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2008 Remodeler of the Year
Runner Up
Sass Construction, Inc.
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This honor recognizes companies that demonstrate the highest level of professionalism in their businesses. It is based upon evaluations of trust, communication, loyalty , and ethics
in business dealings.
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Winner of Two Chrysalis Awards:
*Best Detached Outbuilding
*Best Kitchen Remodel Over $75K
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The Chrysalis Award honors talent, creativity, and professionalism
within the remodeling industry.
See "Portfolio" on this website for photos
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Remodeling Magazine's Big 50 |
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Qualified Remodeler Magazine
Top 500 | _______________________________________________________
Text of "Deafness Doesn't Deter Lead Carpenter", an October 1996 Remodeling Magazine Article written by Bruce Snider
Ivan Sass may be the most unusual graduate of the newly minted Certified Lead Carpenter program, conducted by the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI). Sass, CLC, of Sass Construction, Minneapolis, is legally deaf.
 As anyone who's worn ear protection knows, limited hearing poses no impediment to the basics of carpentry. But carpenters do more than measure, cut and nail. To be a good carpenter, especially a lead carpenter, clear communication is essential, and that's Sass's biggest challenge. (Imagine wearing your ear protection to a preconstruction conference.) Sass clears communication hurdles on the job with hard-won speech skills and expert lipreading. "I have no problem communicating face to face," he says. As long as he can see who's talking, he can understand what is being said.
One place where Sass can't see who's talking is on the phone, and lead carpenters seem to spend almost as much time there, ordering materials, taking instructions from the office, scheduling subs, as they do swinging a hammer. Sass sidesteps that potential roadblock with a common message pager. "I used to have a digital pager, but I still had to fight to understand people on the phone," says Sass. Now he reads short messages directly from his pager's screen. "I can get a message and go on with my work instead of stopping to make a phone call," he says.
Sass was one of nearly 100 participants in the Certified Lead Carpenter pilot program, which was held at four sites around the country between January and March 1996. The program consisted of eight weekly study sessions, followed by a written test of technical knowledge and job-management skills. Built around group discussion, the study sessions might have proved frustrating for Sass. In groups, where often more than one person speaks at a time, "I get lost" he explains. Sass's boss, older brother Mark Sass, solved the problem by hiring a sign language interpreter.
That expense and the minor adjustments Mark has made in working with Ivan are more than justified by Ivan's contribution to the business, says Mark. Ivan joined Sass Construction in 1985, when the company was still young, and Mark considers his brother a major factor in its success. "He can do in four hours what most carpenters can't do in eight," says Mark. And he's extremely popular with clients. "They make excuses for him to come back."
But doesn't Ivan's hearing loss impose some limitation on the job? After thinking for a moment, Mark admits, "One thing he has trouble with is fixing a squeaking floor. He just can't hear the squeak. So I tell the customer, 'You'll just have to show him where the squeak is."' That seems like a small price to pay for one of the best lead carpenters around. | Testimonial
“It is with gratitude that I write these words of appreciation to you and your excellent staff at Sass Construction…The project was completed ahead of schedule and our home was well cared for. The professionalism of the work exceeded the original home builder’s work and, above all, the honesty and integrity of everyone at Sass Construction has left a lasting impression on us. We will be sure to recommend you when the opportunity arises”.
- Dan and Peggy B., Bloomington | | |