Local Business CMI Construction Prides Itself on Transparency, Owner Says

BELLEVILLE - For Coy Mullenix, the Home Builders & Remodelers Metro East Association Home Expo is a chance to share his construction company with the Metro East region.

CMI Construction & Remodeling prides itself on transparency and low prices, Mullenix said. He explained that the business is the “go-to” contractor for area homes that range from $650,000 to $2.5–3 million, and every dollar is accounted for.

“What we do for our clients is we show them where every dollar goes in the home, including our profit and overhead. We work off a modest 10% profit and overhead,” Mullenix said. “It’s really black and white, no gray areas. It’s been a homerun.”

Over the past 35 years, CMI Construction & Remodeling has made a name for itself throughout the Metro East area. They work within a 30-mile radius of Columbia, Illinois, including as far north as Edwardsville.

Mullenix explained that each build starts with a meet-and-greet with the client and a $2,500 retainer. The company then gives their “full attention” to the client. They create a 250-page binder for the client that “shows every dollar going into the home,” Mullenix noted.

“It’s just straight cost plus 10%,” he added. “What we try to do is we try to give our clients the absolute best value for your dollar. You say, ‘Coy, I’ve got a dollar to spend,’ I’m going to try to get you everything you want for 90 cents or 85 cents. It’s about giving the absolute best product and the best subs and the best suppliers for the best value.”

Mullenix pointed out that CMI’s transparency helps them build a relationship with the client. As a result, he is often invited back to clients’ houses, which he considers a testament to the company’s work.

“For us, it’s all about transparency,” he said. “The more transparent we are, it builds that relationship and that trust and that team. A lot of times you hear all the horror stories about dealing with contractors, that it’s the contractor and the client always butting heads. And with us, we form a relationship.”

At this year’s Home Expo, Mullenix represented the Union Contractors Consult. He noted that the union educates their contractors and workers to make sure “they learn the right way.”

“All of our guys are all drug-tested, they’re all educated, they go through a four-year trade program and they learn to do things the right way versus a young guy getting thrown out on the job site trying to figure it out,” Mullenix said.

For more information about CMI Construction & Remodeling, visit CMIBuilders.com. To learn more about the Home Builders & Remodelers Metro East Association, check out hbrmea.org.

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