Local contractors and real estate pros packed COhatch Bank Hall for the breakout launch of Blue Collar Pro's new bidding platform.
On Thursday, August 6th, Blue Collar Pro hosted local real estate and trade workers to a networking event at CoHatch Bank Hall and ended up hosting over 200 local blue collar workers for their breakout event.
Blue Collar Pro’s founder, Anthony Hicks, is a contractor who has been in blue collar work for over 30 years and owns his own remodelling company, Reliable Building Solutions. During this time, Hicks noticed a glaring issue that had no modern solution. When it comes to remodeling, it is a long and difficult process for the common customer to go through the process of having multiple contractors visit their house and measure the area. These contractors aren’t assured that they will be the one hired for the job and end up missing a lot of opportunities as a result.
Less than a year ago, Hicks decided to solve this issue himself and eventually created Blue Collar Pro alongside co-founder and lead engineer Arun Khadka, who he hired right out of college.
Anthony Hicks (Left) and Arun Khadka (Right)
“His ownership was earned by his uncompromising dedication to the project. We have endured many sleepless nights together bringing this to market and it really is very the best on the market,” said Hicks.
The Blue Collar Pro platform connects project owners with contractors through a bidding system based on the needs and wants of the specific project, which is a brand new concept within the industry and something the founders are proud to present to the public.
For over 20 years, Hicks has been a Hamilton resident and when he first moved, he was clued in that Hamilton has a very bustling Blue Collar industry. So, he decided the best way to get word of his product was by hosting active members of the industry into one spot to mingle while telling them about how it can improve their day-to-day work life.
“I used to network at a referral group called BNI and they taught me this thing called the Giver's Gain. The principle is that if you give expecting nothing in return, then in return, you actually get what you would normally ask for or want.” Hicks said. “In the case of this event, I am getting so much more than I ever even thought just by posting and partnering with other people in the community to put this event together.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 70% of jobs are found through networking, so having an event where contractors can learn the benefits of having a tool that can get more opportunities for projects with less hassle. Hicks has relied on word of mouth and networking over his many years within Hamilton and he hopes that this software could eventually globally benefit people in need of project assistance.
The event gathered a melting pot of blue collar workers including real estate agents, project managers, brokers, and many more, where they enjoyed a complimentary meal and drink tokens before Hicks’ main presentation began.
For the main event, Hicks presented a demo of Blue Collar Pro, demonstrating a live example of how the app works and why this groundbreaking technology could benefit everyone sitting in the room. The event was also proudly sponsored by many local businesses including but not limited to CoHatch, The Eyrie Cocktail Lounge, and Greater Hamilton Chamber of Commerce.
“Honestly, we put this room together to just do something for the community and I hope that in return, the community sees value in what we created and tries it out, and I think they might just like it.” said Hicks.
The app’s motto is “Scan. Scope. Share” and can measure both outdoor and indoor estimate needs quickly and efficiently just by walking around your room. It’s designed to be easy for anyone to use and allows for contractors to bid on a job and gathers qualified interest for the customer’s specific needs.
“We have created a tool that will create a floor plan and measure itself, where all you gotta do is use your phone and scan the room. It'll then create a photo report that will create an estimate and write itself,” said Hicks.
An AI assistant scans the photos, checks real prices and stores, and quickly gets the renovator an estimate on how much materials and labor could cost. This process is done using an estimating platform called BluMatrix that Hicks and his team have created to help people with no construction experience get an industry standard estimate without taking up the time of a professional to get the job done fast and efficiently. This technology eliminates the stress of constantly going back-and-forth with different renovation companies and gives the customer the power to choose even without any industry experience.
Blue Collar Pro encourages people doing renovations to stop chasing contractors and to use their app to more clearly align with the details of the project and estimating the budget needed. This gives the renovator an opportunity to look at the best options that would suit them without being forced to understand every marketplace option first.
Connect with skilled experts at thebluecollarpro.com.or download the Blue Collar Pro app on iOS and Android today.