Category Archives: H. Dale Contant with NARI

A Visionary Leader: Atlanta Design & Build President Dale Contant

Part 2: Kernels of Wisdom from an Industry Leader

According to Dale, the best advice he could give to someone just starting out with their own business is,

Stay focused on your core business. Be resilient and nimble enough to make changes. Be tenacious and persistent. Don’t chase rabbits, or ‘opportunities,’ because they may lead you down a rabbit hole. Stay focused.

In the past, he has witnessed people falling down various rabbit holes, to the detriment of their businesses. Staying focused on your core business purpose and message, and being the best at what you do, is a formula for success that Dale incorporates into his own practices. He also advises newcomers into business ownership to develop a value proposition to everything you do: whether it’s sales, service, marketing, or whatever you do, always look at your ROI. Above all else, treat everyone how you want to be treated: be respectful to everyone. Dale’s formula for success also includes happy clients, successful employees (in both their personal and professional lives), being consistent and persistent, not asking someone to do anything that you wouldn’t do (unless it’s something you do not know how to do).

Dale’s Sage Advice on Work/Life Balance

Early on in his career, when his four daughters were young, Dale worked many hours and a lot of weekends providing for his family. His advice is “Find a work/life balance, don’t sacrifice your family for your business.” He was able to take his family on vacations several times a year for quality family time, but if he had it to do over again, he would have made more time daily. Dale found more work/life balance when he joined NARI.  It was here he established peer relationships, and made friends who became mentors, among them, three fellow-contractors with whom he can share anything and ask any question he has. Currently, he works approximately 50 hours per week, spending his time working on clients’ files, meeting them face to face, and overseeing the entire business operation.

Dale and Keely Contant’s four daughters: Lindsey, Sydney, Ali, and Alex
Continue reading A Visionary Leader: Atlanta Design & Build President Dale Contant

A Visionary Leader: Atlanta Design & Build President Dale Contant

Part 1: The Professional Side

Dale receiving a NARI Lifetime Achievement Award from Tom Miller, the National President of NARI, in April, 2018

Dale Contant is the President and Principal Owner of Atlanta Design & Build. ADB has been in business since 1996 and is one of the few National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) Accredited Remodeling Companies in the nation, and the only one in GA. Dale’s commitment to raise the level of professionalism homeowner’s can expect when contracting a remodeler has motivated his active involvement in the remodeling industry.

He is a licensed contractor in the state of Georgia. Dale holds NARI credentials for Master Certified Remodeler (MCR), Certified Remodeling Project Manager (CRPM) and Universal Design Certified Professional (UDCP). He has also served in leadership for NARI at both the local and, for 15 years, at the national levels; holding NARI National officer positions since 2013 culminating in 2018-2020 as National Chairman of the Board. He also spent 5 years on the board of Rebuilding Together Atlanta, an organization assisting elderly homeowners and veterans with major home repairs.

Formative Years: Raised on the Job Site

Dale was born in Ft Lauderdale, FL, and later his family moved to Boca Raton where he lived until his mid-20s. His father was a contractor, and he began spending time on construction sites helping his dad work on residential projects when he was 8 years old. Dale studied drafting in high school, and began junior college with plans to become an architect. His interest, however, changed to construction.

In his early 20s, Dale married and the couple decided to move to the North Carolina mountains. Dale built his first home there, and pursued the path of a contractor. Several years later, when the opportunity presented itself, he became a licensed insurance agent for a local insurance agency. He credits his sales acumen to his time spent in insurance sales; the company he worked with had extensive sales training based on well-honed, time-tested systems. Dale and his wife, Keely, remained in North Carolina for 7 years before accepting a regional management position with the insurance company and relocating to Marietta, GA in 1988. In 1989, having several years of sales behind him, Dale began using his knowledge of both construction and sales and returned to his field of preference as a salesperson for a sunroom company.    

This is the first home Dale built for his family over 35 years ago in Boone, North Carolina.
Continue reading A Visionary Leader: Atlanta Design & Build President Dale Contant

Two 2019 CotY Awards for ADB

It’s our pleasure to share that we were honored with two 2019 Contractor of the Year (CotY) Awards from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry’s Atlanta chapter!       

