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In the post you will find a message, we could refer to it as a “reprint” as it was written for and first appeared in our annual photo journal. This photo journal, dubbed “Year in Review”, houses images captured at random of many of the building activities taking place on a variety of our projects during a calendar year. After we pull them all together we present a finished album as a gift to each employee at year end. For me, this is much more than a gift of photos. This is about taking custody of our memories. Each yearly collection is somewhat exclusive, having its own story or stories to tell. By composition they provide an enjoyable pictorial account for our viewing pleasure today. For our tomorrows, they will be the chronicler providing the effective link from the trade professional to his past desired and pleasant memories. How wonderful it will be when that day comes and an adoring grandchild might ask “tell me what you did when you worked grandpa”, and Grandpa may respond “I built things to last. Here, let me show you some examples in these photos”. Having earned the distinction of mentor, or more precisely “oldest of the old” at Schrader and Company, I can now validate from personal experience the perception that time seems to pass more and more quickly for an individual as that individual continues to age. As each of us continue to make our own new memories we would be wise to consider “now” as a good time to verify access in the future to the memories we wish to preserve.
Back from our memories… we were calling your attention to our “reprint” through which we willingly expose a sensitive appreciation for the integrity with which our focused experts apply their skill and experience. And this is the case even when no one is observing. Admittedly, we also work in a world of one-of-a-kind design and promised deadlines just as much as noisy power saws, drills, pneumatic rapid firing nail guns, lifting and securing heavy building components, temperature extremes, and dust, jack hammers, banged thumbs, bruises, cuts… and stitches. Yes, we’re the ones who invade your homes. What we do can be incredibly invasive, we know that, and we strive to make the process as pleasant for you as it can possibly be. We dedicate our concentration as much to effective communication and job cleanliness as we do to the artistry of sturdy workmanship. So savor this opportunity as we present you with a glimpse behind our curtain. Take a look to experience how we communicate when we think no one is listening. It may be reassuring for you to discover the depth of our sense of duty and commitment to you, our client, especially when the camera is thought to be “off”.

The Test of Time
It would be far too easy for us to simply fail to remember the unmistakably beneficial impact our work output has on our clients and their families. After all, our work obligations and responsibilities can seem endless at times. We work tirelessly, every day applying our best efforts to the planning, building, and processing of our creations. This we do willingly, dare we say habitually, to ensure that our clients will have the highest probability of being unconditionally satisfied as a direct and memorable result of their experience of working with our company.
Conventional thinking in our industry believes that the conclusion of our work is a time of ending, a time to close our commitments. We see it differently, not as an end but more as a shift, a very critical shift, to when the value of the services we provide really start to show. After we conclude our work and move on to the next project, no longer encumbering a newly finished space with our presence, our clients realize they are free to pursue new comforts enjoying our most recent work. And our work is sound. A new lifestyle is born. Family memories begin anew, taking form during cooking and mealtime activities in that remodeled kitchen. Perhaps those are “Schrader Built” cabinets in that master bedroom addition. Bedtime stories are read to the little ones in a newly constructed third bedroom we created from a framed in over-sized attic space. And yes, undoubtedly there will be magazines and newspapers offering comfort to those who visit a bathroom we recently remodeled. Yes, we enhance lifestyles.
You are a part of something special. By applying your considerable talents in earnest to improve the quality of life of those we labor for, the good you do for others is far-reaching. As you consider your chosen career with Schrader and Company, do so with a well-deserved glow of pride knowing the quality of the work effort devoted to these projects will stand the test of time and have immeasurable lasting impact on those who enjoy them long after our work is complete.

