Guru Nari Fall Show 10-12-25

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
When you need wisdom and advice. Seek out a guru
when you need wisdom and advice about remodeling and design.
Lock on and listen right now to Nick the construction Guru.
Here is award winning remodeling expert Nick Kerzner.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Stock eleven thirty WSN. Good morning, Nick the Construction Group.
I am so excited. I have guru virgins here today,
first time show. I have John and Liz name he
here from Namy Construction, and we are going to be
talking about because you guys are so active in Nary
about the fall remodeling show on October sixteenth and seventeenth, right, uh,

(00:44):
nineteenth and twenty. I just looked at the you know
what I just looked at. I came in here, I
was driving in and I saw the billboard. Okay, and
I swear it said the sixteenth and the seventeenth, But
thanks for correcting me.

Speaker 3 (00:56):
That's why I keep yeah. Yeah, it's well, you.

Speaker 2 (00:59):
Know, my eyes aren't as good as when I'm wearing sunglasses.
Tell us a little bit about about your business.

Speaker 4 (01:05):
First, we are a design, buildery modeling firm. I started
the business back in nineteen ninety six, so next year
will be our twentieth or thirtieth annivers which president then
I am president?

Speaker 3 (01:19):
Who was President of the United State?

Speaker 4 (01:22):
Then? Oh my god, I have no idea, you know.

Speaker 2 (01:25):
Because that really puts it into perspective when people think
ninety six doesn't sound that long agoing.

Speaker 4 (01:29):
To me, But it's a lot it is. It is
a long time. Yeah, yeah, we'll have to look that
up to see who actually was president.

Speaker 3 (01:37):
Craig's looking up.

Speaker 4 (01:40):
Teddy Teddy Roosevelt maybe, but yeah, out. But yeah, we're growing,
and you know, it's good to be on the show.
You know, everything's going well. We just bought a new
building in Franklin on Saint Martin's Road, so we're working

(02:05):
on that.

Speaker 2 (02:06):
And well, you know, you and I met. I think
we met at the shows, I believe so. And we
have been kind of fixtures at MARY for a long time.
And you guys have been involved probably I think it's
one of the biggest committees at NAIRY is the show committee.

Speaker 4 (02:21):
You guys take care of all the shows, right, correct, Yep.
We do the home improvement shows, the spring and the
fall show. I got involved in that a long time ago,
and then they asked me to be the chairman and
I took over in December, right before COVID hit and
twenty was at twenty two, I try and forget it,

(02:43):
I know, and it was like, you know, we had
our spring show and then COVID hit the fan, and
it was like, oh my gosh, what did I get
myself involved in? You know, this is the worst time
to be the chairman of the show.

Speaker 3 (02:56):
But you know, we made it through.

Speaker 4 (02:58):
We had all of our shows, we downsized, we protected
the public, and we did what we needed to do
to keep on going. And I mean basically that's what
you have to do when you own any kind of business.
I know, I just keep chugging along.

Speaker 2 (03:15):
And so now, Liz, you're going to be taken over eventually, Yes, yeah,
at Naming Construction. So tell us a little bit about
your history.

Speaker 5 (03:21):
I've been when I was a little kid, I'd go
on job sites. He'd go check on job sites and
I was right there wanting to go with him. And
then when I was five or six, I tiled our
bathroom at our house. And then I've always had a
nick Ford and then eleven year old as When I
was eleven, I taught Eagle Scouts how to drywall. Wow,
Bud Drywall, and they didn't want to listen to me

(03:42):
because I'm a little eleven year old girl telling them
what to do.

Speaker 2 (03:45):
They go to John And you know what's funny about that,
being an old guy in the business, women have really
stepped up to the plate in this business. And you know,
at first I was a little apprehensive. I honestly, you know,
us old Chauvin's guy.

Speaker 3 (04:00):
Yeah, that's right.

Speaker 2 (04:01):
But then you know, I watched the competitions with the
different schools, and I remember the year that the girls
won and the guys were all walking around with their
it was I forget what school it was, do you.

Speaker 3 (04:12):
Remember, No, it was all girls. Yeah, yeah, and.

