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Walls & Ceilings 'If Walls Could Talk'
Welcome to “If Walls Could Talk” where Walls & Ceilings magazine is out to discover just that.
Listen as W&C talks with influencers in the industry who are making an impact. We are helping educate and entertain the wall and ceiling industry as only W&C can do. What brought these people to the industry? What’s in store for the contractor? And “If Walls Could Talk,” what stories would they tell? Find out all of this and more on each episode.
Matt DiBara was born into the masonry industry. His family has been doing masonry and construction for four generations—102 years—and it all started when his great grandparents came to the states from Italy. Dibara serves as the owner of DiBara Masonry, Founder of the Undercover Contractor, Co-Founder of Contractor Consultants, and host of the Confident Homeowner podcast.
Associate Editor Hannah Belloli sat down with DiBara to learn more about career opportunities within the industry and how DiBara hopes to help advance the industry further.
“We help contractors grow their business and utilize a lot of the things I’ve been fortunate enough to learn test and see firsthand over the last 15-20 years,” DiBara said.
DiBara started to study his dad’s company as they expanded and did great business, yet the problem was always that the business could never run itself, it was too hard to find good workers they could count on and cared as much as they did. And now, he thinks he has something that can really help combat the labor shortage.
“I thought to myself, ‘It can’t be impossible, there are companies with hundreds if not thousands of employees in all different industries including construction.’ So the last three years I became obsessed with this question: ‘Who is running your business if you’re the owner and you’re not there?’”
For contractors who want to take a vacation, or spend time with their family, or even go to bed a little earlier one night, this is a fundamental question.
Three years and hundreds of thousands of dollars later, DiBara and his coworkers have tested every recruiting method, every outreach method you can think of, and they found a system that is predictable, and can absolutely give you the best shot at finding talented workers that care.
In a special episode of If Walls Could Talk, Group Publisher Jill Bloom delves into the significance of databases with Anna Anderson, CEO of Art Unlimited, who emphasizes the importance of reaching and retaining customers. Anderson underscores the need to leverage past customer lists and cultivate profiles of ideal customers to enhance marketing strategies and foster growth. She advocates for a thoughtful approach to content creation, urging businesses to identify their ideal customers and actively cultivate relationships with them.
In the latest episode of "If Walls Could Talk," John Wyatt explores the upcoming developments in the spray foam industry, with PUR Consulting's Tom Harris providing insights on first-quarter trade shows and industry trends. Notably, the SPFA event in Las Vegas saw a record-breaking attendance increase, while educational initiatives like ABAA's training programs experienced unprecedented participation. Concurrently, Spray Foam World Wide's annual gathering boasted record numbers, featuring significant giveaways including a fully equipped rig worth $170,000. Additionally, industry exhibitions like the International Builders' Show and the Roofing Expo highlighted the growing interest in spray foam applications, with Harris's Building Envelope Audit Team expanding its offerings, including upcoming virtual training sessions aimed at building owners looking to enhance efficiency and reduce environmental impact.
In this episode of "If Walls Could Talk," W&C Editor John Wyatt interviews Jim Spellos, president of Meeting U, who will be presenting at the NWCB Wall and Ceiling Conference & Trade Show in Indian Wells, Calif. Spellos discusses the impact of AI on productivity and effectiveness, its role in enhancing the building process, tips for implementing AI in both field and office settings, cautionary considerations within AI, and a list of affordable or free AI tools worth exploring.
Join Brett Sareyka and Armstrong World Industries to hear about some productivity-enhancing drywall framing solutions that can help overcome today's skilled labor shortages and installation challenges common on nearly every project.
Recent changes to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) have legal and marketing implications for roofing contractors, prompting adjustments to their strategies, with W&C providing comprehensive coverage of these developments. In a video featuring Legal Insights expert Trent Cotney and marketing expert Anna Anderson, new FCC rules targeting automated calls and texts are discussed, focusing on consumer protection measures against "robocalls" and "robotexts" and the requirement for explicit consent or approved exemptions. Cotney highlights the potential consequences of TCPA violations, emphasizing the importance of compliance, while Anderson advises on ensuring adherence to regulations to optimize marketing efforts, particularly concerning lead aggregation and SMS campaigns.
In this episode of If Walls Could Talk, W&C Publisher Jill Bloom and Trent Cotney, partner at Adams & Reese, discuss the evolving subcontractor market, emphasizing its enduring transformation and the shift towards subcontracting labor for construction projects. Cotney underscores that this shift is primarily driven by the need for scalability and growth within contracting firms rather than solely for cost-saving purposes. However, effective subcontractor management entails thorough vetting, onboarding, and ensuring proper insurance coverage to mitigate risks and ensure project success.