From Three Generations of Tradition to an Immediate 15% Profitability Increase
The engagement concluded with a comprehensive Operational Assessment, redesigned processes, a new bonus incentive program, and a 15% immediate increase in project profitability — proving that legacy builders can embrace operational discipline without losing their identity.
CLIENT
Carey Bros. Design & Build Remodeling is a Bay Area home improvement company based in Brentwood, CA, with over 40 years of service across three generations. Annual revenue exceeds $4M.
CHALLENGE
After four decades of success, Carey Bros. needed to modernize their operations to improve profitability, streamline project delivery from sales to close-out, and create incentive structures that drove the behaviors their business needed.
RESULTS
Ascent investigated 21 areas of the business, implemented collaborative process improvements, created a bonus incentive program projected to increase gross margin to 40%, and delivered an immediate 15% increase in project profitability with faster sales-to-close-out cycles.
Has your business been successful for years but you know there's more on the table?
The Ascent Difference
We helped a three-generation remodeling company increase project profitability by 15% immediately — through process optimization, role clarity, and an incentive program that rewards the right behaviors.
Carey Bros. Remodeling has been a Bay Area institution for over 40 years — three generations of craftsmen who take pride in doing things right. That kind of legacy is rare and valuable. But legacy can also mean that ‘how we’ve always done it’ becomes the default, even when the market demands more discipline.
The leadership team knew they were capable of more. They wanted better profitability, faster project cycles, and a team that was incentivized to drive the outcomes the business needed. What they found in Ascent was a partner who could honor their tradition while building the operational rigor that would carry them forward.
Ascent engaged through assessment, collaborative workshops, and implementation support. Our engagement included:
- Comprehensive Operational Assessment investigating 21 areas of the business
- Process mapping workshops to identify redundancies and areas of strength
- Roles and responsibilities redesign to maximize productivity
- Bonus incentive program design — projected to increase gross margin to 40%
- Change management support and communication strategies
- Deliverable: Employee Handbook, Safety Manual, operations rollout, and immediate 15% profitability increase
“Adam, Greg, Carolyn, and everyone at Ascent Consulting have helped us create processes, roles, responsibilities, develop budgets, best practices, and things we never thought were possible.”
— James Carey
Co-Owner, Carey Bros. Remodeling
The results were immediate. Implementation of Ascent’s recommendations enabled Carey Bros. to move work from sales to project close-out faster, directly increasing project profitability by 15%. The new bonus incentive program aligned employee behavior with company goals, creating a system where performance above expectations is rewarded measurably.
Every current and future staff member now has a detailed job description fully integrated with new policies, procedures, and protocols — ensuring clear understanding of roles and how the company functions.
For multi-generational construction and remodeling companies, the challenge isn’t about abandoning what made you successful — it’s about building systems that formalize it. When the knowledge is in people’s heads, it works until those people are unavailable. When it’s in documented processes and incentive structures, it works every time. That’s not replacing tradition — it’s protecting it.
Ready to turn experience into documented, repeatable profitability?
If your construction company’s expertise lives in people’s heads rather than documented systems, let’s talk about how Ascent can formalize what works and fix what doesn’t.