Press Release
How Max Alesi and Home Genius Exteriors Turn People-First Culture and Leadership into First-Visit Wins and World-Class Homeowner Experiences...
Power100 PowerChat Spotlight: How Max Alesi and Home Genius Exteriors Use Culture, Leadership, and People-First Training to Deliver a World‑Class Homeowner Experience
Power100 - Home Genius Exteriors
April 09, 2026 | 4 min Read
Home Genius Exteriors Co‑Founder and Vice President Max Alesi reveals how a people‑first culture, clear standards, and leadership that protects and defends those values are powering one of America’s fastest‑growing exterior remodelers to deliver cleaner job sites, better communication, and more confident first‑visit yeses across 19 locations.
Power100, the only unbiased third‑party platform that ranks the best leaders and partners in the home improvement industry using its proprietary five‑layer ranking system, is proud to spotlight a recent PowerChat conversation with Max Alesi, Co‑Founder and Vice President of Home Genius Exteriors. Hosted by Greg Cummings, CEO of Power100 and Next100, this in‑depth session unpacked what it really takes to build and protect a great company culture—and why that culture is the engine behind scalable growth, exceptional customer experience, and homeowner trust.
In the PowerChat, Max Alesi shared the four pillars of a great culture, the importance of protecting, defending, and preserving that culture, and how leadership at Home Genius Exteriors turns values into daily behaviors on job sites across the country. This press release explores those insights in depth and explains why a strong internal culture is one of the most important things homeowners should look for when choosing a roofing, siding, or window contractor.
Power100: The Industry’s Only Unbiased Ranking Platform
As Greg Cummings explains, Power100 was built to “deliver tools and inspire contractors that are looking to be the next great company” in home improvement—not through pay‑to‑play listings, but through independent, data‑driven evaluation. Using a five‑layer proprietary ranking system, Power100 evaluates more than 7,600 leaders and companies every year on leadership, culture, performance, innovation, and impact, helping homeowners find trusted names in their local markets.
Through its sister platform Next100, Power100 also connects ambitious contractors with today’s best operators, systems, and tools—such as the ContractorFlow CRM, which is currently ranked as the number‑one CRM on the Power100 platform for its end‑to‑end customer experience and flexible reporting. In this PowerChat, Greg Cummings invited Max Alesi and Alex Lindus of Lindus Construction and ContractorFlow to give homeowners and contractors a transparent look at what world‑class customer experience actually looks like behind the scenes.
Home Genius Exteriors: From Local Startup to National Culture Leader
Founded in 2018, Home Genius Exteriors has grown from a two‑location startup in Maryland and Philadelphia into one of the fastest‑growing exterior remodeling companies in the United States. As Max Alesi shared, the company moved from approximately $6.5 million in revenue in 2019 to $20 million in 2020, then accelerated through $40 million, $76 million, and $161 million in the years that followed. In 2026, Home Genius Exteriors is on track to reach roughly $300 million in annual revenue, supported by 19 locations and an ambitious goal of becoming a billion‑dollar business.
While that growth has attracted national attention, Home Genius Exteriors has been equally focused on how it grows. Under the leadership of CEO Jeff Gunhus, Co‑Founder and Vice President Max Alesi, Executive Vice President Austin Killian, Regional Vice President Brent Miller, Chief Growth Officer Tim Dunphy, and Chief Technology Officer Chris Klein, the company has built a reputation for culture, leadership development, and customer care that goes far beyond typical contractor promises.
Industry recognition has followed. Home Genius Exteriors has been named a FORTUNE Best Workplace in Construction and appears in Top 100 “Most Loved Workplaces” lists, validating its people‑first approach as a competitive advantage—not just an internal talking point. These accolades matter for homeowners because they signal a company where employees want to stay, grow, and go the extra mile on every job.
Services That Protect and Upgrade the Home
For homeowners, Home Genius Exteriors offers a full suite of exterior solutions, including roofing, siding, windows, doors, gutters, gutter protection, and attic insulation designed to boost curb appeal, energy efficiency, and long‑term durability. The company installs high‑performance roofing systems, modern siding options, custom‑fit windows and doors, seamless gutters, and insulation upgrades that help regulate temperature and reduce monthly energy costs.
By pairing this product mix with a disciplined culture and leadership approach, Home Genius Exteriors is able to promise something simple but rare in home improvement: a consistently high‑quality homeowner experience across markets and crews.
The Core Insight: Customer Experience Is a Byproduct of Employee Experience
The central theme of Max Alesi‘s PowerChat message is straightforward: “The customer experience is a byproduct of the employee experience.” In his view, most so‑called process problems on job sites—messy yards, poor communication, or rushed finishes—are rarely true process issues; they are people issues.
