Dream baths in less than a week with Bath R Us
By Patricia Nugent
"When I was a little boy, my dad worked at a factory. He always told me that the way you can tell which factory was the best place to work was by finding out which one had the most generational workers,” says Chad Howman, founder of Bath R Us.
Today, as Chad looks around his new headquarters, this is who he sees working side by side: fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, brothers, cousins, husbands and wives, and he can’t help but smile to himself.
In the short span of 16 months, his company has gone from a fledgling start-up to an institution. It began with one employee (Chad) and has grown to more than 40, with nine service trucks and has just moved to a new headquarters in Medina.
The family-owned and operated company began in Cleveland in March of 2020, then expanded into the Columbus, Toledo, and most recently the Cincinnati market. Chad says plans are in the works to open 20 more locations throughout the Midwest and East Coast within the next five years.
“To be honest, even though I founded the niche business at a very challenging time, just when the pandemic had started, I knew that if we simply followed through on the vision of transformational remodeling—bringing luxurious bathrooms to life for a fraction of the price, in less than a week—that growth and success would come our way,” he says.
How to Attract Top Employees: 101
“Everywhere you look you hear about the labor shortage and businesses that are suffering and just trying to stay open due to lack of good employees,” says Chad. “I feel blessed to have a fine group of people working here, with more apprentices joining us all the time once they hear this is a rewarding place to work.”
He says he follows Richard Branson’s business philosophy of taking excellent care of your employees so they will take the same care of clients.
“We support and encourage our employees with extensive sales and installation training, as well as paying well and offering full benefits and a 401K plan,” he explains. “It’s more than just rewarding to work here. Everyone feels like they are engaged and invested in something bigger than themselves. That’s empowering.”
Having it Your Way, In-Home Consultation
After Chad secured a partnership with the shower and tub replacement company, he sought out the best made-in-the-USA makers of the other components necessary for a complete renovation: flooring, fixtures, toilets, vanities and lighting.
The Bath R Us in-home consultations are a perfect fit for busy homeowners.
“Our customers genuinely appreciate that we come to their home,” says Chad. “We bring all the samples and see what looks best together in their space. Our mission is to create a dream bathroom. Sometimes people struggle with putting all the colors and finishes together. This is our specialty.”
The construction portion of the job is as painless as the consultation, and most jobs are completed within three to four days.
Style Through the Ages
Bath R Us has been reimagining the bathrooms in hundreds of homes throughout the state by tapping into a variety of styles.
“It seems as if there are three age groups of clients who tend to choose similar styles,” says owner Chad Howman. “The younger homeowners in their 20s and 30s opt for the most contemporary styles, including white subway tiles. Middle age clients tend to favor earth tones and more of a rustic, modern farmhouse design in marble and quartz looks. And seniors like the look of granite, with more pattern and movement. We offer a huge selection of products to customize any bathroom to reflect the homeowner’s style, from oil-rubbed bronze and matte black fixtures, to flat-faced, Shaker-style cabinetry and pale gray and white marble-look showers.”
For older folks who are looking ahead and hoping to stay in their homes as long as they can, he says they are designing tubs you can walk into and zero-entry showers equipped with grab bars.
Whatever the age group, Chad reports that everyone appreciates the easy-to-clean and ultra-durable high-tech polymer materials, without the old-fashioned grout to clean.
“Since our products are waterproof, there are no worries of moisture collecting like it does in older showers and tubs,” he says. “There are countless homes in our area that still have old builder’s grade fiberglass shower units that look so dated. Our specialty is helping people rid themselves of those and bring their bathrooms into 2021.”
Headquartered in Medina, Bath R Us services homes throughout Ohio. They are accredited by the Better Business Bureau. Call 440-870-8002 to schedule a free estimate or visit BathRUs.com to see more dramatic before and after photos of bathroom makeovers.