Remodelers Council Member Spotlight with Jeff Bognar

Job description: Owner of Granite Marble & Tile Solutions in Ankeny.

1. Where is your hometown?

Jeff Bognar, Owner of Granite Marble & Tile Solutions

a. St. Louis, Missouri

2. Family?

a. 2 teenage boys – 1 graduated 2014, other is incoming sophomore

3. What do you enjoy doing when not working?

a. Tinkering with my Mustang

4. First job?

a. Newspaper route

5. If you could learn any skill?

a. Reading peoples mind

6. Favorite Quote?

a. When my son was 14, he thought I was a total buffoon, when he turned 21, he couldn’t believe how much I learned in 4 years.  Mark Twain.

7. One modern convenience you would not want to live without?

a. Air Conditioning

8. Favorite place to entertain clients or friends?

a. Any BBQ joint

9. Favorite super hero?

a. Bat Man

10. Favorite creative outlet or hobby?

a. Riding dirt bikes with my 2 sons.

11. What aspect of the remodeling industry do you enjoy the most?

a. Watching the big smiles on customer’s faces as they see their finished project.

12. What would you do if you weren’t in the remodeling industry?

a. I came from the food packaging industry – so probably back into that.  Unless I win the lottery – then I would retire and be a missionary helping impoverished peoples.

13. How many years have you been a member of the Remodelers Council?

a. I think three or 4

14. Why membership in the Remodelers Council is important to you?

a.I really enjoy the fellowship with the other members and learning about important changes to our industry.

Remodelers Council Member Spotlight With Rollie Clarkson

Job Description: I guess my job title is owner of Remodeling Contractors, but I do all the sales, estimating and designing as well as the cleaning, misc grunt work and I do windows.

1.   Where is your hometown?

A. I moved to Johnston when I was about 3 years old. Started kindergarten in Johnston and graduated from Johnston. I raised my family in Johnston and still live here.

2.   Family?

A. Married for 34 years this October to my lovely wife Debbie, I have 2 daughters (Heather and Hannah), one son-in-law Nick who is married to Heather and they have given me 3 incredible grandkids- Judah, Miciah and Margo.

3.   What do you enjoy doing when not working?

A. That terrible four letter word – golf

4.   First job?

A. My dad was a realtor/developer/builder so I spent a lot of time cleaning up jobsites, sweeping out houses and mowing properties.

5.   If you could learn any skill?

A. Anyone who has played with me would say golf!

6.    Favorite Quote?

A. As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another    Proverbs

7.   One modern convenience you would not want to live without?

A. Ipad

8.   Favorite place to entertain clients or friends?

A. My house

9.   Favorite super hero?

A. Ironman- my grandson told me to say that

10 What aspect of the remodeling industry do you enjoy the most?

A. Relationships you develop with your clients

11 What would you do if you weren’t in the remodeling industry?

A. Work with an organization that helps youth

12. How many years have you been a member of the Remodelers Council?

A. Since day one! Not sure 16-17 years?

13 Why membership in the Remodelers Council is important to you^?

A. We have strength in numbers. As a council we have the opportunity to be better educated, better trained and better business people. The more remodelors we have who are interested in conducting themselves and their business’s on professional level, the stronger and better of our industry will be. I find it helps my business to he associated with a group of professionals wanting to improve there industry and conducting business with a high level of integrity.

Remodelers Council Member Spotlight with Marc Black of Silent Rivers

Job description: My title is General Manager at Silent Rivers. To me, that means I get to be the person to structure & implement our owner’s vision for the company and provide both direction and support for our staff members so they can do their jobs effectively.

