Welcome back to The Hidden Hustle, where we uncover stories behind impactful Des Moines businesses. Today's guest is Ryan Pudenz, owner of AIM Kitchen and Bath Remodeling in Beaverdale. AIM stands out with a one stop shop approach, in house cabinet manufacturing, and exceptional craftsmanship. In this episode, Ryan shares AIM's journey, insights on quality control, pricing and tips for homeowners planning a remodel.

Plus, he gives us a glimpse into AIM's vision for the future.

The Hidden Household Podcast is a PR team production dedicated to helping businesses like yours tell your story and grow beyond belief. If you or a business owner you know needs help advertising services, book a call with us today at prteam us. com. Let's get into the show. Ryan, thank you for being on the show today.

You bet. Glad to be here. Yeah. Can you just quickly introduce yourself? Go over AIM Kitchen and Bath remodeling. 

Yeah. Yeah. So my name is Ryan Pudenz. I've been the owner of AIM Kitchen Bath since 2020 with my wife, Deb. We're a full service remodel company here in Beaverdale. Been here 36 years and I've been serving the Beaverdale and surrounding Des Moines communities that entire time.

We're a little unique in that Our process, we don't use subcontractors. Our guys do everything in house. We have an electrician in house, a plumber in house, painter in house. Our guys work in teams of two. And so those two guys are on the job, start to finish. They do everything from the tear out to the complete rebuild and the finished product.

I should clarify, we do. Use subs when it comes to countertops and shower glass, just simply because those are more specialized and we don't have the equipment for that. And we're also fortunate. We own our own cabinet manufacturing company. We can control that product and put out a level of product that we know our customers want and that we're proud to stamp our name on.

So that's a little rundown in vain. 

Yeah. So how did you guys get. Started into remodeling. 

Yeah. So actually, as I said earlier, my wife and I purchased aim in January of 2020 from the original owner, Pete Geersdorf. He started it, you know, similar to a lot of skilled trade businesses. He was a heck of a carpenter and had a lot of demand for his services.

And he was a. Got to the point where he needed to become a businessman versus a labor. And so started hiring and, and partnered with a gentleman by the name of Fred. They settled here in Beaverdale and have built it ever since then. And then my wife and I bought it in 2020 and continue to try to build on what they've done in the past.

Yeah. What inspired Ames one stop shop approach to kitchen and bathroom models? 

Yeah. Yeah. It's interesting as you hear about the history of AIM, I think it became very evident upfront that they wanted to control the process start to finish. And you know, one of the frustrating parts of a construction project, whether that be a remodel or a complete new build is just dependability of different subs and making sure they show up and stay on schedule.

And I think Pete and Fred from the beginning realized that They wanted to control that variable. And I think that's what makes us unique from a construction side. And then from a design side, everything that you need in a remodel project we have here in our showroom, our clients really like the fact that they're able to come in, start to finish, make their selections without having to go to a bunch of different vendors and retail stores to find.

Tile and flooring and cabinetry. We have all that in house. And so it's really one stop from start to finish. 

Yeah. Yeah. Are there any companies that your acquisition company owns that complement AIM? 

Yeah. So we own a cabinet manufacturing company called Iowa Custom Cabinetry. And of course we use that here at AIM.

And then we have a flooring store as well that we're able to, anything that we don't have at AIM, we can lean on them to help us get a product, uh, whether that be flooring or tile. And then we also have an HVAC company, and so we're able to utilize our HVAC company on any HVAC needs on a remodel job, and again, control that timeline, make sure that we have workers showing up when we need them, and also, most importantly, at a level of service as well as craftsmanship that we stamp our name on here at AIM.

Awesome. So AIM's been around for over 30 years. What were some of the biggest milestones with AIM and their business? 

Yeah, I think probably the biggest milestone first was when Pete and Fred got out of the field. We're not hands on the job, but more in a manager role. And that was a few years after they started.

And then setting up here in Beaverdale and really getting a storefront. In place for people to come and do that one stop shop. And then I think the next thing is there was actually a fire that took place in this building. It used to be three different businesses. And at that time they tore down the wall that separated them and merged two of them to be aim.

