SE. 1 EP. 2 | "THE HOMEGROWN DIFFERENCE"

In this episode, Steven Henderson and Coy Walker break down what it actually means to provide a "Value Premium" in the saturated Indiana construction market. While many high-volume contractors focus on the lowest bid, Homegrown Construction Co. differentiates itself through personal accountability and an "Inside-Out" expertise that prioritizes the longevity of your home over a quick fix.

We dive into the "neighbor-first" philosophy that drives our daily operations in Marion. From Steven’s consistent presence on-site to our commitment to radical transparency, discover why our clients trust us as the "Guardian of the Home". We also discuss why we choose to focus on clients who view their property as a long-term investment rather than just a project.

Connect with Homegrown Construction Co.:

• Website: www.HomeGrownConstructionCo.com
• Phone: 765-201-0859
• Reputation: 5-star rated and A- BBB accredited.

"The Homegrown Podcast" podcast is produced by Frequency Canvas, LLC. All Audio Production (Recording, Editing, Mixing, & Mastering) is done by: Kyren Monteiro of Frequency Canvas, LLC.

Podcast theme music & also theme music for Podcast trailer are produced by: Kyren Monteiro of Frequency Canvas, LLC.

Contact Frequency Canvas at: Office@FrequencyCanvas.com | https://www.FrequencyCanvas.com/ | 765-506-3380

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hi everyone, I am Steven Henderson, one of the owners of Homegrown Construction Co. I'm Coi Walker, also an owner. There you go. Yeah. Thank you for joining in with us today. Happy March. We are one step closer to summer, so that's a good thing. Springtime is good time. It's here. But I can't wait for summer. Anyways, yeah, so we are going to wanted to discuss with you guys a little bit of the homegrown difference. I think one of the biggest things for the homegrown difference is, you know, the calls and making sure that you answer right away if you can. And if you cannot, you know, call as soon as possible, follow up with a text, voicemail, whatever it takes. So many times I hear they didn't call me back. Every time. Never heard from them. I even they even got recommendations from that person, and that person still, you know, never talked to them.

SPEAKER_01 0:56

Family friends, even. Yeah. It's crazy. It's absolutely crazy. They never show up like they're supposed to.

SPEAKER_00 1:01

No, I mean, I think at the end of the day, we had a situation where there was a project that, you know, we just didn't think timelines, anything like that, we could fit into it really well. So me and Coi made the decision that, you know, we would better serve them by just being transparent that, you know, what they were wanting wasn't ideal. So, you know, could have did what it seems like a lot of other contractors do, ignore them, um, meet with them, but then never, you know, leave them. So it takes it's overwhelming, would you say, how many contractors are out there?

SPEAKER_01 1:33

You're talking about the Indianapolis, right?

SPEAKER_00 1:36

Yeah, yeah. I mean that was one of the situations, but just in general.

SPEAKER_01 1:39

They were trying to get the upstairs bathroom remodeled and it just wasn't just wasn't gonna work. Like and they had a small half bath downstairs and a basement, which would made it a prime uh uh possibility if they were uh up for it and suggested it and they loved the idea and just taking a little bit out of their office area and closing off one side of the stairs.

SPEAKER_00 2:04

What would you think of that one um that we went to today?

SPEAKER_01 2:08

For instance, we're you know, awesome couple, you know, retired, you know, beautiful home and they just don't have what it takes to replace the shower door and they they're looking for somebody to do it and quotes were outrageous. And over three grand, somebody uh quoted them to replace the shower door they already have and add four crab bars to the other.

SPEAKER_00 2:32

And then two other people didn't even call them back. I thought that was crazy.

SPEAKER_01 2:35

And and one of them was supposed to be a family friend of theirs. Recommended, yeah. Small jobs like that, a lot of times big contractors just don't want to deal with it. And if they do, they have a minimum, and it's crazy because they have all the overhead. Yeah. That's what we try to stay away from. We want to be consistent and personable, but stay with low overhead. So we can't don't have to overcharge customers.

