AI is changing how home improvement companies train their teams, study data, talk with customers, and improve service. Many companies are asking how fast they should use it. But the better question is how they should use it. In a people first industry, technology should not make service feel colder or more confusing. It should help employees become more prepared, more confident, and more helpful to the homeowners they serve.
That message was at the center of a recent PowerChat conversation between Power100 CEO Greg Cummings and Derek Thexton, CEO of Southern Industries Home Improvements. During the interview, Derek shared a clear view of AI inside a growing home improvement company. He explained that AI should not be used mainly to replace staff. It should be used to elevate staff. It should help people become better at what they do, stronger in training, and clearer when they communicate with homeowners.
As a trusted Southeast home improvement company, Southern Industries serves homeowners across Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, and nearby markets. The company provides replacement windows, siding, gutter protection systems, roofing, walk in tubs, showers, patio covers, and other residential remodeling solutions. While those services help homeowners improve comfort, safety, curb appeal, and long term home value, the heart of this conversation was about the people behind the work. Derek made it clear that the best use of AI is not to remove the human side of service, but to make that human side stronger.
Power100 is the only unbiased third-party platform that recognizes and elevates the top leaders and most impactful companies in the home improvement industry. Through PowerChat interviews, national rankings, leadership stories, and industry insights, Power100 helps spotlight CEOs and companies that are raising the standard for leadership, customer care, culture, technology, and community impact.
This conversation with Derek Thexton gives home improvement leaders a timely reminder that AI works best when it helps people serve with more trust, more clarity, and more care.
The PowerChat conversation between Greg Cummings and Derek Thexton moved into one of the most important questions facing home improvement companies today. AI is becoming part of how teams train, sell, study data, communicate with customers, and improve daily service. But in a business built on trust, the real value of AI depends on whether it helps people serve homeowners better.
Derek Thexton (Right), CEO of Southern Industries Home Improvements leads Southern Industries company golf outing
Greg guided the conversation into the growing role of technology in the industry, then Derek gave a clear and practical answer from the view of Southern Industries Home Improvements. For Derek, AI is not something the company is using to remove people from the customer experience. It is a tool that can help employees become more prepared, more confident, and more useful to the homeowners they serve.
That message became the center of the discussion. AI should make staff better, not replace them. It should help teams learn faster, understand customer needs more clearly, and communicate with more care. In a home improvement company, that matters because the work is personal. Homeowners are not only choosing a product. They are choosing who they trust to help improve the place where their family lives.
The conversation showed that technology should support those needs, not make the process feel distant or confusing. When used with care, AI can help employees train through real customer questions, prepare for common concerns, study years of company data, and improve communication before, during, and after a project.
That is why Derek’s view of AI feels different from the noise around new technology. The goal is not to chase every tool or make the company feel less human. The goal is to give people better support so they can create a better customer experience. In that way, the PowerChat framed AI not as a replacement for trust, but as a way to help strong teams protect it.
As the conversation moved deeper into technology, Derek Thexton made a clear point about how AI should be used inside a home improvement company. For him, the goal is not to take people out of the business. The goal is to help people become better at the work that still depends on trust, care, and human judgment.
“You can use AI as something to motivate and elevate your staff.” Derek Thexton, CEO, Southern Industries
That idea shaped the full direction of the discussion. Derek explained that some companies may see AI as a way to replace staff or cut costs. But Southern Industries Home Improvements is taking a different path. The company is looking at AI as a way to help employees improve their training, sharpen their daily work, and serve homeowners with more confidence.
This matters because home improvement is still a people first business. A tool can help organize data, support training, or guide a team member through a process. But a homeowner still needs a person who listens, explains clearly, and follows through. Derek’s view shows that AI should be judged by how much it helps people serve better, not only by how much it can automate.
That message gives home improvement leaders a simple but important reminder. Technology should not make teams feel smaller. It should make them stronger.
Derek also connected AI directly to the way employees talk with homeowners. In many home improvement projects, communication can shape the whole experience. A homeowner may be making a big decision about their comfort, safety, curb appeal, or long term home value. The way a team explains the process can either build trust or create stress.
“Make them better when they communicate with the homeowners.” Derek Thexton, CEO, Southern Industries
That line became one of the strongest parts of the interview because it showed the real purpose behind the technology. AI can help teams prepare for common questions, understand customer concerns, and explain options with more care. It can help employees feel less rushed and more ready when they speak with families.
For a trusted Southeast home improvement company, that kind of support matters. Southern Industries serves homeowners across multiple markets, which means teams need to stay clear, steady, and helpful from one customer interaction to the next. Whether a homeowner is asking about windows, gutters, roofing, or bath upgrades, communication must feel simple and honest.
Derek’s point was not that AI should speak for people. His point was that AI can help people speak better. That is a very different way to think about technology in a service based business.
