---
title: "From Rowing to Remodeling"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/515d3372-6952-4995-a388-fcf62ec39a0e
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/from-rowing-to-remodeling-1865
category: "Remodel & surfaces"
industry: "Home Services"
segment: "Remodel & surfaces"
published: 2015-06-18T18:13:54.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T02:02:58.493Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/8d777f385d3dfec8815d20f7496026dc759.jpeg
---

# From Rowing to Remodeling

**TL;DR:** Eric Mueller, a former rowing coach, became a franchisee of Kitchen Solvers after researching the business and finding it a good fit for the modern real estate market. Mueller's business has experienced steady growth since he took it over, with annual revenue of around $300,000 and expected to reach half a million within a couple years.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2015-06-18. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/from-rowing-to-remodeling-1865).*

## Story

Eric Mueller didn’t set out to become a franchisee specializing in kitchen remodeling. In fact, he was skeptical when the opportunity first presented itself.

“[My wife and I] had a few houses, some income properties,” Mueller remembered. “I was talking to an accountant about doing more, planning out a strategy, and he mentioned there was a business for sale: Kitchen Solvers in Madison.”

While trepidatious in the beginning, Mueller researched the business and realized its concept was a good fit for the modern real estate market.

“I knew it would be a smarter way to update your kitchen then a full rip and tear,” he said. “The more I thought about it, the more it made sense for my wife and I. After meeting Gerry [Henley, president of Kitchen Solvers] and learning about some of the changes they were making at corporate, it seemed like a good investment.”

Interesetingly, while houses were Mueller’s business, he didn’t have any experience in remodeling.

“That’s the crazy thing,” he said with a laugh. “The last time I was on payroll, I was a rowing coach.”

Once he decided to take over the existing Kitchen Solvers franchise, Mueller began his training. However, his education was far less about holding a hammer and far more about making money.

“The training up in La Crosse [, Wis.] was mainly centered on sales,” he said. “It was a massive help. I also got to ride along with existing franchisees to see how the installation process worked.”

Mueller said that while taking over an existing franchise provided some benefits, particularly when it came to Kitchen Solvers’ sterling reputation, the business itself was in a slow period when he took the reins. What’s more, he was a brand new business owner with very little remodeling experience.

“Being a complete neophyte to it all – sales, contracting, everything – there was a ramp-up period,” he said. “But with the help of the Kitchen Solvers team, I’m now in a position where I can handle everything from sales administration to engineering and installation.”

Even better, his business has experienced steady growth since he took it over, Mueller said. He’s now in a position to start hiring new staff to replace him in various roles and focus more on big-picture management of the operation.

Mueller said he’s currently bringing in around $300,000 in annual revenue, and expects to be pushing half a million within a couple years.

“The corporate team has helped drive that growth,” he said. “Gerry is awesome about motivating for sales. There’s no limit to potential business. I’m already doing re-facing jobs for houses that are less than 10 years old. There’s a big demand for our services, especially with homes gaining in value and people feeling better about putting money into them.”

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- Home Services (sector)
- business growth (topic)
- franchisee story (topic)
- kitchen remodeling (topic)

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Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/from-rowing-to-remodeling-1865). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/515d3372-6952-4995-a388-fcf62ec39a0e).