Developing a well-defined structure for a company and its supporters was paramount to having success within Aspen Kitchens.   In the beginning I saw a need for a company to offer the “whole package” which brought design, sales, ordering, and contracting services all together under one roof.  One of the most critical positions is the “General Contractor”, which lead me to a question… What exactly is a general contractor and what do they provide to a project?

                The way a contractor is viewed through the eyes of some has a negative influence, perhaps they have seen the media coverage on the “take the money and run” contractor or perhaps they themselves have been taken advantage of.  I know we had to overcome some stereotypes and wanted the lens as to how you view a contractor to be very clear.  This is not “just another license” but rather is the fulcrum to our entire company.  The way that I see this role is one that requires an extraordinary amount of knowledge and strong relatable skills.

                The General contractor is responsible for the biding, obtaining permits, scheduling, and collaboration of many tradesmen, quality control, budgets, time lines, managing expectations, communication, and, ultimately, the success of the project.  There are several other details that go along with these as well, but as you can see this position is not one that is “easy” and in fact can be very stressful.  A good general contractor is only as strong as the community of people that surrounds him/her that aid in creating a successful business.  The Aspen Kitchens community consists of designers, project manager, showroom manager, craftsmen, networking support, licensed tradesmen, manufacturers, hundreds of vendors, and many others. The key to this network is that everyone knows the company and who is responsible for the overall principals that which he or she stands for.  In Aspen Kitchen’s case, I (Andrew Kranz) am the owner and licensed general contractor.  I have been blessed with an awesome team of people who work together with clear communication, determination and dedication for the same cause – providing amazing results for our clients.  Our clients are the reason we are here and if we are failing them we are all failing.  At Aspen Kitchens, our common goal as a team is to create and manage a timely project that meets or beats expectations in quality and service.   Because the Aspen Kitchens team all share the same work ethic and commitment to provide a superior outcome for our clients, we have accountability. 

                What makes us unique is that we have everything the clients need under one roof.  What we offer to our clients is comprehensive, starting with the experience, leadership and credentials of the general contractor, through the designers with their professionalism and creativity, to the project manager who keeps things on schedule to our own installers who assure that the dream becomes reality.  Understanding the roles, expectations, and over all scope of what Aspen Kitchens can provide has been our model and will continue to be what we base our directives on.  We continue to learn and grow with each passing success and with all our combined efforts to shape a well-defined and refined business model for our clients.

Andrew Kranz,

Owner/General Contractor   (Pikes Peak Regional Building Department License #19538)

Aspen Kitchens INC