Several concurring influences are presently impacting our lives at Schrader and Company and doing so in a very
nice way. They are clearly connected to the fullness of our commitment to career, community, and country. We
make no secret of the “all‐in” intensity with which we apply ourselves to the planning phase and then to the
constructing phase of the projects we undertake. Permit me to comment on the attractiveness and lasting value of
the work our people produce. It is distinct, often recognized and admired by others, yet rarely equaled. We are
very open about why we believe this is so, it is this “fullness of our commitment “ I mention above. Yes, we are
committed to doing great work and to honest business practices, and that is as it should be. But for today, I make
reference to a broader view of our commitments. This is notable news, timely, and worth sharing.
Ben, our company president, is the recently installed 2013 President of the Capital Region Building and
Remodeling Association (CRBRA). Through recent years Ben has been active on a variety of committees, chair of
the Remodeler’s Council, a vice president, and a member of the board. Observing Ben’s selfless commitment has
special meaning to me. My own volunteer efforts began in the 1970’s when serving on the local builder
association’s board, and eventually as their president in 1985. Ben is now the third individual from Schrader and
Company to commit to this level of leadership responsibility. He follows Margie Miller, an employee of ours at the
time and the association president in 2005, who also has the distinction of being the first female president.
Significant to me personally was being asked to officiate at the formal installation for each (in 2005 and again in
2013). The honor that was mine on these two occasions, and now the memories, will forever be among the dearest
to me.
(An email came across my desk the morning following Ben’s installation that said “….we are so very pleased with
Ben as our president. Schrader and Company knows how to make great Presidents. Silas watch out!”)
Schrader and Company is a Veteran owned company. My service in the military was during the Vietnam War as
an equipment operator in the U.S. Navy Seabees. I was deployed to Vietnam in 1968 and 1969, and honorably
discharged July 1970. My oldest son, Silas, is our company vice president. Silas was recently promoted to Major,
U.S. Marine Corps, and is a veteran of the Iraq War, having served two tours.
The month of October will mark 40 years of Schrader and Company conducting the business of building. That
time span is worthy of some comment and for establishing perspective. Our company president, Ben, had not been
born yet when this company began. John Hudson was the winner of the pool guessing the birth weight of Silas.
Silas is now our company vice president. Both John, a 35 year employee, and Silas are full time employees of our
company. I remember hiring Robert on the day he finished high school. Robert is now a grandfather. He is also a
full time 36 year employee of our company who manages the production of the cabinet shop.
Being able to share our good news with you means a lot to us, especially because news of substance doesn’t just
happen, it requires something akin to this “fullness of our commitment”. In describing this commitment more
precisely I would say we clearly do not fear nor withdraw from hard work, actually we embrace it. I would add we
have proven to ourselves that it makes far more sense to work smart while working hard and therefore have
committed ourselves to nothing less. And finally, it is precisely when we unleash the ferocity of our passion and
direct it to our daily labors that, well, let’s just say this is when the magic really takes over.
As I close I am left with just one unsettled bit of news …. is it, can it, really be 40 years…. already….

In case you hadn’t already heard, all of us at Schrader and Company will be celebrating 40 years of improving our client’s homes throughout the greater Capital Region. In today’s world of disposable products and low quality service, it seems that both have sadly become the norm. And in some warped and desensitized way, most of us have come to accept this kind of woeful underperformance. Conversely, we look upon the things that continue to consistently deliver with great admiration and satisfaction.“Reliable” is a word that is often used when speaking about such people, products and organizations. These are the ones that stand the true test of time.And it is time that is most often the measure of reliable things. At Schrader and Company, we pride ourselves on being dependable, committed, and dedicated to our clients. Here are a few“time‐related” statistics which help to illustrate our mission:

40: the number of years we will have been in business when this October shows up on our calendars. It all began in 1973 when Peter and Christy Schrader, the founders of Schrader and Company, laid the solid foundation for our company.

18: the average number of years an employee has worked at Schrader and Company. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics’ website states that the average length of employment for a worker in our country is less than 5 years (actually4.6 years!). The fact that our company has an average over three times that tenure tells a compelling story. This is not to mention two of our employees who have been here for more than 30 years.

15: the number of dedicated professionals who work and worry about improving our client’s homes, and their lives, with as much care as we would give our own, quite often, even more.

270: the cumulative number of years of professional experience our staff has in the remodeling industry. In fact, this figure is a bit low. We actually have well over 300 years of experience between us. Without exception, we use this shared experience on a daily basis to make our products better for our clients. We consistently rely on one another for professional advice, all with our client’s best interests in mind.

The accomplishment of 40 successful years in business is significant and telling. It is a tremendous source of pride and accomplishment for us all.It proves to all that employ us, know us, or work alongside us that we have true staying power; even in difficult economic times. Many of you who are reading this have visited our showroom, our office, and cabinet shop here in Burnt Hills. If you haven’t yet, please do. For those of you who have, you may have noticed a small sign that is hung over our shop manager’s office door. It reads “This Company Shall Continue Forever!” For those of us here at Schrader and Company, we have absolutely no doubt that it will