Speaker 2 (04:15):
It was all girl women carpenters, designers, all of that.
So and now it's not uncommon. I bet it's it's
close to probably fifty percent women owned businesses now.

Speaker 4 (04:26):
Right, which is excellent. I mean, we need to get
more involved more young people in general. Yeah, you know,
and I know Narry is very involved in the Next
Gen Trade Challenge, which is a high school competition, and
we're involved in that. And they're going to have a

(04:47):
deal in the Spring show, right.

Speaker 5 (04:49):
Spring show, They're going to have kind of like a
playground area where different high schools are going to be
building different stuff. So I know some are making like
a full play gym like set, some are building cornhole
like cornhole, they're making anerondack chairs and there's all going
to be a nice little seated area in and.

Speaker 2 (05:05):
That's a competition, correct, So.

Speaker 5 (05:07):
There's there's criteria. We did one last year where they
all made greenhouses, but we realized some high schools aren't
set up as better as others, so we want to
make it kind of more fair for them. So they're
all doing building stuff that's more adequate for what they're
capable of. But they all have different criteria that they
have to meet, and then there's NARY members judge them,
and then there's they get judged and there's winners and if.

Speaker 2 (05:29):
You want to if you want to learn more about that,
I know NARY Foundation does the scholarships and things like that,
and we maybe talk about that on another show because
that's a real important introduction to.

Speaker 3 (05:39):
The trades for people.

Speaker 2 (05:41):
And you know, today a college education just isn't as
valuable as it used to be. Today, it's the trades
are where it's going to be. There's no two ways
about it. You can't make robots and ai that do
that yet, that's very true.

Speaker 4 (05:55):
Well, and not every young person is cut out for college,
nor do they want to go to college, and we
find that all the time. You know, we've been involved
in the high schools, in the apprenticeship programs, and Liz
has been involved with them, and I mean that's the
future of our industry.

Speaker 2 (06:16):
It's all tied in focusing on all of that. Tell
me a little bit now. The dates of the show again.

Speaker 5 (06:23):
October eighteenth, noon to eight, Saturday October nineteen ten to seven,
and Sunday, October twenty nine to five. And I know
on Sunday, the last two hours of it is free,
so yeah, there's no cost to get in. Just so
it's during the Packer game, so non football fans have
a little more better reason to come in and you
can walk around and not be too busy because there's

(06:45):
a packer.

Speaker 2 (06:45):
Wow, what a great idea you guys came up with
with that, Yeah, because that was usually a time when
things kind of died down a little bit. Right, So,
and how much do you say, how much is it
to get into the show?

Speaker 3 (06:53):
Now?

Speaker 5 (06:54):
Eight dollars? You can go online at Narrymlwaukee dot org
slash Fall Show and it's eight dollars online and then
ten dollars at the door, and then adults sixty plus
or eight dollars at the door and free admission for
children ages seventeen and younger. And then veterans, active duty military,
first responders and medical personnel show an idea and they
have free admissions.

Speaker 2 (07:14):
They've allayed done that respected the first ross absolutely. What
are the highlights of the show lists this this year?

Speaker 5 (07:20):
The big one is there we are doing a whole
area about a basement and we're going to showcase different
things you can do in a basement. We know what
the we had that big flood, a lot of basements
got ruined, and in the Midwest, basements are big things.
So having different I know there's going to be like
a sauna, a bar, of course, because you're in the Midwest.
You can't have a basement without a bar, a home theater,

(07:42):
which has been new like kind of up and coming.
More people are doing that, and then like a play space,
but then also showing generators and egress windows, and then
also ever Drive will have stuff there that will show
you how to kind of protect your basement, but then
also know what you're looking at to looking for when
looking at your basements, see water damage and how to
fix it the best.

Speaker 2 (08:01):
Now there's a whole section dedicated to Yes.

Speaker 5 (08:03):
There, I think it's forty by eighty or there's a
big space, so it's all we're kind of going to
break it up so you can see the different rooms.
But then different NARRY members are putting together the different
areas as well, so all NARRY members are kind of
getting involved to.

Speaker 4 (08:20):
So I mean you can kind of walk through this
simulated basement, you know, and get some ideas of what
can be done.