And then eventually the third. So then that growth milestone. Yeah. And then I think the next milestones when aim was sold to, to. to my wife and I. And I think anytime there's a sale of a company that's longstanding 30 plus years, there's a worry of his quality going to slip is the way they treat employees going to slip.

And I think we've proven that isn't the case one bit. And we're very fortunate Pete's son, Corey, who's worked at for 20 plus years continues to be our general manager and knows what would aim was built on and stands by that and continues that legacy today. 

Yeah. So aim offers a three year warranty going beyond the industry standard.

Yeah. What motivated. 

Yeah, I think it was just a separation and a confidence piece. So separation from the rest of the market that generally speaking does a one year warranty. You might see a couple do two years. AIM was very big on the three year warranty one, because they had the confidence in the work that their team did.

And two, we have the vendor relationships, you know, now we own our cabinetry company, but at the time, Our cabinetry, we knew if something happened in those first three years, they would stand by their product and help us to get fixed whatever needed. And same with plumbing and electrical fixtures. The three year warranty has been a big selling piece for us because I think when Individual is pumping a lot of money into a remodel.

They want somebody that's going to keep by it and stand by it and be there as quick as possible. Something should go wrong. We liked the three year warranty. We think it separates us and we think it builds confidence with the customers. 

Absolutely. What are some challenges that aim is faced maintaining such a high standard of quality across all your projects?

Yeah, I think. Again, because we control so much of the process, when you look at challenges, the biggest challenges we face is when we're. Overseeing something that we're not in control of. So a product that we may be getting and we can't control the quality of that product and how it's delivered. But the nice thing is we're able to overcome that challenge because we inspect everything.

And we have a high standard that we expect from all of our vendors that supply us with goods. And if it doesn't meet that, we send it back and make sure that we get a product that does meet that standard. And so if you were talking challenges, that'd be our biggest challenges. Just being able To make sure others live up to the level of expectations that we have.

Yeah. For homeowners planning a remodel, where are some of the most common mistakes that you see? Yeah, I think 

unrealistic expectations in today's HGTV world, it's easy to go on and see a remodel show that complete home makeover that takes a week and costs 10, 000 just isn't realistic. Right. And so some of the biggest mistakes is upfront having unrealistic expectations ends in.

A lot of the times that comes down to a timeline piece. One thing with AIM is, and we're proud of this, we have an extended timeline. If a potential client wants to use AIM, they're probably looking at a six month wait for us to get on their job. And we're proud of that because it speaks to. What people think of our work and coming in with a realistic timeline and then being able to understand that not everything you can see on your project and that's where the experts to be able to come in and Tell you what might be behind that wall and what's realistic of what can be done with the space And I think if customers come with an open mind and are willing to listen to us in our process I think they're going to have the confidence to know it's going to get done and it's going to be the highest quality Craftsmanship they can get in the Des Moines area 

Yeah.

With your good, better, best approach and design options, what advice would you give clients looking to balance budget and quality? 

Yeah. 

The biggest 

thing is sit down with your designer. So our designers go out, they take a look at a space. We call it our estimate in home, first in home. To develop an estimate, they're going to look at that space and that's where they're going to put together the good, better, best with every fixture, with every type of flooring, countertop, cabinetry, there's options there and they build out pricing from a low end to a high end and in the middle.

And sometimes customers can get that and not necessarily understand what they're looking at. And what I would recommend to a customer is make sure that you take that second appointment, which is our estimate review that allows our designers to sit down and really walk through that line by line pricing and why they priced what they did.

And also if a. Client is looking for something more budget friendly. We have many options that we can accommodate that. It's just being able to sit down and get that feedback and give that feedback to them on how we could save some money 

for sure. Yeah. As a design build firm with in house contractors, what trends are you seeing in kitchen and bathroom modeling that.

clients should consider. 

