As part of our ongoing "Getting to Know Your Local Businesses" series, this week we sat down with Bruce Ashworth Sommers, founder and president of Ashworth Design & Remodeling, LLC.

From our office in Kingwood, we serve the Greater Houston Metropolitan area with primary emphasis on the Kingwood, Humble and Atascocita communities.

Ashworth is a local Kingwood family and veteran owned business. Two of my three sons and a daughter in-law work with me. We are all cross-trained and involved with each and every project and are readily available to meet and respond to our client's needs.

Ashworth Design & Remodeling, LLC was established in 2011. We were formerly known as Ashworth Associates Inc. from 1983 to 2000 and Ashworth Construction, Inc. from 2000 to the end of 2010.

When I was in elementary school, I assisted my grandfather working on remodeling projects on several of his properties. I took Architectural Drawing classes during high school and won Best of School in a Plan Drawing Contest sponsored by a local Building Contractor Association back in 1964.

I served in the United States Army during Vietnam after which I continued my college education and graduated with an Architectural Associates Arts degree in 1971.
In 1972, I married my wife Nan and started our family while working full-time at several architectural, construction and development companies and attending University full time at night and finally graduating with a B.S. Degree in Urban Studies: Urban Management in 1975.
We moved to Kingwood, Texas in 1976 and I worked for several Commercial Development companies and at an architectural firm completing over $7,600,000 of residential and light commercial Design Build projects.

In 1983, I started the first of my Ashworth Companies providing commercial design and construction services and also provided in-house project and or corporate management for several other companies.
In the mid 90's, commercial construction became less profitable so we started looking for Residential Design and Design Build projects. In the beginning Jason, my eldest son and I strapped on our tool belts and actually started doing the work ourselves. Then, as we developed relations with several residential subcontractors, we gradually phased out of doing the work ourselves.

Tell us a couple things you are proud of about your business. What are you known for? What separates you from the competition?
We are a local family and veteran-owned company and we work well together. We have been recognized by local, state and national industry groups for outstanding accomplishments and awards.
From concept to completion, our unique blend of talent and experience, and patient attention to detail in all phases of both design and construction, provides a quality project within budget and on time.  Through every phase of every project, large or small, we make it our business to meet or exceed your expectations.

 

What is your favorite part of running this business?
I love working with my family and, through the art of Design, helping our clients realize their dreams.

Who is your ideal customer/client? Who do you serve best?
Our ideal customer is looking for an experienced, reliable and straightforward company that can provide a creatively inspired design, remodel or renovation project or that can design and build a new home from concept to completion.

Is there any other information you'd like your potential customers/clients to know about your business?
Visit our website to view a sampling of project photos, to identify the organizations that we are involved with and the professional certifications that we have earned and to read helpful articles about the design and build process from concept to completion.
We provide accurate pricing while maintaining quality control, timely completion and a safe working environment on each of our projects.

How do you see your business growing and improving over the next couple of years?
To sustain growth in these turbulent times, we will be improving our response time with prospects within 12 hours from receipt of the initial contact.
We will also continue to provide our customers with quality workmanship and timely completed projects within the agreed price. This approach has, and we hope, will continue to result in satisfied repeat customers and referrals.
Maintaining our excellent relations and prompt payments to our subcontractors and suppliers is another must to sustaining our growth.