Speaker 3 (08:29):
No, we haven't put it together yet. Oh you haven't.

Speaker 5 (08:31):
Okay, the bar is gonna look great because I just
we're building that, so it's good. But and then we're
also actually having a wall with jerseys from the different
high schools to promote the next train challenge in the
next show.

Speaker 3 (08:44):
So yeah.

Speaker 4 (08:45):
So, I mean a lot of times we go out
and we talk to customers and they're like, well, what
can we do in our basement? And my answer is
what do you wanted?

Speaker 3 (08:54):
These guys?

Speaker 4 (08:55):
Absolutely these days, I mean before it was paneling on
the wall and some carpet and you called it a day.
And now our philosophy is, let's make the basement look
and feel like the rest of your house.

Speaker 2 (09:09):
Well, I know you know back in the day, and
I just because you brought it up. When we started
doing basements and some of the older houses, the problem
was with the carpeting and the paneling. You had that
musty smell. There was that moist.

Speaker 3 (09:20):
You know.

Speaker 2 (09:20):
Today there's so many different systems that can take.

Speaker 3 (09:23):
Care of all of that.

Speaker 2 (09:23):
I have absolutely even when they started coming up with
the radon, radon systems actually helped dry out basements too,
So there's all kinds of things. And the reason I
bring that up, John and Liz is because I think
that a lot of people look at their basement they go, ah,
this really isn't conducive about doing anything with You'd be
surprised what you can do even in an old like
I did one in West Allie Low Headroom Yep, turned

(09:46):
out beautiful. It creates a whole new living space. You
don't have to go through the hassle of a permit
for an addition. With an egress windows you brought up, Liz,
you can add a bedroom. There's all kinds of things
you can do, and it'll be contractors at the Nary
show to talk about what the possibilities are even for
an older basement.

Speaker 4 (10:03):
Right absolutely. I mean everybody, well I shouldn't say everybody,
but you know, ninety nine percent of the homes in
Wisconsin do have basement and a lot of times that space.
If you have fifteen hundred square feet of a home upstairs,
you have that fifteen hundred in the basement, and why
not utilize that space. You can actually, you know, double

(10:26):
the size of your home just by finishing off that basement,
and like you said, it is a lot more monetarily
efficient to do that than adding fifteen hundred score foot
in an addition, right right, yeah.

Speaker 3 (10:41):
I agree.

Speaker 2 (10:42):
So outside of the basement stuff, what else are we
going to see at the show? Do you guys have
some some flavors of who's going to be.

Speaker 4 (10:48):
There, Well, there's a wide variety of Nary members and
there's some other Nonnary members. But I mean, if you're
coming there to look for you know, any tight of remodeling, kitchens, bathrooms,
there'll be some electricians and heating contractors and plumbing and

(11:10):
flooring and just a wide variety, sighting and roofing and absolutely.

Speaker 5 (11:15):
Anything that anywhere you can touch your house, someone there
can interior, exterior absolutely yep, and landscaping, so any part
of your house there will be someone there that can
do something.

Speaker 2 (11:25):
So a major remodel or a minor remodel. This is
a good show to come to.

Speaker 4 (11:29):
Absolutely, it's a smaller show than our Spring show, but
this is going to give you an opportunity to walk
around and connect with people and actually, you know, make
those connections and you know, figure out who you want
to work with. There's a lot of good contractors. I mean,

(11:49):
come in and talk to us. We're in Booth three
twenty five, and if it's something that we don't personally do,
we can send you in the.

Speaker 2 (11:57):
Right direction to see there's other John trying to bring
up such a good point because part of it is,
you know, on the Internet, you don't get to talk
and get the communication style of the contractor. Here at
the Nary Show, you're gonna be able to do that.
Let's we're gonna take a short break and when we
come back, we'll tell you again the dates of the show.
And then I want to talk about why it's advantageous
to do business with a NARY member. Fair enough, absolutely

(12:18):
all right, News Talk eleven thirty wisen we would return
after these messages. Use Talk eleven thirty WS and returning
from break. It's Nick the construction Guru.

Speaker 1 (12:32):
Listen.

