Western Iowans Provide for American Home Shield
For over 18 years, Carroll, Iowa, has been home to one of four regional centers for American Home Shield (AHS), the nation’s oldest and largest home warranty company. The company provides home warranty plans covering plumbing, heating, air conditioning and major built-in appliances to a current customer base of 1.5 million homeowners in 49 states.
Headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, AHS has been in business for over 30 years and according to Dave Quandt, Vice President of Service, continues to see growth each year. Quandt credits Carroll as a vital part of AHS’ business success.
“What stands out about Carroll is the labor force—they are very skilled, customer friendly and know what customers mean to the company,” says Quandt. “Carroll leads the four centers (other locations are Santa Rosa, California and La Grange, Georgia) with lowest turnover, and there is an abundance of labor.”
Even with its headquarters in Memphis, AHS considers Carroll “home base” because more managers live there, Quandt included. And Quandt, a Carroll native, acknowledges the opportunity that American Home Shield has brought to his hometown. “The work here is fulfilling,” he says. “There are good career opportunities with AHS, and I have been fortunate to be a part of their success.”
But Quandt is equally proud of the workforce that Carroll has been able to provide to AHS, due in part to a relationship that the company has with the local community college, Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC), which has a campus in Carroll. The college has been able to provide training to new employees and training to enhance current employees’ skills through the Iowa Jobs Training Program, otherwise known as 260E, which provides state-funded forgivable loans or grants for a major portion of the training costs. The rest of the costs are covered by tax incentives for adding employees—making the program free to employers.
“When American Home Shield made the decision to locate to Carroll, one of the deciding factors was the availability of job training program funds. The 260E dollars allowed AHS to develop a systematic approach to training new employees,” Quandt acknowledged. He stresses that the concepts of the program remain the foundation of their current training programs, and the assistance the program provides has helped AHS manage their programs as the company continues to grow.
And growth is easy to see at the Carroll company. Their original 43,000 square foot building recently expanded by 17,000 square feet, and Quandt reports that AHS also plans to add 40 to 50 people to their 575-employee workforce during 2006. The company has a commitment to the area and invests in local community events and projects—and encourages their employees to do the same. Quandt believes the commitment is worthwhile for the benefits their company and other businesses in the area receive in return—not to mention the benefits to the residents.
“Carroll is a business-friendly community.” He acknowledges the contributions that the Carroll Area Development Corporation and the Carroll Chamber of Commerce provide to businesses locating to the Carroll community. But he doesn’t in the least diminish the quality of life that attracts and keeps residents, thereby providing for their solid workforce.
“We have great schools, you don’t have to worry about crime.” Location is also seen as key to attracting, training, and retaining a good workforce in the area. Carroll is 100 miles from Des Moines and 100 miles from Omaha. But Quandt always comes back to the people. “It’s the people and the community” that have made this western Iowa location ideal for American Home Shield.
