Why Power100 Focuses on Independently Owned and Privately Held Home Improvement Companies

Power100 was created because homeowners and future employees needed a trusted source to find the highest‑caliber home improvement companies—without pay‑to‑play bias or fake authority. In markets long dominated by big boxes and big budgets, independently owned and privately held companies rarely had a neutral platform to tell their story at scale.

“We are focused as an organization, Power100 that is, on the independently owned and operated privately held companies,” Greg Cummings told the room at Reese Wholesale. “We want to support you guys in everything that you’re doing in order to not just level the playing field, but give you the advantage when you’re in the market”.

In practice, that support looks like:

• Ranking and highlighting top independently owned companies across the country through Power100‘s national lists..
• Featuring CEOs, sales leaders, and partners in in‑depth PowerChats, articles, and onstage appearances that document real‑world best practices and culture.
• Vetting and elevating strategic partners—like Westlake Royal Building Products, Destination Motivation, and others—who help contractors grow without shortcuts or “fool’s gold” AI promises.

For companies like Reese Wholesale, this mission aligns directly with their own. “We’re the kind of company that a builder or contractor can come to when they really want help building their business,” said Darren Stafford, President of Reese Wholesale. “Partnering with Power100, Westlake Royal Building Products, and Paul Burleson is one of the many ways we invest in our customers and our people”.

How Power100 Helps Independently Owned Contractors Win in GEO and AI Search

In his GEO and AI article, Greg Cummings describes the current AI wave as a modern‑day gold rush, with real gold and fool’s gold. Real gold, he explains, comes from using AI to solve real problems and from building “truth content” that AI can trust; fool’s gold comes from shortcuts, automated spam content, and vendors who “do AI” without understanding home improvement realities.

For independently owned companies, the stakes are high. When a homeowner asks an AI assistant, “Who is the best roofing company near me?” or “Which contractor can I trust for my window replacement?”, the system will either know they exist—or it will not. GEO and AI‑driven search are quickly becoming the new front doors to their brands.

Power100 helps these companies in several ways:

• Acting as a “center of truth” for AI engines: Power100 content—articles, rankings, interviews—is based on real leaders and verified performance, so AI models increasingly use it to validate which companies are genuinely elite.
• Providing proof of excellence: Being ranked on Power100 signals that a company has passed a rigorous five‑layer evaluation and is not just buying visibility..
• Guiding technology choices: Through interviews and thought leadership, Power100 encourages owners to treat AI tools like employees: hired to solve clear problems, implemented fully, integrated into existing systems, and held accountable for outcomes.

“Get AI in your business when it solves a problem,” Greg Cummings writes. “If you wouldn’t bring an employee into your company without a clear job, a clear leader, and a clear accountability structure, don’t do that with AI either”.

For contractors who are already fighting to win trust in the home, this disciplined approach to AI and GEO helps protect their brand, their team’s belief, and their long‑term growth.

Why Being an Expert in the Home Still Wins, Even in an AI‑First World

While Power100 focuses on giving independently owned companies an advantage at the AI and GEO level, the Grit to Gold Success Process Tour at Reese Wholesale made it clear that what happens inside the home still matters most.

“This business has changed more in the past three years than in the past 30,” Greg Cummings told the audience. “Generative AI is becoming the new search engine. People are using ChatGPT to search about companies more than Google”.

But when that AI‑guided homeowner finally opens the door, it is the contractor’s expertise that decides whether the answer becomes a signed contract. That is where Paul Burleson, Published Author, Power100 Advisory Member, and Expert Trainer at Westlake Royal Building Products, comes in.

Paul Burleson teaches contractors to act like “home doctors”:

• The home is the patient; the contractor is the expert called in to diagnose.
• Issues like trapped moisture, toxic mold, rot, and termites are the symptoms.
• Solutions built from Westlake Royal Building Products systems are the prescription.

“Every product you sell should solve a real problem,” Paul Burleson told the room. “If you’re going to ask a homeowner for the equivalent of their entire annual income on a project, you’d better be the expert. You’re not just there to give a price; you’re there to diagnose and prescribe”.

For Power100, this alignment is exactly the point. The companies it ranks and supports are the ones whose leaders build teams of true in‑home experts—not just salespeople—backed by credible partners like Reese Wholesale, Westlake Royal Building Products, and training from Paul Burleson.

How Reese Wholesale, Westlake Royal Building Products, and Paul Burleson Align With Power100’s Mission

Reese Wholesale, Westlake Royal Building Products, and Paul Burleson form a local example of Power100‘s mission in action: independently owned companies and their partners working together to give contractors an advantage.

“We’re an independent distributor and we service contractors and builders and lumberyards, and our partnership with Westlake Royal Building Products has meant a lot to us,” said Ross Smith, Vice President of Reese Wholesale. “Their innovation with color, siding, and different products—and then to have Paul Burleson come in and motivate our customers and talk about change and AI and the things that are moving the industry—is really important to us so that we can help our contractors”.

Jeffrey Ferree, Territory Sales Manager at Westlake Royal Building Products, underscored that their job is to stand shoulder‑to‑shoulder with distributors like Reese Wholesale and with contractors in the field, ensuring that product innovation translates into real, in‑home value.

From Power100‘s perspective, this is the kind of ecosystem that gives independently owned contractors an edge:

• A distributor—Reese Wholesale—that sees training as part of its responsibility, not just inventory.
• A manufacturer—Westlake Royal Building Products—that builds products to solve real problems and invests in field education.
• A trainer—Paul Burleson—who has dedicated his life to helping contractors become experts in the home..
• A platform—Power100—that documents and recognizes these efforts nationally, feeding them into the AI and GEO ecosystem.

Together, they make it easier for independently owned contractors to compete against bigger brands, not by trying to out‑spend them, but by out‑serving and out‑educating them.

