Here we grow again

March 16, 2011

By Stephen Dupuis

I’ll be honest, when the RenoMark program was started in Toronto back in 2001, I hoped  but never dreamed it would expand to a national level. Ten years later, RenoMark has virtually swept that nation thanks to the support of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association and the provincial and local Associations that make up CHBA.

In mid-February, I received the exciting news that the Halifax-based Canadian Home Builders’ Association of Central Nova Scotia has voted to climb aboard the RenoMark train, bringing RenoMark program participation up to 32 local Home Builders’ Associations (HBAs) in eight provinces (PEI currently under the New Brunswick umbrella).

This particular local, lead by CEO Paul Pettipas, has a very high-profile Renovators Council already, and I’m delighted that they see RenoMark as a way to enhance their local brand!

If you’re unfamiliar with RenoMark, it is a program originally launched by the Greater Toronto Home Builders’ Association (now BILD) as a result of renovation horror stories caused by rogue contractors, which were resulting in our professional contractors being tarred by the same brush.

The program was designed to re-establish homeowners’ confidence in the renovation industry by inviting professional renovators to come together under the RenoMark brand and establish a positive reputation for the program through quality work
and customer service.

All RenoMark contractors have agreed to follow the CHBA Code of Ethics and the renovation-specific RenoMark Code of Conduct, found at the program’s online hub – RenoMark.ca The website invites homeowners to find a professional RenoMark renovator in their area by using a trade-specific search feature, as well as to download the RenoGuide – a free guide outlining the five essential steps to a professional renovation.

Each HBA also offers site visitors updates on the latest developments in the renovation industry in their region, including news, award-winning members and Home Show information. Just visit RenoMark.ca, select your location and see for yourself!

Now here’s the really exciting part – I’ve always been a firm believer in embracing all the latest technical advances to ensure that our members and homeowners get the most out of our services. This is exactly why RenoMark is now plugged into the social media world with its very own Facebook page and Twitter account!

If you’re like me, you want to stay up to date with all the latest news before your friends and colleagues read about it in the morning paper. Now you can do that with up-to-the-minute updates from our Twitter feed at twitter.com/RenoMark_ca

The RenoMark Facebook page kicks things up a notch with homeowners encouraged to talk to renovators and participate in group discussions with people who have worked with RenoMark contractors in the past. Just search for “RenoMark” on Facebook and hit the “Like” button. It’s like attending a group meeting but from the comfort of your own home and, if you choose to do so, in your pyjamas!

I think I speak for all the local HBAs when I say that we’d love to hear what you have to say about RenoMark and your experiences with our professional renovators and custom builders. Thanks to social media, it is now just a few simple clicks and keystrokes away!

Stephen Dupuis is president and CEO of the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD). He can be reached at
president@bildgta.ca

Filed under: FROM THE EXPERTS, RENOVATIONS