Redefining Remodeling Arena

A good leader should have integrity, self-awareness, courage, respect, empathy, and gratitude. They should learn agility and flex their influence while communicating and delegating effectively. John M. Todd, Owner of Elite Remodeling, has evolved through the “big box” company environment—US Army, IBM, MCI, Sprint, and others—having learned and managed within that big box world, he brought those same qualities to his “little box” world.

Treating people with respect daily is one of the most important things John believes in and practices. The reasons are simple: It eases tensions and conflict, creates trust, and improves effectiveness, resulting in the creation of a culture of respect. John understands that respectfulness can be shown in many ways, but it often starts with simply being a good listener who truly seeks to understand the perspectives of others. “I believe communication, respect and integrity is the key to success,” he says. “Every leader should set the strategy and ensure everyone on the team knows, understands, and is committed to the end goal. Remember you cannot do it yourself. Hire the best talent you can find and ensure they have the resources to be successful.”

Armed with this mindset, John has been taking the company to new heights. In November 2004, John acquired Elite Remodeling. He then re-engineered Elite from a discount remodeler to a full-service value-added remodeler. Elite has also retooled its Showroom and Design Center from a tile shop into a state-of-the-art facility with full kitchens, bathrooms, and a variety of custom cabinetry. Elite’s primary projects include remodeling kitchens, bathrooms, and room additions.

Elite has more “Certified” professionals on staff than any other Remodeler in the Greater DFW area. In fact, they are the only Professional Remodeler to have “on staff” a National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Certified Graduate Remodeler, from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) a Certified Remodeler, a Certified Kitchen & Bath Remodeler and a Certified Remodeler Project Manager AND from the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) a Certified Kitchen Designer and a Certified Bathroom Designer.

John and his team are active in various local organizations. In fact, he joined the Dallas Builders Association before completing the acquisition of Elite. He is an Honored Life Director of the Dallas BA and has previously served as chairman of the Remodelers Council, the Education Committee, and the ARC Committee. He has been a member of the National Association of Home Builders Remodelers Board of Trustees from 2017-2022. Elite is also active in the National Kitchen and Bath Association, where John has chaired the Builder Remodeler Advisory Committee and served on the Finance Committee. His team has also been the President of both the St Louis and Dallas NKBA chapters. Elite is committed to education and, as such, every Elite team member has at least one NAHB accreditation.

Elite’s commitment to the industry is worth mentioning, because they have been recognized as Remodeler of the Year by their DBA 6 times over the past 18 years. The company has also been awarded the DBA's highest honor – the Hugh Pratman Award in 2019 and recognized by local Living Magazines as Best Remodeler in Plano/Frisco for 8 years.

The most rewarding projects to John personally are those that encompass accessibility. Two come to his mind where, in the first instance, they were asked by a homeowner, the wife, who had spina bifida and used a wheelchair for years. To help her regain some of her mobility, Elite completely remodeled her master bathroom, and the result was that she could finally take a shower on her own, use the toilet facilities on her own, and navigate the vanity and closets on her own. In the second instance, Elite had a Vietnam veteran homeowner who was injured in a helicopter crash. His primary bathroom, for example, shower, tub, and toilet were challenging for him to use. Post the remodel, and he can wheelhis walker and/or wheelchair into the new shower by himself and navigate and utilize the toilet and vanity. The room is now fully functional for him.

For the coming days, John wants Elite to have multiple showrooms across the north Dallas metroplex and continue working on brilliant projects that ease people’s lives. “To execute that mission, we must have the best people, tools, and well-defined processes. We are constantly working on all three of these items,” says John. “We are planning a major growth spurt over the next few years. To accomplish this, we will effectively need to re-engineer our entire set of processes from sale to selections to construction. This effort will require full commitment and buy in from our team. To do that I will need to ensure they are involved/engaged in the redesign process.”