How to Succeed in the Drywall Industry with Frank Ortiz

In an industry where precision meets practicality, Frank Lorenzo Ortiz, the founder of Enzou Drywall LLC, stands out as a visionary. His journey from a meticulous inspector in a large Oregon-based drywall company to the helm of his own thriving enterprise is a tale of passion, perseverance, and entrepreneurial spirit.

In this interview, Frank delves into the origins of his business, revealing the challenges and triumphs of carving a niche in the competitive world of drywall services. Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur or simply seeking inspiration, this interview with Frank Lorenzo Ortiz is a must-read, packed with valuable lessons and strategies for success.

Business Start-Up and Background

SBS – What inspired you to start Enzou Drywall LLC, and what were the initial challenges you faced?

Frank – Prior to initiating my own business, I had been working at a large drywall company in Oregon. In this role, I was designated to follow up/do the final inspection of drywall installations/repairs, which consisted of revising and correcting any repairs necessary. This allowed me to gain the leadership skills and knowledge necessary to take the initiative of starting my own business. I realized that most companies focus on large production of work, and not many truly specialize in repairing and remodeling. I figured it was a perfect niche and decided to take advantage of the demand in that field. The most difficult challenge I faced initially after leaving my current job was the financial investments in equipment and tools and testing out marketing strategies while unaware of what tactics served best for customer retention, having to go through trial and error in many areas of initiating and maintaining a profitable business.

Client Engagement

SBS – How do you attract and retain clients in a competitive market like drywall services?

Frank – Aside from the consistent courtesy and respect for our client’s homes, we have always wanted to be portrayed as a professional company, regardless of how small we start off as. We aim to stand out by displaying professionalism with commercial truck wraps, uniforms, and professional online presence/content. We also invest in SEO optimization and other lead-generating platforms. However, respect, courtesy, and perception are key to maintaining our reputation — and in return, we get rewarded with valuable, long-paragraphed 5-star reviews!

Quality Assurance

SBS – What steps do you take to ensure the high quality of your services?

Frank – In order to ensure that we offer our clients the best possible outcome, we’ve invested in high-quality equipment. Aside from the physical repairs, we value our clients’ trust and put the utmost focus on maintaining respect and being courteous with their homes, masking and prepping the areas we work in, and leaving the home as clean as we found it. When finalizing, we make an effort to complete a walkthrough to ensure the client is satisfied with the results. Clients also have our direct contact for any doubts or concerns that may arise — as our goal is to always make sure they are completely happy with our work, and our reviews have shown it!

Pricing Strategy

SBS – How do you determine pricing for your services while staying competitive and profitable?

Frank – The way that we determine pricing yet stay competitive has been based on analytical research and experience working in the drywall industry. Being reasonable/fair with our clients has been our competitive advantage, and feedback given by possible or existing clients has revealed that our prices have typically been “in the middle,” meaning that our prices are reasonable. It is exactly where we want them to be. As a high-quality service drywall company, we look to get hired because of our great work!

Marketing Techniques

SBS – What marketing strategies have been most effective for your business?

Frank – After exploring a variety of lead-generating platforms and other techniques, SEO optimization has worked well and has allowed potential clients to know that our reputation is held up high, and ensuring potential and existing clients have an easy way to locate, contact or leave a review for us. That is how we have been most effective.

Business Growth

SBS – How have you managed the growth of your company, and what are your future expansion plans?

Frank – As of now, we have decided to stick to our specialty of drywall repairing & remodeling. The past year, we focused on becoming more eminent/getting to be well-known in our recently moved to city/new home, Oregon City. I believe we have accomplished that and are now considered the best drywall company in Oregon City, according to Industry Insights! We plan to continue expanding our business and becoming the favored drywall repair company in all our surrounding cities this year.

Customer Satisfaction

SBS – How do you handle customer feedback and ensure customer satisfaction?

Frank – We take customer feedback very seriously, as that is how we grow as a whole! We appreciate all the feedback we receive from all our customers, we use it as fuel to maintain our high reputation and to fix and perfect any areas of opportunity as well as retain strengths! We ensure satisfaction by always being transparent about our services and what is to be expected, as well as giving recommendations when needed, as we strive to be a hassle-free business and are honored with the trust that we are given by our clients.

Staff Management

SBS – Can you discuss your approach to hiring, training, and managing your staff?

Frank – We are currently not in the process of hiring but look forward to expanding our team with responsible and self-driven individuals in the future!

Challenges in the Industry

SBS – What are some of the biggest challenges you face in the drywall industry today?

Frank – The greatest challenge could potentially be the same as other industries. Prices of materials and living costs are rapidly rising, and that can affect general pricing for everything — making it a bit challenging to maintain appealing prices for our customers.

Technology Integration

SBS – How has technology impacted your business operations or service delivery?

Frank – Technology has been a huge part of our business operations. Technology takes a role from office work to marketing up until finalizing for payment, communication, and reviews. We have been working with several platforms that have helped us simplify the management of the company. Many areas of running a company are evolving to digital, and we must learn to adapt constantly to make it convenient for everyone.

Regulatory Compliance

SBS – How do you stay up-to-date and comply with industry regulations and standards?

Frank – We are consistently proactive with our licenses and insurance to be in compliance with all current requisites. In order to maintain our contractor’s license active, we have to continuously take courses as well.

Sustainability Practices

SBS – Are there any sustainability practices or eco-friendly initiatives that you have implemented in your business?

Frank – We take the health of our clients and the environment into consideration and understand that being eco-friendly is vital! The products that we utilize are made out/composed of gypsum, and that is currently the most eco-friendly material for drywall. We also recycle drywall that is unused and dispose of garbage at appropriate processing sites.

Advice for Entrepreneurs

SBS – What advice would you give to someone looking to start a business in the home improvement or construction industry?

Frank – The key detail to implement and keep in mind is offering high-quality customer service. Being courteous and respectful of other people’s homes matters as much as providing high-quality work. A high reputation will eventually sell itself without you trying too hard to promote!