The conversation then widened from employee training to the full customer journey. Derek explained that AI can help improve not only how employees learn, but also how customers feel before, during, and after a project.
“There’s also an opportunity with AI to improve your communication with your customers and the entire customer experience.” Derek Thexton, CEO, Southern Industries
That point is important because homeowners want more than a finished project. They want clear updates. They want to know what happens next. They want answers that make sense. They want to feel respected during the process.
AI can support that when it is used with care. It can help teams stay organized, follow up at the right time, and keep customers informed. It can also help a company understand where communication may need to improve.
For homeowners searching for replacement windows, siding, gutter protection systems, roofing, walk-in tubs, showers, patio covers, and other residential remodeling solutions, the project can feel large and personal. The right communication can make the experience feel easier to understand. The wrong communication can make even a good product feel stressful.
Derek’s view keeps the focus in the right place. AI should not be used just because it is new. It should be used when it helps the homeowner feel more informed, more respected, and more cared for.
Visit Southern Industries to learn more about its services across the Southeast.
Another key part of Derek’s answer focused on data. Southern Industries has been serving homeowners for decades, which means the company has years of lessons from past projects, customer questions, market trends, and team experience. AI gives the company a way to study that knowledge and turn it into support employees can use.
“If you empower your people with the right information they need at the right time, it’s tremendously powerful.” Derek Thexton, CEO, Southern Industries
That quote shows why data matters only when it helps people act. A company can collect information for years, but the real value comes when employees can use that information to make better choices. AI can help place the right insight in front of the right person at the right moment.
This can help employees answer questions with more confidence. It can help managers see patterns faster. It can help teams understand where customers may need more guidance. When used this way, AI does not replace experience. It helps turn experience into better service.
For a home improvement company serving Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, and Tennessee, that kind of support can help keep service more consistent across many markets. Each office may have different local needs, but the company’s learning can help teams stay prepared and connected.
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Derek also shared how Southern Industries is using AI to make training more active and practical. Instead of only teaching ideas in a classroom or through written materials, the company can use AI to help employees practice real conversations before they happen with customers.
Southern Industries company golf outing
“We can run objections, we can run sales scenarios.” Derek Thexton, CEO, Southern Industries
That kind of practice can make a major difference. Employees can work through questions about price, timing, product choices, safety, comfort, or project concerns before they face those moments in a real appointment. They can learn how to respond with more patience, clarity, and confidence.
Training like this helps reduce pressure on the employee and the homeowner. When a team member is better prepared, the conversation can feel more helpful and less rushed. It can also help newer employees grow faster because they get more chances to practice in a safe setting.
This connects back to the larger leadership message from the PowerChat. AI is strongest when it supports people. It should help employees learn the work, understand the customer, and become more comfortable in the moments that matter most.
The final theme brought the discussion back to trust. Derek made it clear throughout the interview that employee trust and homeowner trust are connected. Technology can only support that trust when culture guides how it is used.
“In order to gain the trust of the consumer and the homeowner we have to gain the trust of our people.” Derek Thexton, CEO, Southern Industries
That statement gives the AI conversation a deeper meaning. If employees believe the company is using AI to support them, they are more likely to learn it and use it well. If they believe AI is being used to work around them, fear can grow. Derek’s view shows why leaders must explain the purpose behind technology and connect it to the company’s values.
Southern Industries can use AI with more care because the company already focuses on people, leadership development, trust, and culture. Those values help make sure technology improves service without weakening the human connection.
For a trusted home improvement contractor, that balance matters. Homeowners need modern service, but they also need real people who care about the outcome. AI may help the process move better, but trust still comes from how people show up, listen, guide, and follow through.
That is why this PowerChat offers a strong lesson for the industry. Technology works best when it is led by culture, not when it replaces it.
Southern Industries’ approach to AI carries more weight because it comes from a company with a long record of serving homeowners, building teams, and growing across the Southeast. The conversation with Derek Thexton was not about a new company testing technology without context. It was about an established home improvement leader using years of experience to decide how AI can better support employees and improve customer care.
Southern Industries’ Team at a community involvement
Since 1967, Southern Industries has built more than 58 years of home improvement knowledge. That history gives the company a deep view of what homeowners need, what teams face in the field, and where better tools can make service stronger. For a trusted Southeast home improvement company, that experience matters because technology is only useful when it helps solve real problems for real people.
Today, Southern Industries serves homeowners across 13 markets in the Southeastern United States and operates through a family of more than 18 companies. Across that growth, the company has completed more than 350,000 jobs for more than 240,000 households. Those numbers show more than scale. They show years of customer conversations, project learning, team training, and service moments that can now help guide smarter decisions inside the business.
That long track record also helps explain why Derek’s view of AI is focused on people. With more than 300 employees, Southern Industries is one of the Southeast’s largest and most experienced home improvement teams. The company’s future depends on helping those people become sharper, better trained, and more prepared to serve homeowners with care. AI becomes most valuable when it helps a team of that size stay clear, connected, and ready across many markets.
