In a market as competitive as housing, popular green trends can be quickly redefined to serve all sorts of interests. Without a standard definition, it's hard to know exactly what constitutes green. Can a remodeler who installs energy-efficient windows, for example, call himself green?

"The Corner Office" is a look at the top executives at large remodeling firms. This is the second of three features that profiles these industry leaders and examines their unique business issues. Many remodelers have built successful firms without ever taking a job more than 10 miles from their office.

As awareness of global warming has increased alongside energy bills of consumers, the remodeling industry's focus on green building practices has grown considerably, particularly over the last five years. To find out exactly where the industry stands with relation to marketing, selling and producing green remodeling projects — as well as the impact it has on b...

Thoughtfully designed and skillfully executed, the addition to this 1940s bungalow in Ann Arbor, Mich., blends in so well with the original structure that a casual observer would be hard-pressed to identify the remodel. But for its empty-nester owners, who now have a new "friends and family foyer," a spacious and sunny gathering area, a back-yard deck and an attached, two-car garage, the change...

After living in it for seven years, the owners of this Tuscan-inspired residence in McLean, Va., knew what they loved about their 60-year-old home — and what they didn't. Making the decision to remodel rather than move, the couple put together their own carefully considered list of what they thought would improve the home's overall livability for their entire family which includes three s...

Finding the best company to build out the Wallaces' unfinished second floor was like solving a sudoku puzzle: everything had to add up in different directions, and getting the right answer was tough. Once Don and Ellen Wallace discovered Otogawa-Anschel Design-Build, they knew they found the answer. The Wallaces bought their 1914 bungalow in 2001 largely because of the dusty, unconditioned seco...

In these days of energy-efficiency and sustainability, what does it take to sell green to an uninformed customer? How do you define or describe green remodeling? Green remodeling is incorporating into the design and construction processes an emphasis on sustainability and thinking about the environment.

If you have a Trade Secret you would like to share, e-mail Senior Editor Jonathan Sweet at jonathan.sweet@reedbusiness.com.

Our nation was built on the back of successful small family business. Our national economy still rests on the small to mid-size privately held firm involved in providing products or service to clients. The majority of firms in the professional remodeling field are made up of family members who build a reputation and grow with referrals.

Leadership is often confused with management. They are closely related, yet have distinctions making them quite different. Managing tends to focus on getting things done through others and mostly involves the day-to-day operations, while leading focuses on creating an environment that develops people into leaders who guide others and themselves to accomplish company objectives.