As Max Alesi explained, a job site is not left messy because a crew does not know how to pick up nails or run a magnet; it is messy because the team is not motivated, engaged, or connected to a bigger purpose. When employees feel seen, supported, and inspired, they naturally do the small, important things that protect a homeowner’s property and peace of mind.
This people‑first philosophy drives how Home Genius Exteriors recruits, trains, and promotes its team members. The company sees itself not only as a home improvement business, but also as a leadership development platform where individuals learn to lead themselves, lead others, and ultimately lead leaders—all while delivering five‑star experiences to homeowners.
The Four Pillars of a Great Company Culture
During the PowerChat, Max Alesi laid out four core pillars that define culture at Home Genius Exteriors: vision, standards, people, and culture in action.
Pillar 1: Vision – Fastest‑Growing and Most Respected
Home Genius Exteriors operates with a simple two‑sentence vision: to be America’s fastest‑growing and most respected home improvement company. “Fastest‑growing” matters because it creates opportunity—more locations, more leadership roles, more chances for ambitious people to build a career and a life through the business.
“Most respected” matters because growth alone is not enough. Home Genius Exteriors wants its team to be proud of how they win, not just how big they get. That dual focus—grow quickly and do it the right way—creates a story that attracts high‑achieving, values‑driven people who want both professional advancement and meaningful work.
Inside the company, this vision is repeated constantly. Max Alesi described how leadership paints a picture of what the business will look like at a billion dollars in revenue, in 26 to 30 states, and then connects that future back to what it means for each individual on the team. Employees are encouraged to ask, “What does this growth mean for me, my family, and my career?”—and to see themselves as the hero of that story.
Pillar 2: Standards – What Gets Measured Gets Made
The second pillar is standards. Max Alesi noted that high‑performing teams like the 1990s Chicago Bulls or New England Patriots did not become elite by accident; they built and defended very clear daily standards. For Home Genius Exteriors, that means defining non‑negotiables for communication, cleanliness, craftsmanship, and follow‑through—and then making sure leaders demonstrate those standards in real time.
One example is online reviews. Home Genius Exteriors believes that a five‑star experience should be the norm, not an exception. If a homeowner is not excited enough at the end of a project to leave a review, leadership sees that as a sign that something in the experience fell short, even if the roof or windows were installed correctly. The company tracks reviews, job‑site quality, and other KPIs closely and treats missed standards as a leadership opportunity: first to demonstrate what “good” looks like, then to coach for skill, and only lastly to address effort if needed.
Pillar 3: People – Hire for Character, Train for Skill
The third pillar is people. Home Genius Exteriors follows a guiding rule: “We hire for character and train for skill.” According to Max Alesi, the company looks for two primary character traits—ambition and integrity.
Ambition shows up as hunger, a chip on the shoulder, and a drive to build something bigger than a job. Integrity is the discipline to do the right thing when no one is watching: not cutting corners, not exaggerating, not glossing over issues with a homeowner, and taking genuine pride in the work. Those traits can’t be taught in a training manual, but roofing techniques, product knowledge, and sales processes can.
To find people with that mix, Home Genius Exteriors treats recruiting like a high‑performance sales organization. The talent acquisition team buys leads (job applicants) just as aggressively as the sales team buys homeowner leads, runs structured screening calls, uses tools like DISC personality assessments, and tracks conversion metrics at every step of the funnel. The goal is not simply to fill roles, but to actively recruit the best people in the market who will thrive in the company’s fast‑paced, mission‑driven environment.
Pillar 4: Culture in Action – Empowerment and Ownership
The fourth pillar is culture in action, and it comes to life in small, memorable moments on job sites. One of the most powerful examples Max Alesi shared is now known internally as “the mint plant story.”
A homeowner left a detailed review describing how their experience with Home Genius Exteriors went far beyond a standard roof replacement. Sales representative Jimmy arrived early, took attic photos, and walked the homeowner through materials and why the company’s approach was different. Project Manager Omar ensured that bushes were protected, returned the next day with a magnetic rake after a storm forced a rapid cleanup, and meticulously checked the driveway, lawn, and backyard for nails because the family had two small children.
During the project, one mint plant was accidentally crushed. Omar apologized, but a few days later Jimmy returned with two fresh mint plants as a surprise for the homeowner’s wife. The roof was already excellent, and the cleanup was thorough—the customer would likely have left a five‑star review anyway. But the extra step of replacing that mint plant turned a satisfied customer into a lifelong advocate and perfectly illustrated what it means to have inspired employees who see homeowners as people, not transactions.