Yeah, I think your open floor space continues to be popular in Beaverdale because we do a lot of work in Beaverdale homes, the Beaverdale bricks. There's only so much we can do that open floor space and floor plan continues to be popular. Our designers are on top of what the popular colors are right now and continue to be.

And when a client's looking for a potential kitchen or bath remodel, I think we're going to What you'll see is our team is very up to speed and current on what designs are popular right now and can provide a lot of assistance to generate ideas if a client doesn't know exactly what they want. And if they do be able to provide suggestions towards that goal.

Yeah. Any practical advice for remodeling companies looking to offer more seamless experience like AIM? Yeah, I think always 

evaluating your process. We are constantly looking at from someone calling in to inquire about our services to the final product. How can we make that process more seamless and make sure that client has a great experience start to end and everything starts with process, right?

Yeah, it's the three P's of business. It's people, it's product, and it's processes. And first you have to have the right people. Then you have to understand what your product is that you want to promote. And then what's the best process to promote that and make it as easy as possible for the people that are acquiring it or buying it.

And I think that would be my advice is make sure you have your processes spelled out. You follow them, even though at first it can be tough because it's new, but if you do, that's when you really start to see efficiencies and that gets noticed, not just by your business, but by the customers of your business.

Yeah. How do you guide clients from their initial vision to their finalized design? 

Yeah, that's a great question. 

And explain that process. 

Yeah. Our designers work with our design assistant. And so based off feedback from the client, as well as where their expertise clicks in, are kicks in. We're taking those initial selections that they've made and we're putting it into a three d drawing.

We want them to see it, touch it, feel it as much as they can. And with being in our showroom, what we're able to do is have our samples laid out of the items they've selected or what we're suggesting. And then up on our T. V. Have that three d drunk so they really get to see What I'm looking at in real life, for lack of better terms, how that would look in their space and measurements are accurate with their space.

From that aspect, getting what they're visualizing to become a reality, now it starts to make sense. And then it's going in and delivering that product and delivering it in the aim way to really make sure that they achieve exactly what they're looking for. Yeah. How often 

do clients change their plan after seeing the renderings?

Yeah, it varies by client, I guess you would say. But for the most part, when we get to the rendering, you've had two or three meetings with a designer, or that client has really been adamant on what they want. They have a clear vision of what they want. There may be minor tweaks, but for the most part, when we put that together, we ask a lot of questions and get some good feedback that There may be minor changes, but I wouldn't say overhaul changes by any means that we experience.

Yeah. Your showroom is a big part of your process. Uh, how does having a dedicated space for material selection, simplify things for your clients? 

Yeah, it's that one stop shop approach. Right. And. And before I bought aim, I went through probably three or four different remodels and went through a home build.

And I know what it's like jumping in my car and driving to five different stores to look at flooring, to look at tile, to look at cabinetry, to look at carpet or whatever that may be. I think by having a one stop shop, it just allows our customers to be more efficient with their time in today's world.

Everybody's time is so valuable and everybody's busy. So. Being able to come here and make all those selections saves everybody time, but also keeps the project fresh, right? It doesn't become exhausting because I'm driving all over trying to find what I want. We can do it right here and keep the excitement on the project.

That's 

awesome. Yeah. What else? After they're in here selecting products. What, how does that process unfold? 

Yeah. So I think it's initially we have some suggestions for folks of with their space, what we think flows well, our designers do a great job with that. And what's color schemes that they would like, but then presenting that and getting feedback.

And if someone says that might be too dark of a floor, good thing is. We don't have to start all over. We can walk right over to the flooring selections and say, okay, here's a lighter shade of that. Is that more what you're looking for or a different tile selection or a different stain on a wood cabinet?

Maybe having that here just again allows that to become a lot easier and being able to make changes on the fly without having to start all over. 

Yeah. Every client has a unique style. How does the team tailor projects to match each client's tastes and needs? 

Yeah, I will say this. We constantly preach to our designers that it's not your eye, it's the customer's eye.

And you need to be able to adjust with what they're looking for and what their style is. And I think, you know, Our two designers in house and our design assistant, Melissa, Caroline, and Teresa just do an outstanding job of understanding the aesthetic that the customer is looking for and being able to be versed enough to be able to change their design to accommodate that, but also to be able to generate ideas still.

