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Home Improvement Council of WNY  |
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Home Improvement Council
1560 Harlem Rd.
Cheektowaga, NY 14206
896-3000
http://www.hicwny.com/
1. When was the Home Improvement Council (HIC) originally founded?
“It was 1964; over 40 years ago.”
2. Who was responsible for building this council?
“Well, back then it was a group of contractors and the members of the Greater Buffalo Chamber of Commerce. Their goal was to be able to improve the standards and image of the home improvement industries.”
3. What is the purpose of the council?
“Really the purpose it to create public awareness to the better contractors in the area. There are a lot of unscrupulous businesses out there – we try and protect the consumers from them. We’re a lot like the AMA; ethics is our number one issue - standards and ethics. We’re also very much dedicated to education. We educate our contractors on new products and new standards and laws. We keep all of our members abreast of all of the latest topics in the industry. We really try to promote a better image for the remodeling industry.”
4. Who facilitates the actions of HIC?
“The members themselves facilitate. We pay dues and we operate as a not-for-profit organization. We have a board of directors and we issue reports monthly. We also have a number of committees – there is a financial committee, a legislation committee – there are programs, ethics, education, and advertising committees, and they all meet regularly. The board is elected through the general membership, and reviews the issues brought up during meetings and makes final decisions on them.”
5. How many members are there currently?
“Currently there are about 120 members. We usually gain around 15 members a year.”
6. What does it take to become a member of HIC?
“Members are usually companies in the home improvement business. They must provide a legal NYS contract, proof of insurances, customer references, and must show business banking obligations, as well as have satisfactory Better Business Bureau and Attorney General reports. They also have to be implementing a legal contract document between the contractor and the homeowner. To be a regular member, businesses must be established for more than two years.”
“If the company possesses all of those requirements, they go before our 12-member panel of directors who then grant them membership. We also have conditional memberships for companies who have been in business for less than two years or who have had an unsatisfactory response. On top of that there is an associate membership for manufacturers and persons like company representatives who serve contractors or suppliers.”
7. Once someone is a member, what are there responsibilities?
“Members participate in monthly meetings to exchange information with each other and to develop new programs. During the meetings, speakers come in who are knowledgeable in the field and provide certification programs so that contractors can become certified in different parts of the business. We’re here to help each other too. If one of the members has a problem, we’re there for each other.”
“We also have classes to provide contractors with the know how to run a business. Lots of times they are very good workmen but they lack the know how for management responsibilities. They help to organize annual Home Improvement Industry Council shows and events.”
“Members also vow to comply with professional and ethical standards and government regulations. We all make an effort to educate each other so that we can all do a good job. We use good customer practices and try to eliminate irresponsible operators.”
8. How does HIC benefit the consumer?
“We supply them with a list of reputable contractors who cover all aspects of the home improvements spectrum. There are something like 10,000 contractors in the area and only 600 of them are licensed, yet the vast majority still have business cards made up. Most of the complaints coming from consumers have to do with these unlicensed contractors. Our goal is to warrant against those contractors who aren’t performing as they should.”
“We also have an ethics committee that will arbitrate situations where there is a dispute. When we get a complaint, we try and fix the situation fairly. If it’s concrete – we send a concrete guy to listen and arbitrate to try and avoid litigation. We’ve helped out in a number of cases.”
“We also have contractors who won’t do what we recommend, if it’s serious we throw them out of the council. Really, the biggest benefit is piece of mind. Customers can know that they’re dealing with honest, legitimate contractors who are going to keep their best interest in mind.”
9. What is the biggest benefit to the contractors of HIC?
“I think it is the fact that they are able to increase their knowledge of the industry. Collectively, everyone’s been in business for a thousand years, and we’ve all had different experiences. We share stories and ideas and participate in this kind of learning process. Like with any other industry, the more you associate with like-minded people in your industry, the more you pick up and the better you are.”
10. Is HIC one of a kind?
“Yes and no. There are other councils like ours all over the country. But, I believe I was told that we are the oldest council in the U.S. and also the largest.”
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