SPEAKER_00 3:00

Exactly. Yeah. So I would say that's one of the homegrown differences, but that second one right there that you just mentioned about not overcharging people. So I think the one of the pros of homegrown difference, and I think there's many, by the way, I and there's tons of pros, um, is we are very personable with people and talking money, talking finances, you know, being very, very detailed. I know like with you, for instance, you are extremely detailed with your customers on you know the cost. I think that's really one of the top priorities. Instead of you like just you know, firing away, making that price keep climbing and climbing and climbing, you always talk to them about do you guys want to spend that much? I mean, here's another great thing. Like that's one of the coolest things. You don't hear that too often, bro. So that's kudos to you. Um but yeah, for the second homegrown difference of not overcharging people. Um, we have no problem pulling up statistics just to show you, you know.

SPEAKER_01 4:03

Average costs, yeah. Or yeah, yeah, what what things are going for. We are always right with or below most of the time on our jobs, yes, depending on what it is.

SPEAKER_00 4:14

But yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 4:15

I mean, we're not trying to work with everyone. Obviously, there's a cost to everything, right? Yeah, we're not gonna sit here and say, like, oh, we can't give we can't give things away, but yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 4:24

But you know, at the end of the day, you know, we're very transparent, and I think, you know, I can't how many times I've heard this that somebody quoted a bathroom and stand-up short. Twenty thirty thousand dollars. Thirty thousand dollars.

SPEAKER_01 4:39

10 by 10 bathroom or smaller?

SPEAKER_00 4:41

Now, don't don't get me wrong. Don't get me wrong. I mean, you know, you do pay for that experience, you know, somebody like you, for instance, that's been doing construction with your hands, with your tools for 10 years. Like a little longer than that, but well, I know, but I mean, like, really, yeah, you know, ins and outs. But my biggest thing is, you know, they are paying for that experience that you work so hard to to get as well, too. I mean, you know, major kudos to you because obviously as I work with you.

SPEAKER_01 5:10

I like to solve problems for the cheapest way we can do it.

SPEAKER_00 5:12

Like But I found real quick, I'm just the helper. But I can't do like what you do.

SPEAKER_01 5:18

Cheapest, but with quality always first. Well, yeah, because we offer a long warranty on our labor.

SPEAKER_00 5:23

So we gotta make sure we use quality first. I would say that's a homegrown difference right there, too. Right? Yes. I know we get difference. It you I mean, realistically, obviously if it's a material problem, you know, then it's a material problem. But if we do things the right way. Something fails that we Yeah. Yeah, because I mean some things fail, and we'll determine that. We'll again be very transparent that you know it failed because of this. I mean, we have no problem shying away from those things. You know, it everybody's gonna make mistakes, no doubt about it. But um being very you know, owning up that this is why it failed because of this, this, and this, you know. I think that's a very big difference.

SPEAKER_01 6:05

You'll get it fixed.

SPEAKER_00 6:06

Of course, right, yeah, because I mean at the end of the day, if we're gonna put something like that on paper, we have to own it every time or it can get ugly quick. So um, but people should be able to have that kind of a warranty. Um, that's a very big difference with homegrown, I would say, is making you feel less comfortable and making sure that you invested that expensive amount of money because regardless, it's still expensive. Whatever you do.

SPEAKER_01 6:29

Yeah. Everything you do to your home is an investment. Absolutely. It ups the value, it yeah, ups the love of your home.

SPEAKER_00 6:37

Yeah. And you know, I mean, if you I would say the third homegrown difference is um the reviews, they're pretty consistent with the quality that we do. Um, but the communication is a big thing. The people that we were met with today, we asked them, you know, feedback on this whole entire process from November to March, and what they say, you guys have been great this whole time. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:01

So they didn't didn't really, they just didn't click with the other people they had to come out to quote it, so they didn't have them come back.

SPEAKER_00 7:07

Yeah, and then I think by like the all it took was that first visit that we went out there, you know, together, and boom, they quit talking to other contractors. They felt comfortable with you know who they went with. And um I think so, yeah, that's a big homegrown difference. You're getting the same people every time. You're not getting a 20-year-old kid that answers a phone and goes and runs. Yeah. You know, doesn't know construction but is really good at sales. I mean, you know, you get the whole package with homegrown, and that is cover your house and can't even tell you anything about the project.

SPEAKER_01 7:43

You look in can't look at your bathroom and like questionable looks on their face, like, uh well, yeah, that's what we're gonna do, but I don't know how to tell you what we're gonna do.

