If you are already familiar with our program and are ready to become a Certified Contractor, click here.
 What does it mean to be a McFarland Cascade Certified Contractor?
The first question many contractors and homeowners ask is what’s it mean to be McFarland Cascade certified? Certification let’s the homeowners we direct to you know that:
1.You are a qualified, licensed and bonded contractor
2.You have experience building outdoor projects
3.And you have been certified to install the building materials distributed by McFarland Cascade.
You remain an independent contractor. But because you are certified, you benefit from our high-profile ad campaign and our Certified Contractor Program, which includes referrals through this website. Another benefit is that homeowners who contact you will be a little more relaxed and assured because a McFarland Cascade Certified Contractor has been pre-qualified, knows what they’re doing and can be trusted to properly install the outdoor building materials they are interested in.
The advantages of being a Certified Contractor.
The advantage starts with our reputation. McFarland Cascade prides itself on being one of the most progressive and reputable distributors in the U.S. We’ve been delivering on this promise since 1916. Since then, we have become the Northwest’s largest manufacturer/distributor of treated lumber for use in decks, docks, sill plate and other outdoor projects. We have also expanded our product lines and are now the largest distributor of alternative decking and railing as well.
The progressive part of the equation includes things like:
1.Our Certified Contractor program
2.This website
3.And a comprehensive marketing effort that includes TV, radio and print advertising directing homeowners to this website for inspiration and education before they search for a contractor to build their dream outdoor project.
Additional marketing support so you can do what you do best–build.
If you don’t have a marketing person on the payroll, then you know what a challenge it can be to market yourself and build at the same time. It can be a vicious cycle. If you are busy, then you don’t have time to market. And even if work is slow, your expertise is building, not marketing. Our goal is to help you in both situations. If you’re busy our program makes it quicker and easier to keep up your marketing effort so the work will keep coming your way. If work is slow, the program will make your marketing budget stretch further and be more effective.
What do you get? Besides getting referrals from our locate-a-contractor-near-you search engine, you can also take advantage of our Contractor Resource Center. Once certified, you will have full access to this resource center. There you can take advantage of our startup-marketing package, which includes business cards, door hangers, yard signs and more. Create and mail out personalized postcards to the mailing list of your choice. Order other marketing materials. And, if you don’t have one, create your own website that will pop up when homeowners search for a contractor near them. You can also contact our sales reps about co-op opportunities for local home and garden show booths. Here’s a brief overview of what you get.
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Marketing Program with Free Startup Package
For smaller contractors, our startup package takes some of the initial marketing costs off your plate. To get you started you’ll get free business cards, door hangers, yard signs, official McFarland Cascade Certified Contractor apparel and a nice product sample kit.
You can also purchase personalized postcard mailers that will be mailed from our mailing facility to either your own personal mailing list or we can create one for you. We have the ability to create a list that will target homeowners in your area that you think would be interested in the unique services you offer.
Free Web Sites for Contractors
Each contractor, when qualified by one of our representatives, is given a personalized location on our site. Here homeowners will find your contact information, location, which products you have used or been trained on and pictures of your work. We can also link to your current website, if you already have one.
Free Deck Design Software
Contractors that are pre-qualified by our representatives receive a free copy of the professional version of our deck design software. This is a high-end CAD-style deck design system made for home computers that usually retails in the hundreds of dollars. Proof that you’ve used our products in the past is all that’s required to qualify. You can also purchase the software for a small fee, which is rebated when you purchase either our treated wood or deck surface materials.
Homeowner Referrals
Certified Contractors with a location on our site or with a link to their website, will be included in our geographical locater search engine. Here, homeowners looking for a builder for their outdoor project will have access to your information. To make sure homeowners are visiting our website, we have a promotional campaign directing them to this site starting in April. The campaign includes television, radio, print ads in high-profile consumer magazines and a public relations program. We expect it will generate a lot of interest. Combine this with the tools at our Resource Center and you can see how this could be an excellent source for new business.
If you would like to participate in our program, please click the link below. When submitting this request for information, please provide as much detail as possible and one of our representatives will contact you. If you have any questions, please call our Sales Manager, Phil Schumock, at 1-800-430-2613. We look forward to talking to you. |