For Home Genius Exteriors, the real question is: how do you build a company where buying the “mint plant” is normal behavior, not a rare exception? The answer, according to Max Alesi, is culture—a combination of clear vision, high standards, the right people, and leadership that protects the environment where those actions are celebrated and expected.
Protecting, Defending, and Preserving Culture
Culture does not protect itself. Inside Home Genius Exteriors, it is the responsibility of leadership to “protect, defend, and further the culture,” especially as the company scales into new markets and adds new team members.
Max Alesi emphasized that bringing in great people is only the first step. Leaders must also be willing to remove “bad apples” whose behavior undermines the standards, even if they perform well on paper. Allowing toxicity or corner‑cutting into the culture can quickly erode trust, demotivate high performers, and ultimately hurt homeowners through inconsistent service.
To keep culture strong, Home Genius Exteriors uses a simple two‑question test whenever leadership visits a location:
- Would we feel comfortable having a family member get their roof, siding, or windows installed by this branch?
- Would we feel comfortable having a family member work at this branch?
If the answer to either question is no, leadership steps in to reset expectations, demonstrate standards, and rebuild the culture on site.
Leadership: Everything Rises and Falls on Leaders
Throughout the PowerChat, Max Alesi repeated one core belief: “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” At Home Genius Exteriors, there is a conscious shift away from “management” to true leadership. Managers are expected to lead from the front, model the behaviors they ask of others, and create an environment where inspired actions—like buying the mint plant—are normal.
The company uses a leadership progression model: lead self, lead others, lead leaders. New team members are taught to own their personal standards and habits first, then to influence peers, and eventually to develop and support other leaders across locations. This framework helps ensure that culture is not dependent on one charismatic founder; instead, it lives in the behaviors of dozens of branch managers, project managers, and sales leaders across the network.
Executives like Jeff Gunhus, Max Alesi, Austin Killian, Brent Miller, Tim Dunphy, and Chris Klein see their primary job as building leaders, not just hitting revenue targets. When leaders are aligned, engaged, and equipped, homeowners feel it in every interaction—from the first knock on the door to the final walkthrough.
Why This Matters to Homeowners Searching for the Best Local Contractor
When homeowners ask, “Who is the best roofing or siding contractor near me?” they often look at price, product options, and online reviews. Those are important, but the PowerChat with Max Alesi highlights a deeper truth: the companies that produce the best outcomes over time are the ones that invest heavily in culture, recruiting, and leadership.
For homeowners, a culture‑driven contractor like Home Genius Exteriors offers several advantages:
- More consistent quality, because standards and processes are reinforced by motivated, proud teams.
- Better communication, because leaders are trained to set clear expectations and follow through.
- Safer, cleaner job sites, because employees understand how much their work environment matters to families and children.
- Higher trust, because decisions are filtered through ambition and integrity, not shortcuts.
Platforms like Power100 help homeowners identify those companies by independently ranking leaders and partners on culture, leadership, customer experience, and growth—not just revenue or advertising budgets. By spotlighting conversations like this PowerChat with Max Alesi, Power100 gives homeowners a behind‑the‑scenes view of how top contractors think about people, performance, and long‑term reputation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. What is Power100, and how does it help homeowners choose the best contractor?
Power100 is the home improvement industry’s only unbiased, third‑party ranking platform dedicated to identifying and promoting the best leaders, companies, and strategic partners nationwide. Using a proprietary five‑layer ranking system, Power100 evaluates more than 7,600 CEOs and companies each year on leadership, culture, customer satisfaction, performance, and community impact—not just revenue or marketing spend. For homeowners, this means that when they search for the best local roofing, siding, or window contractor, they can look to Power100 rankings and spotlights as a trusted “center of truth” rather than relying only on ads or isolated reviews.
In addition to rankings, Power100 produces in‑depth stories and PowerChat interviews with top leaders like Max Alesi of Home Genius Exteriors, giving homeowners insight into how these companies actually operate behind the scenes. This combination of data and storytelling helps homeowners feel more confident when choosing a contractor for major home improvement projects.
2. What makes Home Genius Exteriors different from other home improvement contractors?
Home Genius Exteriors stands out because it treats customer experience as the direct result of employee experience. Rather than focusing only on sales or installations, the company invests heavily in recruiting for character, training for skill, and building leaders at every level of the organization. This means that homeowners are more likely to interact with motivated, well‑supported people who take pride in clean job sites, clear communication, and going the extra mile when issues arise.