SPEAKER_00 7:55

Yeah, that's the cool thing when you have somebody, you know, and that's a big difference for you, is you know how to be personable. You have physically done the work.

SPEAKER_01 8:05

And people like to know the process, they like to know what's going on. A lot of people do have some experience in what we do that we've worked with, and we're working with. So they want to know details of what you're gonna do, how you're gonna do it. You if you don't know that, they're not gonna go with it.

SPEAKER_00 8:21

Yeah, but you don't ever fake your way through it though, because you've done a lot of this work before, you know very real if this is gonna be difficult or if hey, what you want done can be done quite simply.

SPEAKER_01 8:32

There's always telltale signs for details that you a lot of contractors just don't see or account for, and then they get that dirty four-letter word. What is it? I'm not gonna say it. I just they can't change order, I believe. It's a terrible thing. Yeah, but it's just it it comes from inexperience. People just don't know what they're looking at and the possibility of mold or a rotted floor, and they don't include that in their beds. So then you go and they tear into it and they're like, Oh, this floor is rotted, they can't do nothing with it. It's terrible, it's out of square. It's yeah, like they people don't know it because they haven't experienced it.

SPEAKER_00 9:11

I will say, you know, that's always been one of the biggest keys, though. But the difference is is a lot of them um they're very good in construction, know how to do all the work and stuff, but they don't they can't connect with people and as well too and judge the job properly.

SPEAKER_01 9:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:27

So you have that, right? But then you also have the person that can connect with people very well, but doesn't know a lot of construction. And that can be a very dangerous game.

SPEAKER_01 9:38

Hey, we could but we get along well. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:41

I mean, you know, again, it's it's you know, nobody's perfect. I mean, if you don't get into an attic, for instance, and try to look up at the decking, um, see if it's spaced out one bys. I mean, that right there will require um a decking layover immediately. That's something that you could have controlled. That's something you could have done. You would have known had you looked. And no customer should ever pay for that. Take an extra five minutes while you're there and climb up in there at it. Yep. Or the layers on the roof. Oh counting. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, today we went, we saw one and we were like, man, is it two? Is it three?

SPEAKER_01 10:14

It's definitely three.

SPEAKER_00 10:15

Then we took the little extra time and verified that it was three. So, you know, that will be another transparent conversation with a customer that thought, oh, my roof is only this amount of square footage, and it's like, yeah, times that by three now. You know, and that will be the education. So that's the thing with homegrown.

SPEAKER_01 10:32

Um we'll tell you why your price is where it's at.

SPEAKER_00 10:34

Exactly. Yeah, we don't shy away from that. Um, you know, more than happy to sit down and break things down with you and you know, let you know that you're doing this and this and this is happening, interior and exterior. Um so yeah. I mean, those are some chan those are some, you know, I think things that make us different.

SPEAKER_01 10:53

Many product options, like we got, you know, every level you want you can get. So you can always lower the price if it's not in your budget to begin with, and find a you know, lesser quality product.

SPEAKER_00 11:07

Yeah. Yeah, that is um but it's always up to the customer. Yeah, it's always up to the customer no matter what.

SPEAKER_01 11:13

We don't just install whatever we decide we want to when you say you want your bathroom done.

SPEAKER_00 11:17

Yeah, no, no, no, no, no. No, but we will make sure that you see all the options out there because sometimes there's things that you know look pretty similar to what you wanted. Um, and it's a huge, huge difference. So, you know, just take that avenue with every customer. I mean, I guess that's the good thing about staying small and staying local. Um you know, you can focus on every customer like that because you know more personable to get to know them. Yeah, I mean, you go with the smaller because they have more time to be able to give to you. You go with the big, maybe because of the history, um, how long they've been in business, you know, that matters.

SPEAKER_01 11:57

It does make a big difference for a lot of people.

SPEAKER_00 11:59

Yeah, it does for sure. But I think at the end of the day, um, if it's me and I'm going to pay, you know, 10, 15, 20 grand, whatever, you know, for a project, I want to know that like I'm at the top of your list. There's warranty in in our work. Yeah. You know, so I mean that that's how I would feel. Um, but you know, I guess everybody has their own taste, you know, on what they look for and what they want. So um, so yeah, I mean, the break it down communication, you know, is one of the things that we believe. Uh transparency, uh being very detailed, you know, with our customers, uh, the warranties um that we provide as well to make sure that you're totally protected. Um, and then just you know and feeling that man, they're always there every single time. Um you can text us, call us, we're always working, it seems like, anyway. So, you know, we don't we don't sleep too much and you know, we don't really take time off.

