They are Bringing No. 1 Home Inspection Company to Area

"One thing I know for sure," says Craig Erickson, a new franchise owner with Pillar To Post Home Inspectors®, the No. 1 home inspection company in North America. "Don't skip your home inspection during this seller's market." Erickson and his wife, Pam, launched operations Nov. 15, serving homebuyers, sellers and agents throughout Wright, Todd, Morrison, Stearns, Benton and Sherburne counties.

Craig and Pam are living proof that the phrase "never the twain shall meet," isn't always true. Having both enjoyed long careers in separate industries, the husband-and-wife team from Monticello decided to begin the next chapter of their working careers together. We were both ready to move in a new direction, and in our next career, we wanted to work together," said Pam.

Pam was previously a senior supply planner for Cintas' First Aid Division, where she led a remote team of purchasers in stocking inventory throughout the country. The experience of working with employees remotely taught me the value of communication and education and that will help me in the home inspection industry as we work with realtors, homeowners and buyers." Pam said.

Craig was previously an ASE-certified transmission builder, where he developed a high aptitude for diagnosing mechanical failures. "As an auto technician, I learned to have a sharp eye for detail and thoroughness. Coming from a field that requires such a high level of continuing education, it was easy for me put in the time, effort and education required to be a home inspector," he said.

The Ericksons also have some family history in the real estate industry. They were helped in funding their new business by a small inheritance left by Craig's/Pam's father who passed away earlier this year at the age of 86. He had been a real estate agent for 40 years and still dabbled in it while in retirement. While researching franchise opportunities, Pillar To Post Home Inspectors stood out to the Ericksons for a number of reasons: the top ranking in its category, affordable cost; a proven program and "even a coach!" according to Craig; satisfied franchisee network, helpful and informative discovery process and no inventory requirement.

The Ericksons couldn't have chosen a better time to join Pillar To Post Home Inspectors, according to President and CEO Dan Steward, "We rolled out new technologies during COVID-19 like our PTP360 tour. It was instrumental in keeping our business thriving during the pandemic. Now we are focused on making sure some of our cutting-edge technologies are also used for those thinking of skipping home Inspections, a very risky move," Steward said.

PTP360 is an Interactive 360° virtual home Inspection tour that allows users to revisit a home anytime and anywhere from a smartphone, tablet or desktop and even share the tour with family and friends clients can also receive a measured floor plan of the entire home, with measurements to help with furniture fit and placement "in the long term, PTP360 is a huge help for busy professional Realtors, saving them time and better serving their seller, while also giving prospective buyers a far better experience, Steward said.

Pillar To Post Home Inspectors has achieved the highest standing in various rankings of "Best In Category," "Top 20 Franchises to Buy," "Top 10 Global Franchises," and "Top Franchises for Veterans," in addition to achieving 5-Star status with VetFran, a program offered by the International Franchise Association that provides discounted franchise fees to veterans. A professional evaluation both inside and outside the home is at the core of Pillar To Post Home Inspectors' service. Pillar To Post Home Inspectors input data and digital photos into a computerized report. All information is provided to clients in a customized binder for easy reference, allowing homebuyers or sellers to make confident, informed decisions.

Married for 28 years, the Ericksons always dreamed of owning a business together and have already talked about Involving their children in the business in the future. They want Pillar To Post Home Inspectors to have a family-focused, team atmosphere, where open communication and continuing education are emphasized and where employees are proud to work.

"We are both committed to the highest Integrity in every relationship whether It's a client, an employee or friends in the neighborhood," Craig said. "We've each been in leadership positions in the past and we've found that staying humble and staying real with your employees is a very effective leadership style - always keeping in mind that our employees can teach us as much as we can teach them."

ABOUT PILLAR TO POST HOME INSPECTORS®

Founded in 1994, Pillar To Post Home Inspectors is the largest home inspection company in North America with home offices in Toronto and Tampa. There are nearly 600 franchises located in 49 states and nine Canadian provinces. The company has been named as Best in Category in Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500® ranking for 9 years in a row and appeared in the ranking for 24 years. Long-term plans include adding 500 to 600 new franchisees over the next five years. For further information, please visit www.pillaropostranchise.com.

Article by Rhonda Sanderson, CEO, Sanderson & Associates

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Rhonda Sanderson is a franchise expert who has owned and operated Sanderson & Associates and Sanderson PR, both specializing in, traditional, social media and crisis PR in the franchise space since 1986. She has authored many articles, helped grow numerous franchise chains and is considered one of the Top 30 Small Business Influencers (Fit Business) in the U.S. Find her at Rhonda@sandersonpr. com or on Linkedin where she is the author of Franchise Stars at https://www.linkedin. com/in/hondasanderson-a6b658/