April 2017

26 BUILD / April 2017 , CEO of the Year – USAwas awarded to Cass Brinkman of All Weather Services, Inc, who we invited to tell us about his responsibilities as CEO, what his company does and howhe manages his workforce. The Possibilities Are Endless It is Cass Brinkman’s responsibility as CEO of All Weather Services, Inc to ensure the overall success, continuation and growth of the organisation. He determines what is working and what is not working, by regularly reviewing the updated statistics of all facets of the company. If a statistic is down, he believes it must be set right at once, or else it will turn into a bigger problem further down the line. All Weather Services, Inc is a residential, outdoor remodelling company. They build wood and composite decks, covered decks, screens, patio covers, patios (including decorative concrete, pavers and flagstone), fireplaces and fire pits, stone masonry, pergolas, lighting and under deck ceilings. 2017 is their 10th year in business, indeed over the years they have seen many changes. Price increases on materials, composite manufacturers coming and going, stiffening code requirements and Canadian cedar subsidies overridden by the US International Trade Commission (hiking overall cedar prices by 20% overnight) are just a few fitting examples. In terms of managing staff, Brinkman firmly believes that, “people need to feel respected and needed or they tend to do less than their best.” He adds, “I try to inspire my staff in order to bring out the best in them. They have skills and those skills can be put to use more effectively when they feel like part of a team, take pride in their achievements and are respected as the invaluable people that they are.” The key to the firm’s success is that “we always adapt to change and stay ahead of the curve” Brinkman reveals. “We take bad news and figure out how to turn it into good news. We determine how much business we are trying to take on and then take the steps necessary to achieve that goal. We never give up and we do not consider it possible for us to do otherwise than succeed” he goes on to say. Brinkman then goes on to reveal what sets All Weather Services, Inc apart from other companies in the industry and what marks them out as the best option for their clients. “We are the largest deck builder in our market. We have an extensive portfolio of work throughout the entire city. From the very beginning, we planned to be the best and have had professional photographers documenting our achievements throughout the years as a result. “We are an award-winning company with 19 Super Service Awards from Angie’s List, 7 Best of houzz Awards, a 5-Star rating on Decks.com and an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, to name a few. We pride ourselves on offering the best customer service in our industry and are interested in created long term relationships.” “In 2013, I created a second corporation in this industry; Rain- Out, Inc. It is a manufacturing company that ships Under Deck Ceiling panels and kits (as well as other related products) all over the continental United States. This is an exciting new venture and would not have been possible without the success and support from All Weather Services, Inc.” Looking at the future for the industry, Brinkman says that in terms of the market outlook for the next 12 months, “construction will fortunately always be a relevant category in the service industry due to endless population growth. This is a stable industry to be in. Success is certainly achievable, but not guaranteed. The success or lack thereof is up to those running the company and no one else. Failure is not caused by an economy, but rather, by poor management alone.” On the future of the firm itself, Brinkman says that they plan to continue to grow All Weather Services, Inc within the Kansas City market for many years to come. The firm’s national growth efforts and expectations will be the focus of their newer corporation, Rain-Out, Inc. he reveals, before offering his reflections on the 10-year journey he has taken with All Weather Services, Inc. “My first year in business was as a completely new start-up company. My second year in business, I was able to almost seven times the total revenues of the previous year and held that new standard of sales for the next several years. My seventh year in business, I increased that number by more than two times and have held in that new range ever since. We will achieve similar increases once again in the near future. The possibilities are endless.” 1702BU41