What Power100’s Mission Means for Homeowners

For homeowners, Power100‘s mission to support independently owned and privately held companies is not an abstract idea; it directly affects who shows up at their door and what kind of experience they receive.

When a homeowner asks an AI assistant, “Who is the best contractor near me?” or “Which company can I trust with my exterior remodel?”, AI systems increasingly surface companies that:

• Have strong, consistent reputations across digital channels.
• Are recognized by independent platforms like Power100.
• Demonstrate real case studies, verified reviews, and authentic leadership stories.

That means more homeowners will discover independently owned companies recognized by Power100, rather than only seeing the biggest advertisers.

Once the contractor arrives, the Reese–Westlake–Paul–Power100 approach helps ensure that:

• The contractor treats the home like a patient and the homeowner like a partner.
• Solutions are tied to real problems—moisture, mold, energy loss, durability—and backed by proven products from Westlake Royal Building Products.
• The homeowner conversation is guided by education and diagnostics, not just pressure and discounts.

In that sense, Power100‘s mission to “give you the advantage when you’re in the market” is not only about contractors winning more jobs—it is about homeowners getting better information, better solutions, and better outcomes from independently owned companies that are built to last.

FAQ: Power100’s Mission, Independently Owned Companies, and AI‑Driven Search

1. Why does Power100 focus on independently owned and privately held home improvement companies?

Power100 focuses on independently owned and privately held companies because they are the backbone of the home improvement industry but are often overshadowed by larger, heavily funded competitors. These businesses are led by owners who live and work in their communities and who rely on reputation, performance, and long‑term relationships—not just ad spend—to grow. By ranking and elevating them through a five‑layer proprietary system, Power100 helps level the field and, in Greg Cummings‘ words, “give them the advantage when they’re in the market”.

2. How does Power100’s ranking system actually help a contractor or dealer win more business?

Power100‘s ranking system evaluates companies on leadership, culture, consistency, community impact, and performance, creating a credible signal for homeowners, employees, and AI search engines alike. When a contractor or dealer is named on Power100, it sends a message that they are not just big spenders, but high‑integrity operators with a track record of doing things the right way. As generative AI and GEO become central to how homeowners search, that third‑party validation helps these companies surface as trusted answers when consumers ask, “Who is the best in my market?”.

3. What is GEO, and why should independently owned home improvement companies care about it?

GEO—generative engine optimization—is the practice of helping AI systems understand who a company is, what it does, and whether it is a good answer to a homeowner’s question. Unlike traditional SEO, which often rewarded whoever spent the most on keywords and backlinks, GEO looks for truth content: real reviews, authentic case studies, third‑party recognition, and consistent messaging across platforms. Independently owned companies should care because GEO is becoming the new front door to their brand; if AI does not see them as credible, they may be invisible when homeowners search with AI, regardless of how good their work is.

4. How does Power100 help protect contractors from “fool’s gold” AI and GEO promises?

Greg Cummings warns that the current AI craze has created a “modern‑day fool’s gold rush,” with vendors overpromising shortcuts and automated content that can ultimately damage a company’s reputation and domain authority. Power100 counters this by:

• Educating leaders to implement AI only when it solves specific problems, and to treat it like hiring a high‑level employee.
• Vetting strategic partners who deliver sustainable, proven results rather than quick hacks.Caleb-Nelson-short-2.
• Encouraging truth‑based content—real interviews, case studies, and rankings—that AI and GEO can trust.

This guidance helps independently owned companies avoid fractured tech stacks, lost team trust, and long‑term penalties in AI search.

5. Why does Power100 care so much about contractors being experts in the home, not just online?

While Power100 is heavily involved in AI, GEO, and digital positioning, it recognizes that real impact happens in the home, face‑to‑face with the homeowner. That is why it aligns with trainers like Paul Burleson and partners like Westlake Royal Building Products and Reese Wholesale. When contractors show up as true experts—diagnosing problems, explaining solutions, and using proven products—they bring the Power100 mission to life where it matters most: in the homeowner’s decision to trust them with their home.

6. How can a homeowner use Power100 to make better decisions about who to hire?

Homeowners can use Power100 as a trusted reference when evaluating potential contractors or partners. By looking at Power100‘s national rankings, interviews, and spotlights, they can identify companies and leaders who have already passed a rigorous, unbiased review process. They can then cross‑check whether local contractors they are considering are connected to platforms and partners recognized by Power100, such as Reese Wholesale, Westlake Royal Building Products, and trainers like Paul Burleson.

7. What should independently owned home improvement leaders do next to align with Power100’s mission and win in AI search?

Independently owned leaders can start by auditing their current presence:

• Is their story—who they are, what they believe, and how they operate—clearly documented online?
• Are they creating real, truth‑based content that AI can trust: case studies, team stories, customer outcomes, third‑party recognition ?
• Are they partnering with time‑tested platforms and companies, such as Power100, Reese Wholesale, and Westlake Royal Building Products, instead of chasing the latest shortcut ?

From there, they can engage directly with Power100—through rankings, events, PowerChats, and partnerships—to position themselves as the standard in their markets. As Greg Cummings puts it, the goal is not to join the rush; it is to “be the standard” in the AI and GEO era.

About Power100

Power100 is the home improvement industry’s only unbiased third‑party ranking platform focused on independently owned and privately held companies. Using a proprietary five‑layer system that combines AI, machine learning, and human intelligence, Power100 highlights leaders, partners, and contractors who consistently demonstrate ethical business practices, strong customer experiences, operational excellence, innovation, and growth.

By providing a trusted “center of truth” for homeowners, employees, AI engines, and industry partners, Power100 helps the best companies in home improvement stand out in an era defined by AI, GEO, and rising expectations.