Combined Assets Barbara Rose and Neil Peck were seven years into their 1981 marriage when they decided to scratch the itch. He owned S.N. Peck Builder, a full-service remodeling company in Chicago. She was vice president of operations at a national corporation and the primary breadwinner.
Neil had two guys in the field and brought in about $1.5 million in annual volume. A dedicated craftsman, he loved his work but wasn’t making much money. Barbara had a keen business sense but knew nothing about remodeling. One day, Barbara offered to review Neil’s books.
“The more I looked, the more I realized how much potential the company had,” Barbara recalls. So the two decided to put their heads together.
“Everything we tried, worked,” says Barbara, now company co-owner. “We tripled our volume within a couple of years.” But something was wrong. “We wanted to take the vacations we could now afford but couldn’t find the time,” she says. “We felt trapped.”
The couple turned to a business coach for guidance. Step one: Standardize procedures and learn how to delegate. Within a year, the two were able to take three vacations to Europe.
“It’s important to have a non-family member with a clear eye,” Barbara says. “Otherwise you run your company like your relationship, and your employees become your children.”
With their Chicago-based coach, Pat McCann of McCann Communications, as part of the team, the company has grown to $6 million in volume and some 50 employees. McCann, who serves on the company’s advisory board, also helped Barbara and Neil put in place a Case Handyman franchise, which their daughter, Marcia, manages.
Passion Sense On the face of it, Vicki and Jim Christo look to have a conventional life — and work —style. He founded Christo Design Build in 1977. Vicki came on board as office manager in 1990. They run the company out of a downstairs office in their home, which sits on a chunky piece of acreage in Lincoln, Neb.
But over the years, Vicki’s place in the company has grown far beyond book work and bills. She’s upped her investment and now has a hand in marketing, Web site updates, product selection, and client support.
She also goes on meet-and-greets with Jim to make the first customer contact. “Often the men want to get right to what it costs, and the women want to talk through all the details,” Jim says. “Clients think they get two for one.” And with Vicki at his side, they do.
“You need to respect the other person’s attributes,” Jim says of his wife’s proven skill set. “Everyone brings something different to the table.” The same attitude extends to the company’s two employees, a carpenter and a project manager.
Despite current thinking, the Christos don’t shy away from a close-knit company culture. “We’re like a family,” Jim says. “We wouldn’t have it any other way. Our project manager, who has been with us for six years, is like the son we never had.”
The Christos make working together sound easy. Surely their similar communication styles help. Not having kids might have something to do with it too. Or maybe it’s that crisp Midwestern air.
“It takes a special relationship and a lot of patience,” Vicki admits. “But most important, you need a passion for the business. I don’t just love my husband,” she says. “I love this business.”