NS Builders—Past, Present, and Future
In this episode of NS Builders Podcast, I’m going to give you an overview of what the brand NS Builders is all about—where we started, where we are at present, and what we hope to be doing in the future. And why it’s important to always adapt and evolve as your business grows.
YOU GOTTA START SOMEWHERE…
NS Builders started out small—and by small, I mean just myself—until I could enlist the help of family and friends. My little carpentry business began with a kitchen remodel, which quickly became a whole-house remodel. In those first few years, I learned valuable lessons about not only who to hire but why to hire them. And some of those early decisions paid off—Mike Hume is still with me.
When I realized there were other craftsmen out there who shared my passion for building and were just as dedicated as I was to delivering top-notch work, I knew it was time to start growing the company. And each year, we continue to grow—not just in employee size—but in other, equally important ways. It starts with a shift in our focus.
SHIFTING OUR FOCUS
As with any business, you’ve got to periodically reevaluate and assess where you are in meeting your goals. And sometimes the goals change. When you realize that you want to set and achieve new goals, you’ll have to adjust your focus—either widening or narrowing it. The growth factor I was aiming for included more than the number of people; instead, I focused on growing regarding the type and scope of projects we could take on. And this meant that NS Builders would need to align ourselves with people who shared that vision.
Early on, we were much more open to accepting jobs that weren’t a great fit for us as a company. Or we were overinvested to the point where it was financially not a good move. But when you’re starting out, you do what you’ve got to do to stay afloat and keep people busy.
Fast forward to today, and we are much more selective in what projects we will take on. Our focus has narrowed—ground-up new construction custom homes and extensive renovation projects. This allows us to have more control over the entire process, work with talented and detailed architects, collaborate and find alignment in a thoughtful approach to building homes with those we partner with.
BRANCHING OUT
NS Builders has grown to the point where we can successfully branch off in an exciting new endeavor. Our millwork shop is a separate division from NS Builders. Our cabinet shop was designed to fulfill NS Builder’s custom millwork and cabinetry needs. But it can actually function as a stand-alone entity. For example, the millwork shop can take on small projects like a kitchen renovation. The project's focus is on the millwork, so we can structure the supervision and project management around that. This provides an opportunity to build out our portfolio for the millwork side and work with new designers and architects.
FUTURE ASPIRATIONS
The future is full of dreams—and one of my personal wish-list-chart-toppers would be to build and develop our own line of homes for sale. My mindset—and NS Builders—has always centered around modern contemporary architecture. (Don’t get me wrong—I love traditional New England homes, but modern contemporary style is what makes my heart race.) I’d love the chance to put out our interpretation of this aesthetic—a product at a very high level—and see what it would do on the market. Of course, there’s many questions, details, and worries that will keep me awake for nights to come, but this is something we’re seriously considering as a viable part of the future of NS Builders.
It’s time to discover what NS Builders can intentionally craft for you! Contact us today to get started on your custom dream home. Together, we can make it happen.
—Nick Schiffer