It didn’t take much coaxing for Lisa Banks, president of Cincinnati Interiors Ltd., to accept Walls & Ceilings’ offer of being profiled as this month’s cover star. The subcontractor performs—with a high-quality touch—the installation of sound-absorbing acoustical ceilings and wall panels, replacement tin ceilings in historical applications, and specialty wood and metal ceilings in commercial applications. Banks is very proud that the company will tackle any sound absorption issues.

Founded in 1991, the company is going on 30-plus years as a fully appreciated outfit that dazzles its customers.

Phil Banks, Lisa’s husband and vice president of Cincinnati Interiors, started in the trades right out of high school. His first job was with an acoustical ceiling company, and he worked in the industry until 1991, when he and Lisa decided it was time to venture out on their own. Lisa’s dad was a residential contractor before retirement, so the building industry was in her blood.

“We have seen tremendous growth,” Lisa says. “Our company started with just Phil and one employee in the field. Often, he would take projects that were outside of our geographic area just to introduce his abilities to contractors. We often joke that we started our company in Cincinnati but had a satellite office in South Carolina.”

Lisa reports that business is great. She attributes this wave of positive strides to Cincinnati Interiors’ valuable long-term relationships with many different contractors, who enjoy positive working relationships with the company’s project teams. However, these beneficial and strong relationships come at a cost.

“Sadly, we do turn invitations down because we don’t have the manpower,” Lisa says. “We ensure [that] we service our regular customers and then bid other projects as the schedule permits.

“Construction in our area is still very busy with large and small projects,” she continues. “There is a tremendous amount of projects in progress or coming up in the medical and educational sectors. That has been a positive climate for Cincinnati Interiors, as we are very capable in those sectors and can meet the stringent requirements, unique design elements and deadlines.”

Focus on Product Innovations

To Lisa, there are different reasons for her continued interest in the industry.

“The most interesting aspect of Phil’s focus is the new products to the American market,” Lisa says. “A recent project had an acoustical ceiling application that was designed and manufactured in Spain. The U.S. representative for this product indicated that it had not been used in the country before. It was a unique opportunity to learn about, educate our mechanics and install a new ceiling system.”

For her, the hardest aspect is finding individuals who want to join the trades. The subcontractor has a training program and will hire inexperienced people, teach them and then mentor them during their growth years. The challenge is finding those people, she laments. Nevertheless, the company still delivers a high-quality package with what it has in terms of its labor force.

Lisa is happy to report that Cincinnati Interiors has a full plate for the rest of the year. In addition to this, she says they are already scheduling into the first half of 2025.

For her, the company’s long-term goals are specific, simple and driven.

“Continued growth and training the young staff to take over,” Lisa says. “We have brought our son-in-law, Jesse, into the business. He has spent the past year and a half learning the business side. He has a calm personality and has developed good relationships with the project managers and superintendents. He also estimates projects and has assumed responsibility for many of the compliance tasks in the office.”

When the next correction happens in the U.S. (or world), the subcontractor knows how to weather the storm. Lisa says Cincinnati Interiors went through the last recession just fine. Like everyone else, there was some belt-tightening, but the subcontractor had ample work to keep its entire crew full-time and with no layoffs. Lisa says the company is well capitalized and has buying power and loyal customers. She also believes that acoustical ceilings are not as deeply affected by recessions. Acoustics can be a retrofit, a remodel or an addition, not just new construction, she says.

Finally, Lisa says that she is most proud of “starting this company while raising our young family, growing through the hard times, sacrificing but for the right reasons, and it being 33 years later and everything (and everyone) is OK.”