Certified Installers Win Jobs

Michael Turner – “I’m number 98!”
It was in 1988 that Michael Turner stumbled upon his career as a vinyl siding installer. He was in the mountains of North Carolina helping build a vacation home. When the contractor scheduled to do the install didn’t show up at the job site, the homeowner asked Turner to step in. Turner took the challenge. "I read the instructions included with the siding, and it took one day to install 1.5 squares of siding. And that was as part of a four-man crew!" With time, Turner became more skilled and realized he had found his calling.

When the opportunity to become a VSI Certified Installer presented itself, Turner jumped again. “I’m in the top 100,” he says with a hearty laugh and flashing his VSI Certified Installer card listing him as Certified Installer #98. Although Turner was already a skilled installer, he knew the certification would give him more credibility. “Having this third party certification upped my expertise and I was able to win jobs.”

Turner is now a vice president for The Home Service Store, Inc. (HSS), headquartered in Kennesaw, GA, and insists on at least one Certified Installer on every job.

Simple Philosophy + Certified Installer Status Puts
Ron A. Thomas on Top!
Turning visions into reality for customers through honest, hard work is Ron A. Thomas’s creed. Thomas, a full-service contractor and VSI Certified Installer based in Lake Charles, Louisiana, has been certified since 2010. “I present my Certified Installer card on sales calls and convey the benefits of vinyl siding versus other products. It gives me an advantage. I excel in my craft and I try to steer customers to me because I do my jobs to industry standards.”

Thomas is proud of his Certified Installer status and says, “As a minority contractor, I want to change the paradigm. Most minority contractors don't pursue certification. I want to exceed customers' expectations.” With 15 years’ experience running his successful business, Thomas has mastered his trade and he says his VSI Certified Installer ID is key to helping him grow his business.

Why Certified Installer Status Sold a Maine Family on Carl Chretien
Mike Lowe and his wife, Tracie, were tired of painting the wood siding on their home near Portland, Maine. In 2010 they made the strategic decision to remove the wood and install vinyl siding. Tracie did extensive research online to find a contractor.  When she clicked on Carl Chretien’s website, the Lowes were intrigued. “As we looked at Carl’s site we realized he cares about his work,” said Mike. “When we met with him and he showed us his VSI Certified Installer card, and explained what it means to be certified, we knew he had the credentials to do the job well. We were sold.”

Chretien has been certified since 2008. “People like to know I’ve been trained and that I’m associated with VSI. It’s an easy tool to use to market our services. Being a Certified Installer has won a lot of jobs for me.” Carl’s work speaks for itself. The Lowes say they’re just as happy with their house today as when Chretien finished the job two years ago. “The house looks like the house we always wanted.”