So it may not be a design. area that they are, they're keen to from their personal aspect, but they can adjust for the client and provide great, uh, feedback as well as great options for that client in that design, uh, space or that, that overall space and be able to get them exactly what they want. 

Yeah.

What's the most unique or memorable remodel you've ever done? 

Oh, that's a good question. AIM has dipped its toe in basement remodeling and basement finishing, but I think a couple years ago we started to gain traction in that, and that, that has been a lot of fun for us. We like to see that, and kitchens are great.

We have many kitchen transformers. Formations that I could appoint that I could point to and same with bathroom remodels but really I think you know what sticks out to me is when we started to get in that basement game because You know, you can take a basement that's all concrete and turn it into something That's beautiful and something that client's been dreaming of for a while and just hasn't made the jump and so you know, I look at that as some of the more memorable projects of late is You know, we've got like I said great bathrooms great kitchen remodels that we could list off all day but Really starting to get into that basement space was fun.

And to see our team take their talent from the upper level rooms and bring it down to that basement and realize it translates down there as well. And they're just as good there as they are up on those upper levels was fun to watch. 

The ultimate man cave. 

Yeah, yeah, exactly. And maybe I'm more partial to basements because I am a guy, right.

And that's where we like to hang out at. So, but those are fun to see. And they've been a lot of fun to see our growth and in that and having more customers come 

to us for that. What systems or practices do you have in place to keep communication clear through your project schedule? 

Yeah. Um, so we're very fortunate in that Corey, our general manager has been here 20 plus years.

Brian, our project managers coming up on 20 years, but both of them started in the field. So they started being an apprentice and, and doing kind of the grunt work for lack of better terms, and then going into crew leads and now into management. And so they do an outstanding job of communicating timelines to our customers.

Corey, especially as we lead up to the project. And then Brian does a great job being at the job site with the lead that we have on that team and talking directly with the customer. And then as another checkpoint, all of our designers stay in communication with their clients throughout the project. From an external standpoint, our team is constantly face to face with our clients.

Once the project starts, we're communicating with them leading up to that start time. And then internally, we manage all of our projects with the software system here called BuilderTrend. And that allows us to stay on schedule and make sure we're not missing anything. 

Yeah, after the project is complete, how do you ensure clients are satisfied?

Yeah. So our designer and our project manager, usually about a week to two weeks after the project is closed out, maybe even three, do a final walkthrough with the client and we delay that walkthrough because we want them to be in the space and really feel it and live in it for a while and to point out anything that they see that they've adjusted or maybe they have questions about.

So we're. When a project closes out, our lead is communicating with the client as well as project manager, Brian and GM, Corey, and then our designer and our project manager are going to do a walkthrough two to three weeks, call it after that, and just make sure that they understand the functions of everything that they purchased that we installed and also any feedback that they have.

Yeah. What's that walkthrough look like? What does that typically involve? 

Yeah, I think it's really a loose walkthrough in the sense of an agenda. It's more, we get in that space, we start to go through cabinetry. Then we look at the tile and explain the way the layout was and what they've done. And then, if it's in a bathroom, looking at the shower glass.

Pointing out what could be some things. Glass sometimes shifts a little bit. So let us know if that does. We'll make sure that that gets tightened up or using now a lot of handheld, they're popular in bathrooms and making sure that they understand the functions of that and making sure all of our soft closes are working on the drawers and doors and just confirming everything that the lead had confirmed when we closed out the project.

Now that they lived in there a little bit, is everything holding up the way that we anticipate it to? 

Yeah. Yeah. With your three year warranty, how often do clients take advantage of that or need to take advantage of 

that? It's seldom. It really is. It may be something where, um, they just need something tightened over those first couple years.

But for the most part, maybe a cracked tile in a shower. Somebody dropped something. We're going to go back and replace it. We always do the right thing that it's rare that somebody has to have a warranty request. And usually if it is, it's something, an accident that happened or just natural living in the space.

