In Your Home...
They Started With A Solution To A Bigger Problem
And Are Growing It Into A Nationwide Service
BC Homes Magazine: Fall 2007
It all began in 1999 as a solution to a leaky problem. Eight years ago, Greg Stolz, now Executive Vice President of CONASYS (Consumer Assurance Systems Inc.),
was alarmed at how the leaky condo crisis was affecting homeowners, builders and the residential construction industry at large. He knew that something great
could come out of this tragic situation.
It is common knowledge that manufacturers provide warranty on retail products. Unfortunately, homeowners seldom use these warranties to their benefit.
Stolz felt that consumers should really take advantage of warranties provided by manufacturers. However, he know that coordinating the information from
all the sub-trades and suppliers is a daunting task for builders. He thought that if he gathered the warranty information and provided it as a service, it
would be beneficial for both the builder and the consumer.
So that is exactly the service that CONASYS provides. A Warranty Resource™ Homeowner package is a comprehensive manual and accompanying personal
access file for your new home. It provides you with everything you need to know about the products used in the construction of your home. The package
includes operation, maintenance and warranty documentation, detailed product related information (i.e. manufacturer names, product model, type, colour, etc.),
detailed contact information for sub-trades, manufacturers, suppliers and installers, letters of workmanship and guarantee as well as seasonal and product specific
maintenance schedules. All warranty information is archived and can be accessed online through the
Warranty Resource™ website.
Having a background in sales and marketing, Stolz used his expertise to put together a business plan for his new idea. It attracted his initial investor, Ray Radons, who
introduced Stolz to James Christensen. Christensen, now Chief Executive Officer of CONASYS, brings business and management expertise to the team. Named to
Business in Vancouver's Top 40 under 40, Christensen together with Stolz have grown the company from the single person home office in Nanaimo, BC to a 14-man
staff with offices located in downtown Vancouver. And their team is still growing. With the service now available in Alberta and the hopes that it will be available
nationwide by November 2007, he expects his staff to grow to 30 or 40 people.
It wasn't a smooth ride to get to where they are today. "It was tense in the beginning," says Stolz. Their initial focus was targeting the service to smaller builders.
As a result, the volume of work was low. So they decided to switch their focus to more project-based large volume builders. This he said was the turning point.
Their work has "exploded" over the last 5 months. They now have 165 builder and developer companies in BC on board. "It's a lot of work," says Stolz, "but I'm
having the time of my life."
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