Speaker 2 (12:32):
If you're thinking about a remodeling project. I say it
in every show, get a few opinions. Make one of
those hours. We'd love to come out and talk to
you about a home renovation. Whether it's a small job
or a big I guess it's no job too big
or small.

Speaker 3 (12:43):
We do them good or not at all. That's how
we say it. Absolutely.

Speaker 4 (12:46):
I tell customers we'll come out, we'll put one window
in your house, we'll do a drywall repair, and if
you need a thousand square foot edition, we can do that.

Speaker 3 (12:55):
And then yeah, anything in between.

Speaker 2 (12:57):
And you know, this is the thing with I don't
know if it's all Nary members, but the Narry members
that I talk to, you start that relationship with a
customer I'm doing. I'm doing a ninth ninth project for
a client right now. I've known them since I was
a young man, and you do. And that's why I
look I look for you know, auto mechanics that are

(13:18):
family run businesses because like like with you guys, that generation,
the next generation's coming up and they know what to
expect and they know the.

Speaker 3 (13:24):
Quality of the guy absolutely.

Speaker 2 (13:26):
So I wanted when we went on break, John Liz,
I wanted to talk a little bit about why a
NAIRY member. I want to make sure that people understand
what they get from a NARRY member that they don't
get from the other guys, because there's a lot of
companies out there that are just starting up. Some are good,
some maybe not so good. But why does why does
somebody want to deal with a member of the National

(13:47):
Association of the Renhadeling Industry.

Speaker 4 (13:49):
Well, with dealing with a NARY member, you're going to
have that knowledge right up front that you're talking to
somebody who knows what they're doing. NARY members are vetted,
there's a rigorous plan that they have to go through,
there's criteria that they have to meet, you know, and

(14:11):
by dealing with a NARY member, you're going to have
that organization actually cover your back as a consumer because
if you do have a problem or an issue NEARY
will help you resolve that well. And you know, Nick,
we've always had jobs. Not every job goes perfectly. You
run into some problems, but it's how you address those

(14:34):
problems that makes the difference.

Speaker 3 (14:37):
You know.

Speaker 2 (14:38):
And the other thing NARY does. And again I always
a lot of people say, what's Nearry. It's the National
Association of the Remodeling Industry. Chris Aigner has been kicking
me in the teeth or not saying it that way
because he wants people to know who it is. But
and Chris was a national president and I think he's
been on the show several times. But also protects the
contractors from the standpoint that there's certified remodelers that go

(15:02):
through additional training. There's all kinds of meetings for contractors
to go to learn. I know that I get to
live vicariously through other people's problems because I'm on the
ethics committee, So I get to see some of the
things not to do in some of the solutions that
work and don't work. So members of NARY have kind
of a shoe in And I know this. I know

(15:23):
you appreciate this because Nary's been a big part of
your training too, hasn't it.

Speaker 5 (15:28):
Oh yeah, I've been I've been going to NARRY show
since I was born.

Speaker 1 (15:31):
But kind of imagine that real.

Speaker 5 (15:34):
Literally, I'm twenty four years old. I probably have forty
eight Narry shows under my belt.

Speaker 2 (15:39):
So we'd go to Disney World.

Speaker 3 (15:40):
You take your kids to the Narry show.

Speaker 2 (15:42):
I'm kidding.

Speaker 4 (15:43):
Well, we would have a routine when they were in school.
I'd pick them up from school. My wife Diane was
at the show running the booth. We would stop at
Sammy's and we'd get a snack, and then we would
go to the Narry show and.

Speaker 5 (15:57):
Sam and I would be doing our homework in the
booth while our parents are running the show.

Speaker 3 (16:01):
So isn't that funny?

Speaker 4 (16:02):
You know, it's that's the life of owning your own
business and you make it work. And consequently, I mean,
she's been involved and now she's involved in the home
show committees, and it's funny to listen at the committee
shows or the show committees, i should say, and they're
talking about, well, you know we used to have you know,

(16:26):
years ago, home deeple had the kids could build bird houses,
and she'd chime in, well, I remember building one of
those bird houses, and the other members are looking at
her like really.

Speaker 2 (16:36):
You you know what's funny is that the boomers are
are dying going away. Okay, it's just the way it is,
and we're talking and the ones that aren't that are tired.