Something needs tightened up or looked at. And we make those priority. Anytime we get a warranty request, that's usually our first stop of the day. 

Yeah. What are some unexpected challenges that can arise during a kitchen and bathroom model? 

Yeah, I think it's the unknown or the unseen. If we open up a wall and we recognize something that isn't supposed to be the way that it is.

And we try to over communicate that with the client. We tell our guys everything stops at that point until we talk to them and share with them what the remedy is to fix an issue that we couldn't see with the walls closed. And And generally speaking, people understand and they're grateful for us to identify it and fix it and make sure they don't have any problems down the road.

That's the biggest thing is just not being able to see behind walls. Unlike a new construction project where you're starting with studs, this, we're starting with established spaces. And so we do our best with our expertise to understand what. Could potentially be an issue or something that could come up, but you can't identify everything until you get into it.

Have there ever been any jaw dropping surprises with remodeling older homes? 

You'd be amazed at once we open up the walls, some of the old electrical practices that were done or the previous homeowner had their brother in law that was a carpenter and did a small remodel project for them. We would never stamp our name on that.

So we, when we get, start looking at those things, then it's just communicating with the client and letting them know, here's why this needs to be fixed to make sure that one, your family's safe and two, the project that you're about to do is preserved and don't have any issues. Yeah. 

Your reviews emphasize a seamless experience.

What are some specific steps you've taken to. Make remodeling less stressful for homeowners. 

Yeah, I think the number one thing and we pride ourselves on this and it's interesting when we posted about it on Facebook, it's probably the one post and we post quite frequently that got the most replies to it.

And that is we have to be, and I'm going out on a limb here, but I'm confident in it. We have to be the cleanest remodel company Gosh, easily in Des Moines, easily in the state. It might be in the Midwest. Our guys, when they leave for the day, everything is vacuumed, everything is picked up. We do not do dumpsters on a job site.

We have a guy that drives around all day, delivers parts and picks up. anything that needs to be thrown in a dumpster. We want that space in that driveway in that home to be as normal as possible during this process. And going back to, we wrote about our cleanliness stance and what we believe about keeping a job site clean and just customers who have used us and repeat customers saying, my house was cleaner when you guys were there than when you weren't.

And Are cleaner than what I keep it. Our guys just really do a good job of that because that's really where you get the remodel fatigue is just looking at that space, not being finished or the dust. Our guys do a great job of cleaning that up. And we also help eliminate a lot of remodel fatigue with our process, with our guys being there, start to finish and not having delays, if at all.

Avoidable. Some things are out of our control, but for the most part, we're able to avoid delays. Yeah. How long is a typical job? Just depends on the size of the job, right? If it's a hall bath, it could be anywhere from two weeks to four weeks. If it's a primary bath, it could be four weeks to 12 weeks, depending on the size.

If it's a kitchen, it could be a four week kitchen to again, maybe a 12 week kitchen. If it's a basement, it could be a eight week basement. Just really depends on the scope of the project. So it's a, um, It varies. It's a variety of time, but we're pretty up front with what we anticipate for a timeline, and we tend to under promise over deliver.

We think that's probably a six week job. We're usually in there four and a half an hour, and I think our customers appreciate that plan for the worst six weeks. But hey, they got done a week and a half earlier. This is nice, and they did a good job, kept it clean. That's a team I want to work with.

Definitely. Yeah, for someone considering a remodel, how should they prioritize their budget for the most impact? 

Yeah, I think the biggest thing is what are you going to get the most return on from an investment standpoint, right? What adds the most value to a house? And generally speaking, that's your kitchen and your primary bathroom.

So, you know, If someone's looking at a remodel and they say, I don't know that this is my forever house. Those are the two spaces that are going to add the most value. And quite frankly, if you think about those are the two spaces you're in the most, right? So why not make those the ones that you desire to be in?

If someone's in their forever home, again, same thing, uh, kitchen and primary bath tend to be the best spaces that you can target first. If those are done, then like we talked earlier, a lot of folks sit on a, uh, unfinished business. Basement and finishing that just adds value to your home, but also another space for you to enjoy.

