Builders' merger takes a sweet turn

Two other H&R Builders have a basement project going.

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Paul Thees works on one project.

Tim Ringle happened to be in the right place - The Andersons Inc. store on Talmadge Road - at the right time about 15 years ago when the Maumee company wanted to start offering installation services for home-improvement products.

"They were trying to get the business going, and I was trying to start a business," Mr. Ringle recalled of the early days of his Affordable Installation and Contracting Co. in Sylvania.

Yet, faced with too many jobs, Mr. Ringle soon relinquished the work to a larger firm, the former A&H Construction of Toledo. Through the years, though, the two construction firms worked in tandem at times, and when Dave Anderson retired from A&H, his partner, Tom Hager, and Mr. Ringle decided to join forces.

"We've had a working relationship for a number of years," Mr. Ringle said. "They did work for me; I did work for them. It was just a natural progression to merge."

The resulting H&R Builders of Toledo expects to have revenues of more than $1 million this year. Sales for the first three quarters this year shot up 36 percent from the same nine-month period last year, said Mr. Ringle, president.

And The Andersons remains an important part of H&R's business, accounting for about 60 percent of jobs either directly or through referrals. It is The Andersons' exclusive contractor in the Toledo area for kitchen, bath, window, and door products, and the Hill Avenue firm also does work on decks, sheds, additions, and other projects.

Two other H&R Builders have a basement project going.

"We like doing business with The Andersons," said Mr. Hager, company vice president. "All the products there are good products."

The two firms get together every month to talk about what can be done to continually improve, said Dan Anderson, president of retail for The Andersons.

"They're committed to doing quality work," he said. "Their philosophy about always serving the customer is very similar to ours."

On Oct. 1, H&R started offering a locally made line of premium vinyl replacement windows through The Andersons. The firm also does installation work for Lowe's Cos. Inc. customers.

In coming months, the Toledo company plans to put a showroom in its headquarters for windows, doors, kitchens, and baths. It plans to focus on offering windows and doors not available through retailers in the Toledo area, as well as demonstrating the type of work it can do.

"We're just a growing company," Mr. Ringle said.

Contact Julie M. McKinnon at: jmckinnon@theblade.com or 419-724-6087.

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