Author photo

By Erin Schwager
Journalist 

Building on the future

Schaffer starts home improvement business

 

Courtesy Photo

Updates • T. Shaffer Home Improvement, a new company based in Orchard, offers home upgrades, including decks, roofing and remodeling projects.

A new business offering home upgrades hopes to build a small business into a full-time gig.

Travis Shaffer, of Orchard, started T. Shaffer Home Improvement three months ago.

According to Shaffer, the venture started when he was working on a project for his father-in-law. People started complimenting his work and asked if he could complete projects for them. Shaffer thought he would try a small business to see if he could eventually make it a full-time business, since he is still working a full-time job.

"I'm still working full time, then I decided to do this on the side. My other job allows me to be off about 1 p.m., everyday, so about 2 p.m. to whenever, I'm doing this," he stated.

Shaffer has experience in construction, starting at age 15, while a high school junior. His shop teacher's son owned a construction company, so Shaffer began working for the company after school.


Once he graduated high school, he started working full-time for that same company, building houses and buildings. He decided to go into the carpenter's union after that, which put him in carpentry school for five years at Sioux City to gain more experience.

Schaffer worked at WA Klinger, where he strictly did concrete work. Shaffer's friend's father started a concrete company called RJ Tide, and brought him in, until he moved to Orchard about three and one-half years ago.

When asked why he named his business T. Shaffer Home Improvement, he responded, "Everybody around here is starting to know my last name and the home improvement part is because I'm doing more of the small projects, not constructing houses, so I stuck with home improvement."


T. Shaffer Home Improvement will work on a variety of projects, including decks, roofing, siding, bathroom and kitchen remodels, and basically anything that does not include electrical work.

"I want to try to stay with the smaller projects for the people in town because it seems like that is what the need is for, someone to do smaller projects," Shaffer said.

With Shaffer's construction experience, his small business has already been busy, with a growing wait list of about a month.

"Business has been very busy," he said. "I thought it would start off a little slow, but every day, I'm getting calls and going and looking at projects. It only took a couple of projects for people to see the quality of work we can do and it's made a big difference."

One challenge he has experienced is the difficulty to get material right now. He mentioned it takes about six to eight weeks to get some items, so he has to account for that time when getting started on a new job.

Shaffer has received help from some young men in the community when he needed an extra hand.

"I've had a few younger kids come forward and they have helped out tremendously with decks and so on."

Shaffer is hopeful for the future of his new small business and plans to continue to make improvements in the future.

"I hope that I can make it a full-time job down the road. I would like to hire one more person full-time and just keep everyone that I'm doing work for around town happy," he said.

For more information, contact either Shaffer or his wife, Ashley, or visit the T. Shaffer Home Improvement Facebook Page.

"With my family, I want to succeed and do well," Shaffer said. "It's just one way I think that I can pursue, take off and be comfortably living. My work means a lot to me, and I take pride in it."

 

Reader Comments(0)

 
 

Powered by ROAR Online Publication Software from Lions Light Corporation
© Copyright 2024

Rendered 03/20/2024 21:04