A 2022 CotY Winner Spotlight: Kircher Design and Build

A 2022 CotY Winner Spotlight: Kircher Design and Build

Published June 27, 2022

Couples who run a business together, stay together.  

Carrie and John Bordenkircher, owners of Kircher Construction, have submitted to the Contractor of the Year awards every year since 2007 – and they’ve never lost.  

Last year, Kircher Construction won the Residential Bath $50,000-$75,000 category with a master bath remodel. They were challenged with clients who already had a nice, traditional bathroom, but wanted a contemporary, sleek, and over-the-top luxurious bathroom instead.  

They wowed their customers with a sleek design and practical amenities and even impressed the judges with their transformations.  

But, according to Carrie, “the pretty pictures didn’t win them the award, the story behind the transformation did.”  

“Winning a CotY is more about telling the story than it is just having a beautiful project. You have to have the beautiful project, but there has to be a reason to do it, and you have to solve somebody’s problem,” Carrie said.  

“I think that’s what differentiates the people that win one and people that don’t. You have to show that story throughout the CotY presentation. The wording and the flow of it is really important. Before and after pictures are so, so important because that says more than words.” 

Carrie and John have been winning CotY awards for the past 15 years, but it all started way before that in 1997 when they bought a Kitchen Solvers Franchise. She and her husband both knew they wanted to own a business, and their backgrounds and aptitudes led them to remodeling.  

After owning a franchise for a few years, they eventually decided to start their own business, Kircher Design and Build, to better serve their community – and the rest is history.  

Even though Carrie and John consider themselves experienced veterans when it comes to CotY awards, they continue to resubmit each year to give their talented employees that recognition.  

“We do some killer, wonderful projects at our firm,” Carrie said. “I feel like I owe it to my staff to get them the recognition they deserve for creating it, designing it, and installing it. My employees get really excited about it, it makes them feel really good, and they deserve that recognition.” 

Carrie’s tips to first timers when submitting CotY Awards: 

  • Include before and after pictures (usually from the same angles). Pictures speak louder than words.  
  • Tell a story with your presentation. What was your client’s problem? How did you fix it?  
  • The wording and flow of the presentation is important  
  • Connect with other NARI members and experienced CotY winners. Ask for help!