Speaker 3 (16:48):
Yep.

Speaker 2 (16:48):
So the new generations coming in and are coming in
with a completely different communication style, completely different eyes on
ideas on marketing. And I think that's going to be
evidence that this show because I've been to a lot
of shows, but we've ever had an area dedicated to
one part of We did something on home theaters many
years ago, but this is this is going to show
you not only home theaters but pretty much everything you

(17:11):
can do. Is there a fitness room in there?

Speaker 5 (17:13):
Two, there's a craft room, there's a home theater, there's
like a turf area that's like kind of a play
like playroom for kids, and then egress and a sauna
is going to be there, and then.

Speaker 2 (17:25):
The sauna area would be something to be connected to
fitness too.

Speaker 5 (17:28):
Yep.

Speaker 3 (17:28):
Absolutely.

Speaker 4 (17:29):
You know you can put a golf simulator in the
basement and there's I mean just it's the sky is
opening a wine cellar.

Speaker 3 (17:38):
What do you want done?

Speaker 2 (17:39):
Guys think do you think that you know, you talked
about COVID, John, Do you think a lot of this.
I've noticed it. I want to see if you did,
and I'm going to kind of give it away, but
I noticed that people are spending a lot more time
on backyard areas, basements and creating an area where they
can stay at home rather than go to an entertainment complex.
Like the kitchens today are so and I know you

(18:00):
see this. We always put ranges in you you put
in a thirty inch range. Today they're putting in these
high BTU cookers, absolutely, deep fryers, all kinds of things
are going to kitchen because people are staying home. They
it's back to home, right.

Speaker 4 (18:14):
It is, you know, and I don't know how many uh,
primary bathrooms and suites that we've done, you know that
have more of a spa feel to it than you know,
just a shower and a sink. And you know, the
sky is the limit of what we do.

Speaker 2 (18:32):
Dictatory modeling projects. List who in the family, who is it?

Speaker 5 (18:36):
That's still John? I'm still no, no, no no, no. I
mean the customers, it depends, but I don't even know
more women.

Speaker 2 (18:45):
For me, I agree one hundred percent.

Speaker 5 (18:47):
Sometimes the guys will be like, yeah, that I want
this kind of idea. But it's always for me.

Speaker 2 (18:52):
If it's a garage or basement, it's the guy running.
But otherwise, because you bring up the bathroom, you know
today the wife is saying, no, I want this. You
know they used to get that little vanity where they
tuck under there and try and put their makeup on.
Today you have five or six different types of lighting
in a bathroom for different makeup applications. Same thing with
the kitchen. You have stations for coffee, you have a

(19:13):
station for cooking preparation, all of that stuff. The women
are really getting involved. I think a lot of that's
driven by HGTV, right absolutely. But the nice thing about
this is you're going to be able to talk to
contractors that do it all and specialty. I know, even
like protecting gutters from leaves. There's going to be a
bunch of guys there that do that. Replacement windows, as

(19:34):
you said, is the exterior remodels, roofing, siding, windows, doors,
all that kind of stuff. Do you guys have a
sampling of who else is going to be there.

Speaker 5 (19:41):
I know IQ Automation they're doing the home in home
theater and they do more spark systems and all that stuff,
which is always everyone wants to know about that. So
I know, hell, he's doing the theater in the basement area,
but I know he'll have a booth as well, which
is always good.

Speaker 2 (19:55):
Right, I know that Now it's you know, it used
to be a rich man's sport. I say man's I
don't mean that rich person's sport for automation. Home automation
opening up the drapes at a certain time. Today, that's
all affordable for homeowners certainly.

Speaker 4 (20:08):
I mean, you can run your entire house, or at
least Liz can. I can't because.

Speaker 3 (20:13):
I'm not that.

Speaker 4 (20:15):
Confident in my phone's abilities. You know, I still use
my phone to make phone calls and text stuff.

Speaker 2 (20:22):
Now you lose your phone, and you lose all your
medical records.

Speaker 4 (20:25):
Everything, your whole life is gone. But yeah, I mean,
you know we're moving in that direction.

Speaker 3 (20:31):
And hey, John, we've moved well.