SPEAKER_01 13:00

What's that? Yes, what's time off? Yeah, I yeah. We were working Sunday last week, weren't we?

SPEAKER_00 13:04

Yeah, yeah. Seven days straight. That was a great time. PTO is probably not enough.

SPEAKER_01 13:09

It's over a while. It's it's all right. What it takes to do what we need to do to make people happy. That's what we do.

SPEAKER_00 13:15

Yeah, I mean, again, don't get me wrong, there's there's a lot of contractors out there, there's a lot, um, and a lot of them do have good quality traits. I'm you know, I'm not gonna say anything less of that, but I mean at the end of the day, um, you know, we do believe that we can take it up to any level of your expectation, I guess. I mean, you know, some people are just super laid back, and you know, hey, check in here, there, I don't care. Then there's other people that like know everything right now. Every day. Every day. They the littlest thing in the paperwork, they can want that changed.

SPEAKER_01 13:51

Details, it's always details. Some people are it's not gonna do anything detailed than others. Yeah, but details are good. Yeah, I like details in interior, especially because it makes my job easier.

SPEAKER_00 14:01

That's what you get with us the details, right? The details and answering every single question that you have.

SPEAKER_01 14:06

If you don't know exactly what you want, we'll go shopping with you.

SPEAKER_00 14:09

Yeah, yeah, we'll go shopping.

SPEAKER_01 14:10

We have um look at things together at the store.

SPEAKER_00 14:13

We had a Lowe's date where we went with a client and you know just looked at products and try to help it make a little bit more envisioned. I can't wait for that 2D, um, that interior 3D that we're going to dive in. That is going to be amazing.

SPEAKER_01 14:29

And that'll finally get on that Monday.

SPEAKER_00 14:31

Yeah. Yeah, they'll be able to come to the shop and we have a nice sectional um and then a TV up that we'll throw it up there and literally be able to play with the interior of your home and truly dude, it's so detailed. You yeah, just wait. It's great. Um so kind of falling off the sub off the topic a little bit, but those are some of the homegrown differences um that came with this company of you know, being homegrown that treating people right, treating them with respect, um, and always being, you know, transparent, very honest, and upfront in a polite professional way is you know what I think homegrown kind of statues for and its differences between other companies. So um yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:17

I mean we get a lot of our jobs seems to be through our Facebook posts and social media things. Um we'd always ask to, you know, share, invite.

SPEAKER_00 15:28

Yeah. And maybe this is a little different. Um you know, we can't guarantee that it'll always be able to be forever like this, but you know, every appointment you will get coy and I. And I every single time, what was that one customer that thought that we were brothers and um we were like, no, we haven't even we haven't known each other that long.

SPEAKER_01 15:49

We might as well be, but yeah, might as well be at this point.

SPEAKER_00 15:54

It makes people laugh every time because we again are very personable, and that will always be, I think, a different thing.

SPEAKER_01 16:02

Make fun of each other and play around and have fun while we're in our meetings with people. For sure. We don't change.

SPEAKER_00 16:09

Yeah, I mean husbands and wives. I mean, Choy, you know, will go off with the wife or the husband, and then it depends on which one uh Yeah. Just as, you know, I want to talk to you. Um and then I'll go off with the other, and next thing you know, we end up it ends up being like a team of four, and we're just like talking about anything else.

SPEAKER_01 16:27

It's the opposite in 38th Street. Yeah, you you and the husband and me and the wife. And then today it was exactly the opposite.

SPEAKER_00 16:36

It really was. Yeah, that's funny that you say that. I yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:39

You were talking to her and I was talking to him.

SPEAKER_00 16:41

It was well, I I mean, I don't know everyone, but we'll maybe perceive that as that's not professional or you know, whatever they think. But I think right now, so far, our customers have loved, you know, us as a team.

SPEAKER_01 16:56

We're so personable that it w every time it seems like we kind of end up talking more to the other you know what I mean.

SPEAKER_00 17:03

Oh, yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_01 17:04

We we love it. Everything obviously is talked about as a group.