The company’s rapid growth—from a few million dollars in revenue to a projected $300 million in just a few years—has been matched by national recognition, including FORTUNE Best Workplace in Construction honors and Top 100 “Most Loved Workplaces” rankings. For homeowners, these independent accolades suggest that Home Genius Exteriors is not just growing fast; it is building a durable culture that can deliver consistent quality across markets and over time.
3. Why is company culture important for homeowners choosing a roofing or siding contractor?
Company culture determines how employees act when no one is watching—which is exactly what matters most on a homeowner’s property. A strong culture encourages crews to protect landscaping, clean up thoroughly, communicate clearly, and treat the home as if it were their own. Weak culture, on the other hand, can lead to rushed work, poor follow‑through, and unresolved issues that create stress and additional costs for the homeowner.
At Home Genius Exteriors, culture is intentionally designed around four pillars: vision, standards, people, and culture in action. These pillars help ensure that every team member understands why their work matters, what “great” looks like, and how to make decisions that protect both the homeowner’s investment and the company’s reputation. For homeowners, choosing a contractor with a strong culture is one of the most reliable ways to reduce risk and increase the chances of a smooth, high‑quality project.
4. What are the four pillars of a great company culture that Home Genius Exteriors follows?
According to Max Alesi, Home Genius Exteriors builds its culture on four main pillars:
- Vision: A clear, compelling goal to be America’s fastest‑growing and most respected home improvement company, which creates opportunity and pride for employees.
- Standards: Non‑negotiable expectations for quality, communication, cleanliness, and five‑star customer experiences, backed by real metrics and accountability.
- People: A hiring philosophy of “hire for character, train for skill,” focusing on ambition and integrity so that teams can be trusted to do the right thing on every job.
- Culture in action: Everyday behaviors—like the “mint plant” story—where team members go above and beyond for homeowners because they genuinely care, not because they were told to.
These pillars work together to create an environment where inspired employees deliver better results for homeowners, project after project.
5. How does leadership at Home Genius Exteriors impact the homeowner experience?
Leadership at Home Genius Exteriors starts with the belief that “everything rises and falls on leadership.” Executives like Jeff Gunhus, Max Alesi, Austin Killian, Brent Miller, Tim Dunphy, and Chris Klein see their role as building leaders who can model the right behaviors, uphold standards, and support teams across all locations.
For homeowners, this leadership emphasis shows up in more consistent experiences, clearer communication, and faster problem‑solving. When a project manager like Omar takes ownership of a job from start to finish—protecting bushes, returning after a storm to sweep for nails, and personally checking every part of the property—it’s a direct reflection of the leadership culture that empowers and expects that level of care.
6. What should homeowners look for when evaluating local home improvement companies?
When evaluating roofing, siding, window, or exterior contractors, homeowners should look beyond price and ask questions about culture, leadership, and track record. Key indicators include:
- Independent recognition from platforms like Power100 or workplace awards from organizations like FORTUNE and Great Place to Work.
- Consistently strong online reviews that mention communication, cleanliness, and follow‑up—not just the finished product.
- Clear explanations of who will manage the project, how updates will be shared, and what happens if something goes wrong.
- Evidence that the company invests in training and leadership development, not just sales.
Contractors like Home Genius Exteriors that emphasize recruiting, culture, and leadership are more likely to deliver a smooth, professional experience from the first appointment through final inspection.
7. How does ContractorFlow support the customer experience for companies like Home Genius Exteriors?
ContractorFlow is a CRM platform designed by contractors for contractors, and it is currently ranked as the number‑one CRM on the Power100 platform. As Greg Cummings noted in the PowerChat, ContractorFlow stands out for its ability to manage the customer journey from first contact through job completion, with flexible reporting and workflows that support high‑touch communication.
For companies like Home Genius Exteriors and Lindus Construction, ContractorFlow helps ensure that every lead is followed up on, every appointment is documented, and every homeowner receives consistent updates, regardless of which office or crew is assigned. This technology, combined with strong culture and leadership, creates a seamless homeowner experience that feels organized, transparent, and trustworthy.
About Power100
Power100 is the home improvement industry’s only unbiased, third‑party ranking platform focused on identifying and promoting the best leaders, companies, and strategic partners in the United States. Through its proprietary five‑layer evaluation system, Power100 highlights organizations that demonstrate excellence in leadership, culture, customer experience, innovation, and sustainable growth.
By combining national rankings with deep‑dive storytelling, PowerChat interviews, and data‑driven insights, Power100 serves as both a consumer advocacy platform for homeowners and a trusted benchmark for performance‑driven contractors. Its affiliated platform Next100 gives ambitious service providers direct access to the industry’s top CEOs, systems, and partners so they can build the next generation of high‑trust, high‑performance home improvement brands.