In 2014, Zak Fleming was named as one of Professional Remodeler’s Forty Under 40. The next year, Marc Black was given the same honor. Now, two years later, they've partnered. Beginning in January, Black, former general manager of Silent Rivers Design + Build, will be part owner of Fleming Construction. Coincidience? Yes.
Fact is, Fleming and Black are two successful, innovative professionals, who've worked (and excelled) independently in the home improvement space for years. Both are past chairs of the Remodelers Council of Greater Des Moines, and both have earned Certified Graduate Remodelers designations from NAHB (Black aslo has designations for sustainability and aging-in-place). Their teaming up was nothing short of practical ahead of 2018.
In the next year, Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies projects that homeowners will spend upwards of $330 billion on home upgrades to replacements. Fleming says that the trend is one he recognizes in the Des Moines area–which, as the U.S. Census confirms, is the fastest growing city in the Midwest.
“With the healthy economy in Des Moines we have seen a 30 percent increase in business in each of the last two years,” says Fleming.
He went on to explain that the decision to partner with Black was a carefully measured one–one with an “end game.”
“It was time to start simplying my role in the company,” he says. And that means giving over the managerial reins to Black. “Marc is the person to continue our growth. I have to admit, he’s been beating me at this for quite some time.”