Connor & Company had three divisions in 1999. Now it has five. Window restoration and commercial services joined the firm's handyman, design/build, and construction divisions. To prepare for the added work, the company moved to a larger building and expanded their shop.
Last year, the company brought in a sales volume of $4 million. The fledgling window restoration division brought in $300,000.
Owner William Connor hired Chris Bishoff to run the new divisions. The window division targets commercial and institutional clients. "We're custom-fit consultants, so we treat each window project as individual," Connor (Big50 1990) says.
Bishoff focused on providing a formalized marketing component to the business. "It's great to have a division, but unless you develop a marketing plan to promote it, it's just a concept," Bishoff says. The firm began by sending letters, a response card, and a sheet of project photos to potential clients.
The company has not yet focused on the commercial division, but their goal is to sign building maintenance contracts with 15 to 20 small- to medium-sized businesses.
