From flooring to room additions, this one-stop shop has built itself into a go-to source for any remodeling project. Find out why these two companies decided to merge and learn how they’ve worked together.
Stellar customer service, commitment to quality, and an emphasis on client education – these pillars support the successful organization that Macktown Construction, 9957 N. Alpine Road, Ste. 101, in Machesney Park, Ill., has become throughout the years.
Owner Tony Bonnet and his late business partner started the venture in 2015, joining together their two organizations and their more than 50 years of construction and remodeling experience. After his associate’s unexpected death in 2016, merging Cedar & Stone Cabinetry and Flooring with Macktown Construction became a way of honoring his partner’s memory.
“My business partner and I felt that we could offer a better product and better service for our customers by merging together into one company,” Bonnet explains.
“Moving forward, one of our goals was to create an environment for our customers that would lessen the stress of home remodeling. We opened up Cedar & Stone Cabinetry and Flooring earlier this year to assist as a design center to help our customers create their remodeling project in a one-stop shop. Here, they can see their project come together and choose materials as well.”
Though Macktown Construction does handle some commercial renovation projects, Bonnet says the company’s main focus is residential remodeling – primarily room additions, kitchens and bathrooms. Current trends, he adds, include renovations to basements and family rooms.
“We are also seeing more projects centered on creating grand entryways and bold porches, which can add curb appeal to any home,” he says.
Bonnet finds that one of the big advantages to having Cedar & Stone as part of Macktown Construction is that now, a customer’s remodeling plans can be designed, presented to the customer and revised on a large-screen TV that displays the scope of the project. When a client begins their renovation journey, Bonnet and his team try to center the experience around education, quality and warranty, with “outstanding” customer service encompassing the entire process.
“We like to know what a client envisions for the project before we start,” he says. “If they have ideas, that helps us out immensely. It speeds up the development of the project. They can bring in pictures, show us examples on the internet, but the whole process takes patience and having an open mind.
“After gathering information of what type of project the client wants, we come up with a design, take them step by step through the design, educate them on the phases of the project, and then we create a value-engineered renovation,” he continues. “We use our knowledge and experience to create the most cost-efficient method of remodeling their home.”
When Bonnet and his team create a proposal for a customer, they base the plan on the exact materials a client has chosen, so the client’s budget can be respected.
“We don’t want to guess. We go through the time needed to inspect the home and make sure they pick out materials that are in keeping with the budget,” Bonnet says. “This is done so that, when it comes time to sign a contract for the project, there are no surprises or unforeseen changes.”
Bonnet attributes much of Macktown Construction’s success to having knowledgeable and dependable employees.
Like the careful construction of a home, Bonnet’s business advice would be, “Don’t grow too big too fast.” He has accomplished this by hiring well-qualified employees who share his vision for the future.
“In the next five years and beyond that, I would like to see sustainability and growth in our workforce,” he says. “Macktown Construction started as a two-man shop, and now we’ve evolved to nine employees. I’d like to invest in our employees, have them take on more responsibility and accountability, and I want to grow the business exponentially.”
And slowly but surely, he’s seen improvement in the right direction.
“When I first started in the construction business, I was doing it all – carrying the tools, running the office, working the field,” says Bonnet. “Since starting Macktown Construction, though, I’ve learned to delegate and realize that I can’t do everything on my own.
“It’s impossible to run the field from the office – I realized that I needed project managers, and now they run field operations, which frees me up to grow other aspects of the business,” he adds. “I trust my employees. They’re out in the field every day meeting with our customers and solving situations as they arise. We are very client-oriented and listen to their ideas and concerns as we proceed through the renovation process.”
Bonnet’s dedication to customers has also impacted Macktown Construction’s warranty policy.
“About three years ago, we decided to change the one-year warranty on our products and installation to a five-year warranty,” he says. “I think this change sets us apart from the competition and makes our company different and better.”
The renovation projects that make Bonnet and his team the most proud are the ones that utilize a home’s already-solid structure, but make the space more functional and aesthetically pleasing.
“I really like remodels that totally transform the home,” he says. “A lot of our projects are older homes where the floor plan is all chopped up. We may come in and remove walls, reconfigure the flow of the house and open spaces up to achieve a great effect and better use of space.”
Bonnet is especially proud of repeat business for multiple room remodels.
“We just finished up a project that was a whole house renovation – a kitchen, a dining room, two bathrooms and a four-season room,” he says. “After completing that job, the clients hired us on to transform the rest of the house. That’s our best marketing – word-of-mouth and repeat customers.”
For Bonnet, the values of quality work, impeccable customer service and a guaranteed five-year warranty define Macktown Construction.
“We don’t want to be your contractor for one project; we want to be your contractor for a lifetime,” he says. “We want to be part of the family.”