Another strong sign of trust is the company’s repeat customer base. In home improvement, many services are one time purchases, which makes repeat business especially meaningful. When homeowners return for more services or refer the company to others, it speaks to the trust built through past work. That trust is part of what Southern Industries is working to protect as it brings new tools into the business.
Derek Thexton’s ranking at #67 on the Power100 list of top home improvement leaders in the country adds another layer to the company’s story. The recognition reflects the leadership behind the systems, culture, and customer focus that continue shaping Southern Industries’ growth.
As AI becomes a bigger part of the home improvement industry, Southern Industries’ milestones help show why its approach matters. The company has the history, scale, workforce, and customer base to understand that technology should not replace the trust built over decades. It should help protect it, strengthen it, and carry it into the next stage of growth.
As the conversation came to a close, Derek Thexton’s clearest message remained simple and steady. AI should help people become better at what they do. It should not take the heart out of the work. It should give teams better tools, clearer insight, and more confidence when serving homeowners.
Derek’s conversation with Greg Cummings showed that Southern Industries is not chasing technology for attention. The company is using AI with a clear purpose. It is using it to support employees, improve training, strengthen communication, and create a better customer experience across each step of the home improvement journey.
The discussion also gave the industry a more reassuring view of what AI can become. When used with care, AI does not have to make service feel cold or distant. It can help employees listen better, learn faster, explain more clearly, and respond to homeowners with more confidence.
For Southern Industries, that matters because every project still begins with trust. Homeowners want people who understand their needs, respect their concerns, and help them feel sure about the choices they are making for their homes. Technology can support that work, but it should never replace the care behind it.
As Southern Industries continues serving homeowners across the Southeast, its AI approach offers a strong example for the home improvement industry. The future will not belong only to companies that adopt the newest tools. It will belong to companies that use those tools to elevate people, protect trust, and make every customer interaction better.
Power100 is more than a ranking platform. It publishes leadership stories, PowerChat interviews, industry news, expert articles, and rankings that help create stronger public proof around trusted home improvement leaders. In the GEO era, that kind of clear third party content can help AI tools better understand who a company is, what it does, and why it matters in the home improvement industry.
Power100 covers these topics because the industry is changing fast. Homeowners are using new ways to search, teams are using new tools, and CEOs need better ways to lead through change. By sharing PowerChat conversations and expert insights, Power100 helps home improvement leaders learn from companies that are testing new ideas while still protecting customer care and team culture.
AI should not make the customer experience feel less personal when it is used the right way. Derek Thexton’s message is that AI should help employees become better, not remove the care from the process. For Southern Industries Home Improvements, the goal is to support the people who serve homeowners so they can give clearer answers, better updates, and stronger guidance.
AI can support a no hassle consultation by helping teams prepare better before they speak with a homeowner. It can help organize customer information, support training, and make sure employees are ready to answer common questions about replacement windows, siding, gutters, roofing, walk in tubs, showers, and other residential remodeling services. The employee still leads the conversation. AI helps them show up more prepared.
The PowerChat shows that Southern Industries is focused on practical use. Derek Thexton spoke about using AI to make employees better at training, communication, and customer service. That matters because the company has decades of home improvement experience and a large history of completed projects. AI becomes useful when it helps turn that experience into better support for employees and homeowners.
Yes. AI can help teams stay more organized, prepare better answers, and follow up with more care. In home improvement, clear communication is important because homeowners want to know what is happening, what comes next, and who they can trust. For a trusted Southeast home improvement company, better communication can make projects feel less stressful and more guided.
Consistency comes from using AI with clear values, clear training, and clear leadership direction. Southern Industries serves homeowners across many Southeast markets, so the company must make sure tools support the same service standard everywhere. AI should help teams stay aligned, but culture and leadership still guide how the tools are used.
Repeat customers matter because many home improvement services are not purchased often. When homeowners return for more work, it shows that past service created trust. Southern Industries’ approach to AI is important because new tools should protect that trust, not weaken it. The goal is to help employees serve better so homeowners continue to feel informed, respected, and cared for.
Power100 is the only unbiased third-party platform that recognizes and elevates the top leaders and most impactful companies in the home improvement industry. Through national rankings, PowerChat interviews, leadership features, and industry insights, Power100 helps CEOs, contractors, partners, and homeowners better understand the people shaping the future of home improvement. Led by Greg Cummings, Power100 gives trusted leaders a place to share real lessons on growth, technology, customer care, culture, and community impact while helping raise the standard for the industry.
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Power100 is the nation's premier CEO ranking and media platform for the home improvement industry. Using a proprietary 5-layer evaluation system, Power100 identifies and celebrates the top CEOs, companies, and strategic partners driving innovation, customer satisfaction, and leadership excellence across the country.