Speaker 4 (20:33):
We have, like you are correct, You are correct.

Speaker 3 (20:37):
You know we are already there.

Speaker 2 (20:39):
And to your point and to the point of not
only the show but your company. Now you have fresh
blood in there, and you know there's the old ways
that are still very valuable. How we do things, the
discipline it takes to do the work, but the new
stuff that the younger generations are getting to with home automation, lighting,
new appliances, all of that kind of stuff. My wife

(20:59):
is doing select actions now, Lynn, so she's she's ten
years younger than me. Lucky me, right, yep, absolutely, that
would have been a crime years ago. But anyway, you know,
she has completely different ideas on kitchen and lighting and
things like that. And I'm sure that Liz is bringing
that too. And you're thinking, you hate to say it
because you kind of want to be in control, but hey,
that's a good You're right, that's a good idea, and

(21:20):
even automation with computers as far as running the business
and being more efficient, right.

Speaker 4 (21:24):
Well, there are so many more products out there, I know,
you know, to do all of hers.

Speaker 3 (21:31):
It is.

Speaker 4 (21:32):
I mean thirty years ago when we started, there was
less choices for consumers, which made our life a little easier.
But now there's so many more choices and you really
do need to keep up with those that I've got
to see a lot of those at the show. Absolutely.
I mean there's a lot of displays.

Speaker 3 (21:51):
Out of the tops.

Speaker 2 (21:52):
Let's go through some of it. Countertops, windows, windows, doors,
the window and door thing is it used to be
double hungs and slow. Now there's so many different kinds
of windows, so many even bath fans.

Speaker 3 (22:05):
There's bath fans. It's crazy.

Speaker 2 (22:07):
It's insane to me that pick up the humidity and say, okay,
it's time to go on, lose the humidity, time to
go off energy saving products, right, absolutely, toilets that you
can flush a bowling ball down pretty much, right, Oh.

Speaker 4 (22:17):
Yeah, yeah, they have all kinds of different systems.

Speaker 2 (22:21):
You're going to see plunders in an antiques store soon.

Speaker 4 (22:24):
Yeah, me and you both in the same store. Yeah,
but yeah, I mean we are moving in a positive direction.
And there are a lot of products out there, and
a lot of products too.

Speaker 2 (22:37):
They're more expensive, but they're going, but they're going a
lot longer. Like like LVP flooring. I always tell people
before this floor wears out, you're not going to like
it anymore. It's just it's going to change as far
as color and this and that. Hey, let's give out
the information again. We're running upgainst the clock here.

Speaker 5 (22:52):
But an airy home shows Friday October eighteenth, noon to
eight pm, Saturday October nineteen, ten am to seven pm Sunday,
October twenty nine or ten am to five pm, with
the last two hours being free in mission. Three to
five pm is free in mission on Sunday.

Speaker 3 (23:11):
Awesome. That's great.

Speaker 4 (23:12):
And don't forget first threes, ponders and vets. You get
in free.

Speaker 2 (23:17):
That's something I've always respected. They've done that forever they have,
and it's it's great.

Speaker 3 (23:22):
Real quick.

Speaker 2 (23:22):
Give yourselves a shot here too, because you're building a
new new audi.

Speaker 4 (23:26):
We have a new showroom that we're putting together. We
bought a building on Saint Martin's Road in Franklin and
we're just the drywallers are working on it right now,
so it's going to take a while before we move
into it.

Speaker 2 (23:40):
But yeah, you got to do everybody else's projects before exactly.

Speaker 4 (23:43):
That's right. And you've been around since ninety six, nineteen
ninety six we started.

Speaker 2 (23:47):
If you don't, if you forget, Greg looked it up.
Bill Clinton was president. Okay, remember that, Yes I do.
I can hardly walk now, I mean that's how long
it's well. Hey, the three, Hey you guys, thanks for
coming in and on a Sunday spending some time with
the Guru. We got to get you on here again.

Speaker 4 (24:03):
Thanks for having us I'd love to be it. It's
always you know, it's good to talk to you.

Speaker 2 (24:07):
Nick all Right. News Talk eleven thirty wsn WE will
return next week