison, Almar has already achieved one of their 2022 goals – moving to a bigger office back in early February! Allison is very much a hand-on manager but plans to expand the project management team in 2022 to handle more of the day-to-day work.
Almar Building and Remodeling serves the South Shore area. Visit their website at: https://www.almarbuilding.com/.
They are located at 720 Washington Street, in Hanover. You can contact them via:
Phone: 781-826-2577
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlmarBuilding
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlmarBuilding
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/almarremodeling/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/almar_building/