Thriving under pressure Strongwood Construction has produced several kitchen renovations that have been featured in Home Depot’s national advertising. Moving forward, Lyle says his vision is to continue delivering projects with that kind of “magazine quality,” and to continue exceeding the expectations of its clients along the way. What the vision doesn’t include, Lyle says, is growing too large. The company currently employs five people directly and Lyle says six to seven would be ideal, but he doesn’t want to get any larger than that. The company has been bigger in the past with up to 12 employees at one time, and Lyle found that he didn’t enjoy it, as he had to spend most of his time managing his staff instead of interacting with his clients. He highly values the personal relationships he forms with clients, so he doesn’t want to risk compromising those interactions. “I absolutely love kitchens and bathrooms,” he says, “and I love working with our clients. I want to continue to do what we’re known for, and be sought after by clients wanting a high-end, high-quality renovation. We’ve got one project coming up that will be another magazinequality kitchen that has several features you would see on HGTV. I really like those jobs because not only do you get to design and create something that is a showstopper, but you also have to work with a client who has very high expectations – and that pressure is what I really enjoy.” OCTOBER 2023
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