Today we’d like to introduce you to David Linda.
Thanks for sharing your story with us David. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
We do custom closet systems, garage storage systems, Murphy beds, home offices, and other cabinetry and storage systems
I started the business in 1999 when I moved to Houston after marrying a native Houstonian. We have grown quickly at times, and slowly at other times, mostly tracking with the housing market and overall economy. We now have 20 employees and are the top rated closet company in Houston according to Angie’s List, Houzz, Yelp, and Google.
We have 3 guiding principles – Respect, Doing Whatever it Takes, and Focus on Solutions. These principles have lead us to be voted by our employees to The Houston Business Journal’s list of Best Places to Work on 3 separate occasions.
We now work with many of Houston’s best builders, but our bread and butter is still the individual homeowner. Most of our business comes from repeat client and referrals.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
2001 – tropical storm Allison flooded us with 26″ of water in our facility, and we lost all our inventory, showroom, a couple of vehicles, and some equipment. As “young” as we were as a business, it was devastating. Then 3 months later was 911 and the country and the economy stopped. Then a month later Enron fell, robbing Houston of billions of dollars of wealth. It was a rough year.
Mortgage crisis of 2008/2009 killed the housing market and our business fell 35% overnight. It took 5 years to get back to and surpass that sales level. But the “tightening of the belt” really taught me how to effectively manage the business, and we came out of it a much healthier and smarter company.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about SpaceMan Home& Office – what should we know?
We are known for our overall customer experience, as well as our somewhat unique product/service. Almost every day we get emails that thank us for going the extra mile. We hear things like “in this world where almost nobody cares about customer service, SpaceMan is a bright light.” And “this is, by far, the best money I ever spent on my house.” and also “in our entire remodel, you were the only contractor to do everything you promised and more. Can you PLEASE do my plumbing and electrical also!?”
Most proud is the Best Place to Work list. this means that the SpaceMan team is happy, and happy people make better products, more satisfied customers, and ultimately a more profitable, more fun and more enjoyable company to manage.
Our people is what sets us apart. Our business, like many businesses, is people serving people. We have better people than our peers which allows us to provide a better overall customer experience, from the first phone call to the thank you note after the job.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My wife Dena deserves credit for trusting me to start this crazy little business and doing anything and everything asked her to help. Even when she had to put her career on hold for a while to help me get SpaceMan off the ground.
Also, I have a core group of employees that really make it happen every day. Hilary is our sales team leader, Michelle our office manager of 10 years, Josh our Director of Operations for 9 years, and Rodolfo our Installation supervisor of 7 years. These are the folks that work every day with our team and our customers and make the magic happen.
Pricing:
- Closets can run $300 for small coat closet up to $50,000+ for a large master with all the bells and whistles.
- Murphy beds start at $2000 installed, but you can add any type of custom cabinetry around the murphy bed at added expense.
- Garage systems can run from $300 for a shelving unit to over $20,000 for a hi-end, fully customized storage extravaganza. However most garage jobs run from $4,000-$7000.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3556 West TC Jester
Houston, TX 77018 - Website: www.SpaceManager.com
- Phone: 713-688-8808
- Email: info@spacemanager.com
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
