PRC: Creating an Immersive Client Experience

Many people speak of their job as a vocation. That word is derived from the Latin word for voice or calling. For Brian Haire of Property, Renovations and Construction, LLC, (PRC), it means much more than a job. That sense of calling and purpose has guided not only the meteoric growth of his businesses, but also the relationship he has with customers, employees and the community at large. Now that sense of mission is evidenced in one of the most innovative and unique home exterior design and treatment centers in the state which Haire created in an expansive renewal project on south US1 in Melbourne. In the near future that calling will take him further, with plans to expand this showroom concept to four other Florida locations.

“I remember going to a job site and trying to show [clients] what a roof would look like by laying roofing samples on the ground or looking at 1”x1” samples in a product brochure,” he recalled.

“What I wanted was to create a place where builders, architects and designers could bring clients, or where homeowners could come themselves to see what roof, window, door, railing or gate options would actually look like, full scale.”

That dream has become a dramatic reality at the Welcome Home Design Center PRC developed.

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, but no one picture or product sample can effectively communicate the dramatic look, the varied textures and rich colors of modern roof materials. That’s will all change when PRC opens its 15,000 square foot showroom in December, offering clients and builders a creative palette of full-scale roofing materials and a wide array of window and door options.

Several of the companies that makes up the PRC portfolio is a fascinating story of entrepreneurial initiative and a desire to preserve heritage businesses in Brevard. Haire came to the Space Coast after recommending that the company he worked at in North Carolina, Baker Roofing Co, — the third largest roofing firm in the nation —  open an office to serve the thousands of residents in Florida that had been devastated by the 2004 hurricanes, the year that five hurricanes made landfall in just six short weeks. In a seemly fated alignment, Haire’s father knew and introduced him to Doug Wilson, a legendary contractor well known in the area. Soon an email went out to more than 5,000 employees of one major corporation recommending Haire’s company.

It was the beginning of a frenetic period of growth, which eventually led to the start of PRC in 2011.

“In our first one-room office, we had a white board where we tracked our jobs. One of my employee’s said, ‘Every time you put up a new white board, you fill it up with work.’ It was true; I now have a white board wall that is 60 feet long in our office, completely full,” Haire said.

It was also a time when roofing products and options rapidly evolved in style, materials and wear, a trend which later served as part of the inspiration for the design center.

Soon after, PRC had won the roof and window installation contract for nine Lowe’s outlets in the county, along with other major distributors. Simultaneously, Haire said he was approached about acquiring one of the oldest window companies in Brevard, Ability Window & Door, which was launched in 1975. Haire felt intrigued about the opportunity. He saw it as a chance to preserve a part of the area’s building and construction heritage more than an acquisition of assets or a book of business. Thus, Ability Windows & Doors was added to the PRC brand and meshed well with their offerings.

“Most of the contractors I work with are [based on] long standing relationships. One builder would recommend me to another, and the personal and professional respect have kept us together for years,” Haire said.

Haire also started a non-profit to help other organizations grow and families make it through difficult times.

“That really galvanized our team,” he said, “because they know we aren’t just about business or profits, we want to make a difference in our community by making a difference is the lives of individuals.”

As his business grew, so did the need for more space. “There are some 33 different roofing systems that most people don’t have a clue exist; they [usually just think] tile, shingle or metal. I wanted to showcase those products, just like businesses that showcase interior cabinets, flooring and countertops.”

The need to build a showroom spacious enough to show the myriad furnishings and finishing products and accommodate his growth at one location led him to the property on US1 that had previously been occupied by the Florida Beer Company and, for a season, Appliance Direct.

After acquiring the property, Haire said he began looking at adjacent sites. Nearby, Smitty’s Welding & Metal Fabrication had been at their location since 1956. Mr. Bauer, who owned the business for 40 years, was ready to retire and wanted to sell the company, not just the property. Like Ability, Haire did not need the company, but wanted to keep the legacy alive and the expertise they had in custom metal railing and gates, along with sheet metal fabrication. It was a good fit for PRC. Now their master welders and metal fabricators, who share nearly 60 years of experience, are helping train another generation of craftsmen.

“We are now a family of companies. We install the roofs, we make and install the fascia, we install the windows and doors, all with the same care and workmanship. With the metal company, we can make and install unique decorative metal work, which we manufacture,” he said.

For Haire, the continuity of work, variety of services and standard of excellence define PRC and champion their message of integrity, honestly and quality, with a VIP customer experience.

“What we have found is that the more we can guide the process, from selection to fabrication to installation, the better the client outcome will be,” Haire concluded.

PROPERTY RENOVATIONS AND CONSTRUCTION is located at 2500 S. Harbor City Blvd., Melbourne. For more information, call 321-638-5933 or online at prcfla.com