When Wright Marshall was in middle school, his parents purchased a 1940s Frazier and Bodin colonial outside of Atlanta and left behind a 1960s ranch home. The differences he noticed between the two homes set the tone for what later would become Revival Construction.
Reflecting on his early interest in architectural revival, Marshall admits it was actually a negative reaction that lit the flame.
"I was drawn to the older homes in the town where I grew up," says Marshall, who founded the firm in 2000. "Not liking that first home got me interested in architecture."
A Laser Focus
Focusing on preserving Atlanta's architectural legacy, Marshall has become known as an expert on classically designer whole-house remodels and additions to the area's eclectic Georgian, colonial, and Tudor revivals. By studying the work of local and regional architects, he has been able to understand, plan, build, match, adapt, and replicate the area's historic homes. To maintain this approach, he has implemented the use of a sales production checklist that outlines all the steps of a project, including the time needed for each aspect, so that no critical steps are missed.
"I figured out my niche and what I wanted to be early on," he recalls. "It's easier to run a business when you're an expert in a certain area and remain true to that."
A Clear Vision
But even honing his niche didn't guarantee success. In the beginning stages, Marshall jokes that he was in the "millionaire's charity business doing work and making no money." His company also used to accept all types of work, from new construction to whole-house remodels.
After he joined Remodelers Advantage, the vision for his company became even more clear. Not only did he begin to recognize that growth wasn't the only objective, and that the way in which others use trends and numbers to effectively make business decisions is different from business to business, but he also learned that it was more important to work on projects that inspired him.
"You can't be everything to all people," he says. "The longer you have this body of work to look at, the easier it becomes to refine. We've been in a tweaking mode, gradually steering instead of jerking the ship around."