1. Where is your hometown?
   1. Grew up on a farm just outside of Barnum, IA (near Ft.Dodge)
2. Family?
   1. Sarah and I have been married for 10 years and have a 4 year old daughter – Avery Jane “Princess” Black.
3. What do you enjoy doing when not working?
   1. Mostly spending time with my family & extended family! I also play on a slow pitch softball team in the spring & summer and joined a basketball team this past winter through my church. My “hidden” hobby is a fantasy card game called Magic The Gathering. When I do gaming weekends with my group, my wife lovingly calls them my “Geekends”!
4. First job?
   1. Besides being a farm hand for my dad, my first job was a grocer at Jamboree Foods in Manson, IA. $2.99 / hour baby!
5. If you could learn any skill?
   1. I’ll use the term “skill” loosely here – I’d say developing ESP would be the most useful thing I can think of! Who wouldn’t want a 6^th sense and be able to anticipate/predict better!?!?
6. Favorite Quote?
   1. Of all time?? Depends on the setting – I love reciting one liners from movies…especially the comedies & kids movies. But as a motivational thing, I think John Ruskin has a TON of useful ones. This one resonates well with me because I work hard to try to maintain balance in life between work, family and friends. I think it’s applicable in most things in life – not just work:

                   “In order that people may be happy in their work, these three things are needed:  they must be fit for it;

they must not do too much of it;

and they must have a sense of success in it.”

7. One modern convenience you would not want to live without?
   1. Too many to choose from – all powered by the one biggest modern convenience we take for granted until we don’t have it….ELECTRICITY!
8. Favorite place to entertain clients or friends?
   1. I don’t know that I have one – I like variety and exploring new places. Just had a great dinner at Exile Brewing Company a couple weeks ago and will definitely go back there again!
9. Favorite super hero?
   1. Batman all the way! Too many cool gadgets & methods of transportation on top of being dark, mysterious and fearless. Not to mention being wealthy and having a cave!
10. What aspect of the remodeling industry do you enjoy the most?
    1. The fact that no matter how many projects and what type/size they are – they are all unique and different and something can be learned on each one.
11. What would you do if you weren’t in the remodeling industry?
    1. I would probably find a way to get into designing and/or producing extreme thrill rides. I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie and thrill seeker, so I’ve always been intrigued with the science & technology behind what makes those kinds of things work.
12. How many years have you been a member of the Remodelers Council?
    1. Rollie Clarkson invited me to my first luncheon in 2001. I was instantly hooked as the Council gave me a place to network and learn from my peers while starting out in this city and industry. I’ve been active on one committee or another every single year since 2002.
13. Why membership in the Remodelers Council is important to you?
    1. I especially enjoy the comradery with the others in the group and the educational opportunities that the HBA & RC provide through our luncheon speakers and classes offered.

Remodelers Council Member Spotlight-Caleb Roney of CR Painting

Job description:

Facilitate long term planning and many of the day to day back-end operations at CR Painting to ensure quality customer experiences each and every day.

1. Where is your hometown?
   1. Des Moines
2. Family?
   1. My wonderful wife of 6 years is Adrienne and our 2 month old daughter is Vivienne. I am the middle child of 7. There is always something fun going down at the Roney house.
3. What do you enjoy doing when not working?
   1. I enjoy playing basketball with my brothers and sitting down over coffee with my wife. I also enjoy every additional minute I get with my immediate family and church family.
4. First job?
   1. Painter of course, right after the 8^th grade.
5. If you could learn any skill?
   1. It’s a tossup between Speed Reading and Krav Maga (Israeli Martial Arts that translates as “contact combat” in Hebrew)
6. Favorite Quote?
   1. Psalm 28:7 – The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him.
7. One modern convenience you would not want to live without?
   1. First place is google voice, second would be my truck’s Bluetooth.
8. Favorite place to entertain clients or friends?
   1. My home or wherever we can get a competitive game of Ping Pong going.
9. Favorite super hero?
   1. Thor – Primarily for use of the “Hammer”
10. What aspect of the remodeling industry do you enjoy the most?
    1. I enjoy seeing people have an outlet for their creativity and it’s great to see that around the corner of each new project.
11. What would you do if you weren’t in the remodeling industry?
    1. BizBuz… check it out J
12. How many years have you been a member of the Remodelers Council?
    1. 2
13. Why membership in the Remodelers Council is important to you?
    1. It’s an awesome opportunity to regularly affiliating with top tier people in the industry. I am glad to add value to the council to help support those likeminded businesses that focus on the customer first.