Atlanta Design & Build won CotY Awards in the following categories:

Residential Bathroom $75,000 to $100,000

Our CotY award-winning master bath is luxury epitomized

Our clients’ 90s-style master bathroom had a dysfunctional layout that wasted too much square footage. Situated behind a pair of walk-in closets, the master bathroom was only accessible by walking down a narrow hallway. The large bathtub was a feature that the homeowners rarely used and wanted to eliminate. They did not like the dim lighting in their master bathroom and desired an increase in natural lighting. 

Our solution to the cumbersome layout of the master bathroom was a whole new design. We completely flipped the separate walk-in closets and the bathroom. Redesigning the space created a direct entrance to a new spa-like retreat with an expansive custom closet for two behind it. We incorporated many space-saving features into the design, like frosted, glass-fronted, pocket doors. Not only did the pocket doors eliminate the swing of traditional doors, but they help illuminate the bedroom and bath while maintaining privacy.    

Some highlights that the new master bathroom boasts:

Continue reading Two 2019 CotY Awards for ADB

Isn’t it Time to Build or Convert Your Outdoor Living Room?

Imagine the enjoyment you could have with a year-round outdoor living space! During the cooler days of fall, you can watch football games sitting around a fire. Make the most of your time relaxing outdoors by having comfort in every season. One of our specialties is building customized outdoor areas, like covered patios, screened porches, and Georgia rooms (sunrooms for 3-4 seasons). Look at some of our projects below and learn more about which type of space is ideal for you!

Covered patio transformation by ADB

Covered Patios: Blurring the Line Between Indoors and Out

This open concept outdoor living room is covered to protect your furnishings and television from the elements, but open on the sides to feel almost fully outdoors. With well-made outdoor furnishings, beautiful slate tile flooring, and a mounted television, this room blurs the line between the indoors and outdoors. Enjoy family meals at the teak table and lounging by the pool in summer. 



A convenient door leads into the home with close access to a pool bath, and also the kitchen for ease in carrying meals outside. This patio is a great retreat for overhead shade, while at the same time lovely gable windows bring in extra sunshine.   

 


By replacing an existing screened porch, we created this spacious
all-season space with an open grilling deck.
Continue reading Isn’t it Time to Build or Convert Your Outdoor Living Room?

Credible. Accredited. Remodeling Done Right™: ADB becomes the 1st NARI Accredited Remodeling Company in Georgia!

Atlanta Design & Build (ADB) is one of a handful of companies nationwide to have achieved certification as a NARI Accredited Remodeling Company (ARC), and the first ARC in the state of Georgia!

The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) is the only professional organization for remodelers in the nation with a system of accreditation for top businesses. With its heartbeat and primary purpose being to “raise the bar” for what homeowners can expect from a remodeling contractor, NARI has provided opportunities for networking, mentoring, training and development for individual members and their employees since its inception. As the first of its kind, the NARI ARC program was created to support both consumers and remodelers by providing a company designation in addition to individual credentials.

Consumers desperately need a professional remodeling contractor they can trust to update their homes. NARI remodelers need a program that supports remodeling companies in the continuous improvement of their business, following best practices, and elevating the level of professionalism in organizations throughout the nation. In order to be considered for this recognition NARI accredited companies must demonstrate how they meet a set of higher industry standards determined by a third-party, the NARI Accreditation Board; for example, ARC companies must demonstrate:

Continue reading Credible. Accredited. Remodeling Done Right™: ADB becomes the 1st NARI Accredited Remodeling Company in Georgia!

Atlanta Design & Build Celebrates National Home Improvement Month

May is National Home Improvement Month and it is a great time to begin your home transformation. Remodeling  in the Atlanta area offers numerous benefits to home owners who want to change their living environment without uprooting their family and moving. Home improvements can add more space for a growing family or older parent, improve energy efficiency and increase the resale value of your home.

“The planning and researching phases of a project are the most critical steps in the remodeling process,” Dale advises “The more knowledgeable and prepared a homeowner is, the more they protect themselves.”  Atlanta Design & Build’s proprietary HOMEStyle System and processes were built with these safeguards in mind.  We provide design and selection assistance to our clients. Communication is a priority of the HOMEStyle system.  Our purpose is to listen and understand, design and plan to transform your home and enrich your life.

Below, NARI provides 10 steps homeowners should take before breaking ground on their next remodel.

Continue reading Atlanta Design & Build Celebrates National Home Improvement Month