Home improvement spending is slated to remain strong in 2014. The Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity
(LIRA) expects that double digit gains in spending will continue through the first half of the year.
The growth of the industry has led to a rebirth for home improvement franchises like N-Hance Wood Renewal, which is the trusted partner of Home Depot for refinishing of hardwood floors and kitchen cabinets.
I became President of N-Hance Wood Renewal in 2008. With the crash of the real estate market, it was not the best time to take over a home improvement business; however, people cared about their homes more than ever. They understood that they were most likely going to stay in them longer, so they searched for solutions to maintain their home. It was important to me we didn’t think of ourselves as a victim of the recession, and that we stayed focused on changing consumer demands with regard to home improvement projects.
Throughout the recession, we have launched strategic initiatives to strengthen our brand and achieve growth goals.
In 2009, we launched a marketing partnership with The Home Depot in which our franchises have a physical presence in nearly 1,400 of the retail chain’s stores nationwide. The partnership has helped open doors to new lead sources and opportunities.
As 80 percent of customers who are walking into a Home Depot are looking to do a remodeling project, it provides our franchise owners with the opportunity to educate customers about the amount of money and time they can save by renewing their kitchen cabinets or hardwood floors.
Furthermore, last year we saw the launch of our proprietary Lightspeed® Instant- Cure Wood Refinishing, which instantly dries and cures refinished wood surfaces.
The innovative, affordable cabinet and floor renewal service renews wood cabinets and floors at a fraction of the
cost of replacing or refacing, without the inconvenience, dust and noxious fumes associated with traditional refinishing methods. Plus with Lightspeed®, customers can use their floors and cabinets as soon as we leave.
As a result of our initiatives, we have experienced exciting results. While many smaller home improvement concepts have dissolved since the recession, we have grown tremendously and have experienced growth each year since the recession.
In 2009, N-Hance had 149 units, in 2010, 177 units. Furthermore, we closed out 2013 with phenomenal growth by
adding approximately 90 new franchises.
Currently, we have just over 300 units nationwide and have projected to have over 400 by the end of the year. To help continue executing our growth strategies, we have added to our support staff in several key areas, including franchise development, administration, operation, marketing, curriculum and call center support.
As the year continues, we are committed to our growth plan of adding 135 new franchises in 2014. We foresee continued growth in the United States and Canada, as well expanding our network internationally.
About Ben Davis
Ben Davis is the President of N-Hance Wood Renewal, the trusted partner of Home Depot for refinishing of hardwood floors and kitchen cabinets. N-Hance is backed by Harris Research, Inc., the same company that grew Chem-Dry into the world’s largest carpet cleaning company. A proprietary chemical abrasion and refinishing technique requires no sanding and can cost 1/5 of the cost of re-facing or replacing
cabinets.
Prior to joining the N-Hance Wood Renewal team, Davis was the VP of Development for Chem-Dry. In addition, he has been a Regional Director for a very large commercial services franchisor, a VP of Strategic Business Development for a Utahbased technology services company and managed independent and direct distributors around the globe in the educational technology space. Davis has more than 15 years of experience in the franchise industry.
For more information on
franchise opportunities, visit
www.nhancefranchise.com.