Meet an LP® Remodelers Edge™ Contractor: Rick Schwab, Eagle Siding

At LP, we’re all about helping you boost your business with one of the most durable siding materials on the market: LP® SmartSide® Trim & Siding. That’s why we created the LP® Remodelers Edge™ program, designed to help you snag more leads, close more sales and reward you for your hard work. 

We caught up with Rick Schwab of Eagle Siding in Burnsville, Minnesota, to talk about his experience with LP SmartSide products as a Master level contractor in the LP Remodelers Edge program. 

Finding a Solution for Durable Exterior Siding 

Before he found LP SmartSide engineered wood siding, Schwab and Eagle Siding had used only fiber cement products. “We went on a tour of an LP facility and liked the way LP SmartSide products looked and how they were manufactured and installed,” he says. From there, he was sold on one of the most durable siding solutions on the market. 

“Lap siding is about 80% of what we do,” Schwab says. “Our installers love LP SmartSide products because they’re easy to use and cut. With LP® SmartSide® ExpertFinish® products, the team doesn’t have to do as many touch-ups to finish the job.”

Schwab notes that he appreciates how the lap joints on LP SmartSide ExpertFinish lap siding products help to create a good seal that reduces the need for caulk and joint flashings. His customers are also pleased with the finished look of their homes. “Our customers are saying that LP SmartSide products give their homes a sophisticated look. We get great curb appeal when we dress up the house with LP,” he says.

For one client, Eagle Siding provided a combination of board and batten style siding, lap siding and stone. “When we first started working with the customer,” Schwab says, “we were able to work with them to customize their home—much more so than with a cookie-cutter vinyl house.”

Getting the Edge With LP Remodelers Edge

Construction training programs can help you improve your technique, and rewards programs often only offer prizes and swag without meaningful business resources. But with LP Remodelers Edge, you get the edge you need to train well and get specific leads that can help you close more sales.

“Being a part of this program has made everything so much easier,” Schwab says. “Anytime we have a digital option, that makes the job so much easier. And it helps me to know that LP cares about contractors.” 

Having access to siding installation training videos through the LP SkillBuilder® platform has proven critical to the team at Eagle Siding. “You think you know everything, but you just don’t,” Schwab says. “When a crew member needs to know something in a specific situation, we show them these videos to help them understand how it’s technically supposed to be done. It gives us confidence knowing we’re doing it the right way.”

How LP Can Help You Build Your Business

Getting connected with local leads can be a challenge, but LP Remodelers Edge helps make the process easy. All Pro, Expert and Master level contractors are listed on LP’s contractor locator tool. “When we have someone in our local area looking for an LP contractor, they can find us directly on the LP website,” Schwab says. “It’s a good way to connect with homeowners who are looking for LP products.”

At LP, we know you’re already doing the hard work of installing LP SmartSide products and growing your business. Our goal is to come alongside you and reward that work. 

Start the process with a quick and easy sign-up for LP Remodelers Edge.