SPEAKER_00 17:07

Yeah, we love it. It is something I I hope that will it'll be a while. You know, I I do. I hope that we can keep that going for as long as we can. Because that's just man, we're growing pretty quick, but we have fun with that.

SPEAKER_01 17:20

Maybe we'll just have to grow our family and have our dad start. Yeah. Yeah, somebody, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:25

I mean, we have a high expectation, so um I hope people can keep up with us.

SPEAKER_01 17:33

Quotes for us too. Yeah, maybe. I mean keep it close and family. Uh we trust them very much.

SPEAKER_00 17:38

So they're getting old and they don't do technology.

SPEAKER_01 17:41

They can just drive around and measure stuff for us.

SPEAKER_00 17:44

Yeah. Yeah. Pat and paper. Pat and paper.

SPEAKER_01 17:47

They'll do well.

SPEAKER_00 17:48

Sorry to anybody that doesn't believe in pat and paper.

SPEAKER_01 17:51

Um I still use it.

SPEAKER_00 17:52

He definitely still uses it. No, no, it's okay. I I'm the technology guy, that's fine. As long as one of us is is that I think we'll be okay. We benefit each other well. Yeah. Yeah. So um, yeah, that's um a lot of our differences and you know what we bring to the table and what we think makes us, you know, different from you know a lot of other companies.

SPEAKER_01 18:16

Um, but yeah, so I think got more to come too.

SPEAKER_00 18:22

Yeah. I I think I don't know. I just there's so much more. There really is. I mean, I it's hard to like really explain it until you experience it.

SPEAKER_01 18:32

So I would say wait until we reveal the nonprofit on here. That'll be fun.

SPEAKER_00 18:36

My gosh. Yeah, yeah, that'd be awesome. I mean, you're about to see, you know, another step as to why. Yeah, we won't go too much into detail on that. But um, yeah, so you know, if you guys want to experience this more, um, you know, you guys can find us on our website, uh homegrownconstructionco.com and schedule whatever appointment you'd like. It's all categorized to what you want specifically. Um, or you can find us on all social media, social media, you know, accounts. Uh, we're very active on Facebook, Instagram.

SPEAKER_01 19:09

Um got to check out Media by Canvas too. They're pretty awesome.

SPEAKER_00 19:12

Oh, yeah, yeah. Major shout out to Media by Canvas. Um, a great team, been working really hard with us, has been patient with us, has we are running all over the place. Uh growing. It feels like we're late to almost everything. And uh shout out to the owner who Yeah, but do the clap because it's a shout out to the owner media by Canvas. Um he's been he's been amazing. So check them out on social media as well. Um, they're a great group of people. So also growing in the Grant County area. Yeah, yep. Two two companies growing together. I love it. I think a lot of people support that. So um, Coley, you got anything else? Takes a team to make a dream, baby. It does. Yep, teamwork is the dream work. So um, yeah, check us out on our website, check us out on social media. Love to connect with you and be able to share more of homegrown's differences. And I think at the end of the day, show that we're yes, like, share every single time it means the world to us. So invite friends. And invite friends.

SPEAKER_01 20:19

Invite friends, just homegrown construction co.

SPEAKER_00 20:22

I think you just hit a button and it can invite all of your friends at once.

SPEAKER_01 20:25

I think I think there's like a limit now. Is there? Yeah, I had to do it twice to show you now.

SPEAKER_00 20:29

That's that's geez, limiting everything these days. So, all right, well, yeah, again, I'm Steven Henderson, uh, co-owner of Homegrown Construction and Coy Walker, co-owner of course.

SPEAKER_01 20:43

Say that again. Koi Walker, interior operation.

SPEAKER_00 20:47

Didn't you say co-owner as well? Co-owner, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:50

That's the that's the thing. Yeah, yeah. Sounds good.

SPEAKER_00 20:52

Sounds sounds right. It sounds right.

SPEAKER_01 20:55

Golf clap, it's almost time.

SPEAKER_00 20:57

Yeah, just yeah, yeah. Um, yeah, so we appreciate you guys. Um check us out as we'll be creating more. Yeah, probably. But we'll be creating more podcasts and sharing more you know stuff with you guys. So check you out on the next episode. Um, yeah, and we appreciate it. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 21:15

Thank you.