Hoffmann Brothers

In 2024, our marketing budget is $8 million. We're spending roughly 50% of it on “branding” activities like: - TV - Radio - Sports Partnerships - Community Sponsorships & Engagement. Here's why we believe these branding investments are worth it. 1) We spent roughly 4% of gross revenues on marketing. Branding was becoming increasingly important if we wanted to keep our marketing budget low as a percentage of gross revenue. 2) Paid search was getting expensive. Companies needed to find a way to reduce dependence on that channel. 3) Companies relied primarily on paid search to generate demand. They began seeing their marketing spend as a percentage of gross revenues climb to unsustainable, unhealthy levels. 4) Increased spending on branding efforts led to an increase in searches for branded keywords (“Hoffmann Brothers”) compared to unbranded, generic keywords (“AC contractor”) that are far more expensive. 5) Bypassing paid search or other paid channels to drive customers directly to your company's funnel can lower marketing spend as a percentage of gross revenue. I think companies should avoid becoming overly reliant on immediate demand generation channels like Google’s paid search platform. Investing more in branding should lead to a decline in how much your company spends on Google ads. Plus, supporting things like youth soccer programs and our local sports teams is a great way to get more involved in the communities we serve.

It was an honor to present a $5,000 check to Operation Stand Down today to support their incredible efforts in serving our veteran community. Giving back to those who have given to our country is a privilege we hold close to our hearts. We’re proud to stand strong for those who have served????

Happy National Students Day! Today, we’re celebrating the next generation of skilled trades professionals. This photo captures some of our appliance students alongside our plumbing instructor, Ray, as they kick off their first day of learning the ropes across all the trades. From plumbing to appliance repair, they're gaining hands-on experience and the knowledge to build a bright future. Here’s to our students and their journey toward mastering the trades!

We were honored to present a $5,000 check to The Kaufman Fund today at their monthly Vet Net! Giving back to those who have given so much is at the heart of what we do, and we’re proud to support their incredible work for veterans. A special moment for us was having a few of our own veterans join us to present the check. Together, we stand strong for our veteran community.

At Hoffmann Brothers safety is not separate from getting the job done effectively and efficiently with high quality. It's part of the process, part of the DNA of our company to send our team members home safe to their loved ones in their life. Enter our new Director of Safety, the indomitable Keena Hildebrand. Keena's a US Navy Veteran and, post service commitment, worked in a variety of industries, to include mining. She introduced herself to our field professionals with a short background overview and then right into a REQUEST FOR SAFETY MEMES! A QR Code for contact info followed, which the audience eagerly scanned and started sending memes. "Keena, why would you ask for memes that make fun of your profession, albeit in a light-hearted manner?" Her response (paraphrased): I need to have a relationship with these professionals to know their job. Once I know their job I can help them accomplish it in an even safer manner. But they need to trust me. And before they trust me, they need to feel comfortable communicating with me. And...I like memes. They remind me to be humble and curious. I learned a lot from Keena that day, and know our entire organization has a lot more to learn from her. Sharing in the hopes that your safety program can be enhanced with memes (I prefer cats vs. safety and yes, I know this meme has a grammar error in it) and the underlying premise behind it all--to create relationships of care. #safety

Our Nashville team proudly participated in the Shelli Huether Veterans Day Honor Run this weekend! While they couldn’t join us in St. Louis while we honored Mike Hickey, they still showed up in spirit wearing their memorial shirts! It’s inspiring to see our team come together in different places honoring our colleague & friend as well as our Veterans.

Ten years ago, when Hoffmann Brothers was a $10 million business, we basically had 8 positions: 1. General Manager / Sales Manager 2. Field Professional 3. Trade Department Manager 4. Foreman 5. Project Manager 6. Service Coordinator 7. Bookkeeper + Human Resource Manager 8. Marketing Manager. Today, HB Solutions Group is closing in on $150 million in annual revenue, and we now have more than 30 position types: - Chief Executive Officer - President - Chief Marketing Officer - Chief People Officer - Chief Financial Officer - Vice President - Operations & Integrations - Controller - General Manager - Assistant Controller - Accounts Receivable Coordinator - Accounts Payable Coordinator - Membership Program Coordinator - Director of Growth - Talent Development Business Partner - Sales Manager - Inside Sales Manager - Enterprise Sales Leader - Lead Accounting Coordinator - Director of Procurement & Warehousing Ops - Project Manager - Inside Sales Rep - Director of Operations - Department Manager - Field Manager - Field Professional - HB University Instructor - Director Environmental Health and Safety - Director of Marketing & Digital Strategy - Warehouse Coordinator - Warehouse Receiver - Warehouse Runner - Sheet Metal & PreFab Manager - Dispatcher - Customer Liaison - Department Coordinator - Director of Learning & Development - Brand Manager - Social Media Coordinator - Graphic Designer - Customer Experience Rep - Customer Experience Team Lead - Customer Experience Manager - Director of Internal Operations - Director of Information Technology - Dispatch Manager - Software Applications Manager - Office Administrator - Fleet Manager - Warehouse Operations Manager - Payroll Coordinator - Organizational Design Specialist - Outbounding Specialist - Sales Lead Coordinator Early on, leaders need to wear multiple hats. You have to do whatever it takes to get the job done. As the business grows, roles become more specialized. That specialization brings higher productivity, better quality of work, and higher job satisfaction. At least, that's what we've seen at Hoffmann Brothers.

Today, we came together to honor our dear friend and colleague, Mike Hickey, at the annual St Patrick Center’s Veteran’s Day 5k. This race meant so much to Mike, and now it carries that same significance in our hearts. Alongside Mike’s family and friends, the Hoffmann Brothers team ran with love and remembrance, celebrating the incredible person he was. A heartfelt thank you to all our employees and their families who gathered this morning to pay tribute to Mike. We are truly grateful for the family we share at Hoffmann Brothers, and we will carry Mike’s spirit with us always.

This week we spent time learning arguably the most important part of excavation! Thank you Ray @ Safety Education Consultants for your expertise and educating the team on competent trenching and shoring. This class allows the team to perform practical installation of hydraulic shoring and trench shields along with classroom learning of the OSHA guidelines.

A home is likely the most complex mechanical device a person can own, and it doesn’t even have an owner’s manual! Home ownership can be both a dream come true and daunting exercise of surprise expenses at the same time. The beginning of most home ownership journeys is the real estate agent. Hoffmann Brothers recently hosted Laura McCarthy real estate agents at our Hoffmann Brother’s University to help them provide a better home ownership experience to their clients. Our professionals fielded questions on home mechanicals such as: how does a tankless water heater work and what savings can the homeowner expect? How can you repair a sewer without digging it up and tearing out a driveway in the process? How long does it take to install a car charger? What benefits does a geothermal HVAC system provide? Can a customer get a dishwasher repaired vs. replaced? All in service to help these expert agents serve their clients better as they navigate home ownership from the sale and well into the future. At Hoffmann Brothers, we believe it’s our responsibility to educate the customer to make the choice that’s right for them. How do you do this in your organization? ? Thank you, Laura McCarthy for allowing our professionals to host yours and Improve Life in Every Home.