A Brand, a Lifestyle, a State of Mind

Treeium
Written by Jessica Ferlaino

As a general contractor that has sustainability ingrained in its very purpose, Treeium remains committed to smart design and improved efficiency. It is what CEO Moty Ginsburg refers to Treeium’s “complete package of eco-services.”
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Recognized for its impressive 2,874 percent growth over the past three years, Treeium has found itself on Inc. 5000’s list of the fastest growing privately-held companies in the United States for the second year in a row. Treeium ranked 309th overall and 7th in the construction field in 2015 and improved its ranking in 2016 to be 144th overall and 4th in the construction field.

Treeium has also been recognized by Qualified Remodeler, ranking 30th overall in the general remodeler field, 6th in California in the general remodeler field, and 5th nationwide amongst the full-service remodeling group.

As a general contractor specializing in remodels, Treeium knows that when it comes to investing in a home, improved performance can make all the difference. The company educates and provides eco-remodeling solutions for every room, consistently focused on making a change for the better.

Its clients have access to incentives that encourage sustainable remodeling materials and practices. There are up to $6500 in financial incentives and rebates, the potential for thirty percent solar tax credit, and up to fifty percent savings on energy bills, as well as increased home value and healthier living spaces.

“There is really no code from the point of just using sustainable materials,” explained Ginsburg. “By saying that we’re trying to emphasize to the consumer to try to switch to sustainable products. There are extra costs involved, but not all the time, and the consumer has been adapting to the change and to the extra costs.”

“If, at the end of the day, the customer wants to stay with what he wants, we will provide him with what he wants. But, at the same time, we are trying to emphasize sustainability more and more into the jobs that we do.” Ginsburg provided the example of energy audits as a good starting point. The audits identify where progress related to energy efficiency can be made in the home.

Sustainability can be incorporated into any project. Treeium’s construction process has incorporated eco-solutions into its design, materials and construction techniques. It offers several eco-solutions and can take advantage of sustainable materials and construction practices to meet these ends.

From each project’s initial evaluation through its development, Treeium can customize projects to any requirement or need. The end goal is always the total satisfaction of its client. Technology will also help to increase efficiency across Treeium’s operations by improving access to information and project specific details.

To improve the delivery of its services, Treeium is investing heavily in its business analytics via a customer relations management system. “By the end of the year, all the contracts will be done digitally, and we have a goal that by the end of the year, the company will move to be a paperless company,” Ginsburg said. “Technology is going to help us be more sustainable.”

“The centralized system will make it so that not only my guys will see, the guys in the field will see, so it’s a full completely closed-loop technology that we are developing right now that will really tie not just the subcontractors to us, but the customer as well,” Ginsburg noted.

In every facet of project delivery, the company wants to give multiple advantages for choosing its services. Though it emphasizes the importance of sustainability within its own operations and tries to incorporate eco-solutions into every project it undertakes, it still provides traditional remodeling services.

“Right now, the energy impact – from the amount of jobs, not in amount of dollars – is almost 50/50. Our goal is, by the end of 2017, to at least be on an 80/20, which means for every home we go into, our impact on energy efficiency and sustainability is on an 80/20. The reason it will be difficult for us to do one hundred percent is because we don’t just offer sustainable products,” acknowledged Ginsburg.

By 2020, it is anticipated that all of the company’s work will be sustainable in nature. Treeium is more than just a brand; it is a way of life and a state of mind, one that is adopted by each member of the team. Ginsburg wants employees to, “be part of the brand, be part of the success of the brand, be part of a culture,” that focuses on the potential of the company as a whole.

The company also undertakes great efforts to educate consumers on the benefit of sustainable design and construction. According to the company, a green, energy efficient home sells nine percent faster, lists at a higher value, saves between fifteen and thirty percent in energy use, creates jobs in the remodeling industry that brings new life to aged housing stock, and it’s simply good for environmental wellbeing.

“We have a lot of different tools, and we’re trying to educate the consumer every time we engage with them, if it’s via email or it it’s by phone, we’re trying to engage with them in a way that will educate them.”

An initiative that Ginsburg is highly anticipating is the launch of Treeium University, an online resource that provides videos, webinars, and information about the company, the market, sustainable building products and practices. The information is useful on a production level, a sales level, and even for partnering subcontractors. “They can be educated anytime, live on the cloud,” Ginsburg explained.

The projects it undertakes are exciting and inspire a passion among employees. Working for a reputable company that is consistently growing and establishing itself as a market leader, is attractive to industry-leading professionals who want to apply their expertise to the best projects in the industry.

“The number one is the people who are selling the jobs. They are not salespeople; they are project managers. They manage the project from A to Z. They are following the processes of that job from the beginning to the end,” Ginsburg credited the quality assurance team and the subcontractors – what he referred to as Treeium’s partners – in upholding the company’s quality standard.

“As much as we like to train our own employees, we look at those partners as a part of us because we can be as good as the weakest partner that we have. We do spend a lot of time in communication training,” Ginsburg explained. He also drew attention to the fact that part of the success the company experienced with its partners is due to providing them access to technology and information.

The passion for excellence extends far beyond its own remodels and into the community through its Treeium Gives Back program. The campaign is dedicated to helping those in need and making the world a better place to live.

Something Ginsburg is dedicated to ramping up each month, is a program in which someone in need can be nominated and – if selected – will receive free remodeling services. Allan, a U.S. veteran, was the first recipient and the story that started it all. People can be nominated at the company website which also tells more of Allan’s story.

Ginsburg and his efforts at both Treeium and Tree Home Media have caught the attention of film makers who are documenting successful sustainable companies that are creating change. The film is called Green Giants and highlights the many companies and corporations that are changing the way business is done and changing the world in the process. Treeium also proudly supports Green Giants’ #PlantAMillionTrees Initiative and offers tree kits to help get people started.

Treeium offers a total package of commitment to quality, safety, and the environment. Since Ginsburg made the decision to rebrand the company as Treeium in 2012, the sky became the limit. “We came out with the name Treeium; we trademarked it; we registered the name, the logo, and we decided to take the company to a completely different level,” he said.

A real testament to these efforts is reflected in the numbers since Ginsburg purchased the company in 2010. “When I bought the company, the company was doing maybe $700,000 to $800,000 a year,” said Ginsburg. “This year – 2016 – we are probably going to be close to $40 million in revenue.”

“We are building the brand right now on a national level, not a state level, so one of the things that we are trying to do early next year is opening additional offices outside of California,” explained Ginsburg. He noted that once the customer relations management system is completed this year, Treeium can draw from the strength of the interconnectivity provided by the cloud-based platform to facilitating geographic expansion.

Treeium is at the forefront of important changes in the industry, educating consumers about the benefits of sustainable design and construction, though it cannot do it alone. “We’re doing a lot, but it will not have a major impact,” concluded Ginsburg. “Those types of impacts need to come from countries, cities, states, and it’s happening.”

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