gmhTODAY 24 gmhTODAY Feb March 2019 | Page 90

D.R. Domenichini Construction: Model Remodelers Written By Craig Lore Five of D.R. Domenichini Construction's Meta Award designs are featured in photos on the adjoining page. W alking into David Domenichini’s office, one cannot miss the many plaques hanging on the walls. Seeing my interest, David pointed to a stack of engraved plaques, not yet adorning the walls and advised, “We received these last night at the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) Meta Awards.” Silicon Valley NARI members are invited to enter the prestigious Meta Remodeling Awards to gain recognition of their achievements. The Meta Awards got their name from the word “metamorphosis,” signifying the transformation process and the beautiful results that can be accomplished through a remodeling project. “We entered six projects and won four Golds, one Silver, and our first ever platinum,” he said. DRD Construction’s most prestigious award, so far, however, came on August 15, when Remodeling Magazine inducted them into its 2018 Big 50 Class of America’s Top Remodelers: “Honoring 50 remodeling companies that have raised the bar for professionalism and integrity through exemplary business practices, craftsmanship, and impact in their communities or the industry at large.” “To get a sense of how unique this status is, consider there are roughly 98,000 remodeling firms in America with paid staff,” noted Craig Webb, the magazine's Editor- in-Chief. “Since we began in 1986, we have selected only about 1,600 firms for Big 50 status. That’s just 1.6 percent 90 GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN of all the remodeling businesses in the country today.” David contributes part of his success to staying on schedule and in communication with his clients. “Each client gets a printout that shows the start and end dates for each phase of the project, so they know what to expect,” notes Dave. He then pointed to the large gridded dry-erase boards that paneled the walls, “And these are for us; each one has the schedule for a separate client. Everyone on our team can see where we are on any project. The project managers send an email to each client every night, with a CC to me. The email summarizes what was done that day, states what our homework is and what theirs is.” Lydia Lomanto Pine and Albert Pine are retired, living in the east Gilroy foothills. DRD Construction converted their attached garage into a guest Master Bedroom, added an art studio for Lydia’s painting, and a detached three-car garage for Albert’s tools. Lydia showed me the new cedar planking stained to match the old, and the perfectly laid new flooring. “I wanted the home to be the place it could be,” said Lydia. “Dave was someone I could work with, who understood what I wanted to accomplish. He’s a perfectionist, and so are his subs. They always showed up and were right on time; they were completely professional. They hit their deadlines right on the mark and finished exactly on schedule.” Gregg and Leslie Arioto retired to Morgan Hill about a year ago. The 1982 home they wanted was outdated and february/march 2019 gmhtoday.com