Yeah. How do you envision the remodeling industry evolving? 

Oh, wow. In today's world, everything, not everything. There's a lot of push on the AI side. The beauty of remodel is you can't replace manual labor. And when you look at the future of remodeling, housing market in the U. S., I think they say they're 10 million houses short.

We build 2 million houses a year. It's not like there's a large supply of homes sitting out there for people to move to, and then rates also affect that. And when I look at the evolving of remodeling, I think you're going to continue to have Ownership changes or people that are decide they want to stay in that home.

So there's always going to be a need for it. And then I think you just see it evolve through design concepts as new designs come out, that becomes the fad and we adjust to that. But really I don't see the industry itself being disrupted because I think it still requires. That personal touch, it requires that human interaction face to face and decisions to be made and then quality skilled individuals to perform the function.

Yeah. Do you see AI being implemented more into the design side of things? 

Yeah, totally on the design side. I think even today, there are options out there. That you can feed into an AI generated program that can spit out a final product. As far as a drawing or 3d rendering, there's no doubt that's going to continue to become more, but that end product piece and the hands on piece won't change.

Yeah. Uh, what's your longterm vision for aim? 

I think when you look at aim and the path that we've gone, I think we'll continue to. grow our install team. We probably add two to four guys over the next couple of years. We'll continue to add to our design team. But what we see as a long term is continuing to be a staple in the Des Moines area and continuing to be the brand that people trust when they're thinking remodel.

And I think we'll grow naturally just through the jobs that we do each year, because we keep branching out to that next level of individual that the neighbor of a neighbor, and they see our work and. So I continue to see us growing the business, growing our approach and our footprint here in Des Moines and making sure that we continue to have people that are up to speed with what design trends are, what options are out there and how we can best accommodate the clients that use our services.

Is there any. Desire to dip your foot into the commercial side. 

No, that's just not our niche And really when you look at the remodel side or even in the construction side It's really separated between commercial and residential It just tends to be two different approaches and I think we're big on stay in our lane do what we're good at We're good at residential remodeling.

Yeah, and I think we'll continue to do that as we move forward 

Yeah. 

Are 

there any 

special offers AIM is offering right now? Yeah. So one of the things that we are talking with our current clients that are into our design process or have looked at an estimate is we're trying to work with them and we're doing more of a semi custom cabinetry.

Pricing on a custom cabinet. So that's a nice savings. The other pieces is we know we can generate savings through January because vendor pricing, usually their annual pricing comes out towards the middle to end of January. So just trying to push on that. And this year we also rolled out financing. So we're pleased to.

Partner with a group called Enhancify where our customers can do financing if they would like. We've never offered that in the 36 years of business, but we think it brings an option to our customers, even if they have the cash to put their cash to use on something else to grow while they're making a payment on the remodel and be able to preserve that cash and grow it while they're also getting the space that they want.

So for listeners interested in home remodeling, how can they get in touch with you? 

Yeah, they can call our showroom or go on our website, take a look at our work. And on that website, we have an information request where fill out name, address, phone number, email, and then tell us a little bit about the project you're looking for them.

We don't charge for an estimate. So our designers will come out, they'll take a look at it. They'll, they'll put together an estimate within seven days. You'll have it. And then from there, set up an estimate review to review those numbers and see if it fits within your budget. 

Yeah. 

Ryan, thank you for being on the Hidden Hustle.

You bet. Appreciate it. Thank you for the opportunity. Yeah. 

For listeners that want to learn more, be sure to check out the show notes below on how to get in contact with AIM Kitchen and Bathroom Modeling. Awesome. Thanks, brother. Appreciate it. Yeah, that was great. That was fun. Hey guys, real quick. Thank you for making it all the way through the episode.

We appreciate you taking the time out of your day to listen and learn from our incredible guests. If you enjoyed today's conversation and want to support the show, the biggest thing that would help us is if you subscribe, share, or leave us a review. Until next time, keep hustling.