National company does work efficiently, well
For many sales-based businesses, competition gets in the way of building a friendly and supportive work environment. But not at Power Home Remodeling Group, where employees say supportive colleagues and generous perks make it one of the best midsize companies to work for in Greater Houston.
Before COVID-19 hit, Power’s workers did door-to-door sales. They regularly held large group meetings, and even took an annual corporate-sponsored vacation to Mexico to celebrate their successes. These days, they’re maintaining good spirits and community over Zoom calls and regular check-ins to make sure workers are doing OK, said Joshua Shepard, vice president of sales for Power’s Houston office.
“Everyone cheers for each other. Everybody is excited when someone’s successful versus being upset that ‘this should’ve been my customer,’ ” Shepard said.
Power, a national company located in 16 states, employs 154 workers in Houston and 2,700 nationwide. The company, founded in 1992, ranked second among midsize companies in the Houston Chronicle’s Top Workplaces survey and received the “Doers” award for getting work done efficiently and well.
When the pandemic hit, Power shut down for the last two weeks of March but continued paying its employees. When it
was forced to furlough all but 300 employees, the company continued to cover their health
benefits.
Employees returned to work by July 1, just as homeowners in
Houston, having stared too long at the four walls of their homes, picked up their phones and started inquiring about remodeling. July was the busiest month of the year for the company.
“We shut down when we needed to,” Shepard said, “and then came back with a vengeance and a full plan to make sure that people were back to making money as quick as possible.”
Usually, Power takes its employees and a plus-one to Mexico every year, but that’s not happening in 2020. The company, however, is still offering one important perk: a steady job in the face of a recession.