Our Story
Online memership is a new service from the Home Owners Club®. However, the Club has been in business for almost 50 years now.
A Little Background on Contractor Referral Services
Contractor referral services have been around for many years in many different forms. The most popular type has been the "pay-for-listing" model. Contractors pay to be listed in return for the promise of referrals. That means consumers are assured that the listed contractors have the proper licensing, bonding and insurance, but there's no guarantee of satisfactory performance.
An Advertising Agency Had the Idea for the Club
It wasn't until the late 1950s that a Detroit advertising agency created an alternative model with a more consumer-oriented approach.
Instead of a listing service for contractors, it was to be a membership organization for homeowners, where member satisfaction would be the priority.
Plans were made to establish franchises across North America and to advertise this new service in Life, Look, The Saturday Evening Post and other leading periodicals. It was the birth of a better referral service: the National Home Owners Club.
Seattle Was One of the First Franchises
In July of 1959, Boris Kramer and Howard Richmond purchased what was to be one of 17 franchises sold by the National Club.
- Eileen S.
These Seattle businessmen knew the logic of the concept was sound and the need for such a service was great. However, they also recognized that one of the problems with starting any new business is in gaining credibility. To overcome this, the co-owners formed an Advisory Board that included some of Seattle's most respected community leaders.
Soon, high-profile print ads touting the new service and its Advisory Board began appearing on the pages of local newspapers. In radio ads, the well-regarded Jim French acted as the Club's spokesman.
Seattle homeowners, eager to find qualified contractors, readily signed up for the service. And by the end of 1960, the Club had almost 1,000 members.
Unfortunately, the other affiliated franchises were not as successful at attracting members, and within a year the national organization was forced to close its doors for lack of revenue.
How the Club Survived the Hard Times
On its own and without any marketing support at that point, the Seattle franchise could have simply faded away. Instead, membership in the Club swelled as hundreds of members told their family and friends about the benefits of membership and encouraged them to join.
A New Owner Twenty One Years Later
By 1980, the Club's original owners were ready to retire. They sold the business to Matt Maury, a 15-year veteran of the Weyerhaeuser Company, who was in search of a new challenge. His management skills and industry experience were an ideal fit with the Club's need for continued growth. His commitment to member satisfaction matched that of the Club's founders.
A New Service Added in 2006
Today, there are more contractor referral services than ever before, but there's still only one Home Owners Club - where member satisfaction is the priority, not an afterthought.
Recognizing the need for a national presence, but lacking the infrastructure to expand its existing service outside of the Seattle metro area, the Club founded its online program in early 2006.
Instead of referring contractors, the new service empowers members to choose their own contractors - using the learnings gained by the Club's nearly 50 years of experience.