It was quite a few years ago when I was a young father. I had a home, wife and everything one is supposed to have at that point in life, and I found myself on a couple Sundays shingling my own roof. In those days, hiring a professional was out of the question—we simply couldn’t afford it—so I did it all myself and periodically had a brother or friend come over to help.

We have changed houses since then, but that roof is still on, and I can drive by there this very day and see the two rows in the fence that I laid without an alternate break; proof a professional should do this type of work. Which brings us to this month’s issue.

While the homebuilders and remodelers of Lansing have taken it on the chin for the last several years, they are a tenacious, great group. Remodeling is the area that is producing the largest amount of work in the homebuilders’ industry, so we decided this month we would take a look at that portion. Thanks to Douglas Carr at the Greater Lansing Homebuilders and Remodelers Association, we were connected with folks that can fix gutters; put on a deck or put up a new fence; establish decorative facades; install windows and doors; concrete work; and yes, roofing. These business owners are an active, resilient group of people who have lived through a very hard couple of years, weathering the economic the storm.

Before I sign off, here are a couple events you should know about:

The Greater Lansing Strategic Business Luncheon will be held on April 22 this year. Bill Rancic, Chicago business owner and first season winner of NBC’s Apprentice, will be speaking at the Eagle Eye Golf Club from 11:30-1:30.

Visit www.lansingbusinessmonthly.com to register. Don’t miss it!

The Over the Edge event will be taking place June 5—and yours truly will be the first to take an extreme rappel off the Boji Tower in Downtown Lansing, for raising money to support the Team Lansing Foundation.

Visit www.teamlansing.org for more information.

Happy remodeling and from all of us at the Business Monthly, and as always, have a prosperous month.

		Chris Holman Publisher