Q. How did you get started in the remodeling business?
Tom Murphy: Murphy Home Improvement started in 1981. In high school, I cut grass for a man who owned a window and siding business. After my freshman year at Miami University, I asked him if he had any work, so I installed roofs and siding for two summers. The next summer, he asked me if I’d be interested in selling, so I sold with him. In the summer of 1980, I graduated college and started in business.
This is our 42nd year in business with lots of past customers.
Q. What kind of work do you do?
Tom: We’re only exterior — roofing, siding, windows, doors. We do outdoor living spaces where we’ll build outdoor roofs or covered porch roofs. We build decks. We complete about 500 projects a year.
Our showroom is very useful and helpful because it’s unique. Few people in our business have anything like it. Most companies in the exterior remodeling business only sell one type of siding or brand of windows. Our showroom is the best that you can find. We display over 30 different types of siding materials, 22 roof colors, 30 entry doors and more than 20 types of windows.
Our installers are all factory-trained with no high-pressure sales. We only sell with companies that stand behind their products.
Q. What are the biggest trends in 2023?
Tom: People are spending money on their own houses.
Brian Kelly: Ever since Covid-19, we have been seeing more and more customers who work from home. Spending extra time at home, homeowners noticed the need for more home improvement projects.
Q. What is the process when someone wants to work with you?
Tom: We set up an initial consultation to meet the customers at their house to discuss their needs to improve their home. We then provide a detailed estimate of the work to be done. We typically give different price alternatives for the customers to choose. If the customers are interested in more details, they typically come to our showroom to see all of the product alternatives. We tell our customers that our price is good today, tomorrow, next week or whenever they are ready to buy.
Q. What do you love about this job?
Tom: The excitement for me in this industry is when we get done with the job. The excitement of that is what brings the joy. We do a lot of things that other companies don’t do.
I came up with a slogan many years ago: “The customer choice is number one.” Finding what the customer wants is something that differentiates us from other companies. We’re not high pressure. We try to educate the consumer.
Murphy Home Improvement’s showroom is located at 6571 Glenway Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45211. Call 513-922-8989 or visit murphyhomeimprovements.com for more information.