Meet the Owner of DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of Springfield, Curt Trampe!

Our Franchisee Spotlight is an opportunity for you to get to know the franchisees in the DreamMaker network and read their story of becoming a DreamMaker owner. For this month’s Franchisee Spotlight, we would like to introduce you to Curt Trampe, owner of DreamMaker of Springfield, Illinois.

Curt Trampe grew up in Wisconsin, but in 1990 he made the move to Illinois and has been in Springfield ever since. He and his wife, Deb, have two boys and one girl who are all in their final years of college. Curt loves to constantly work on improving his business and has expressed that his personal mission is to be known as a follower of Jesus, a generous giver, and someone who lives life to the fullest. When he isn’t working on his business, Curt enjoys reading, going to the gym, and traveling.

Before DreamMaker:

Before coming to DreamMaker, Curt worked at a remodeling company for eight years. He describes this remodeling company as being all things for all people, and as a result it was unfocused and needed fine-tuning. Curt was referred to DreamMaker through a peer that worked at DreamMaker Corporate and encouraged Curt to look into our kitchen and bath remodeling franchise opportunity. Interested, Curt went to a remodeling show in Chicago where he met DreamMaker staff, and from there he researched more about our franchise opportunity online. He was particularly impressed by DreamMaker’s Code of Values, which is central to who we are and the way we conduct ourselves.

Why DreamMaker:

The fact that DreamMaker focused exclusively on the profitable fields of kitchen and bathroom remodeling appealed to Curt after his previous unspecialized business experience. He also appreciated that there were systems already set up for him to follow and a business process that was repeatable. Curt chose DreamMaker because he valued the reduced scope of work and specialization as well as the potential for higher margins and profit compared to his previous business.

In his 14 years of owning a DreamMaker franchise, Curt has grown to love the network of people with similar values in the DreamMaker community. To him, they are a group of people using the same business model who you can bounce ideas off of and ask questions with the promise of honest answers.

Curt’s success while owning a DreamMaker Franchise:

Curt acknowledges that owning a franchise takes hard work, but he says that if given the choice, he would do it all over again. It’s been a very positive experience, and since joining DreamMaker he has been able to take more time off, own a more profitable business, and he has grown professionally through relationships with other franchisees.

Advice from Curt:

Curt advises those interested in DreamMaker to, “contact existing franchise owners to get their feedback about what their experience has been. It’s a very open group to offer support and be honest with potential candidates—we understand that it’s a big investment and a big decision in your life, and we want to do our best to help [you] work through that.”

A Quote from Curt's Franchise Coach: 

"Curt is a very forward thinker that enjoys [thinking] outside the box. He is very detail minded and likes the challenge of precision while also having a caring heart for those around him." Jeff Poole, Dedicated Franchise Coach

We hope you enjoyed reading about DreamMaker’s Springfield, Illinois owner, Curt Trampe! Keep an eye out for our next franchisee spotlight next month. If you would like to hear more DreamMaker owners talk about their journey from an existing remodeler to DreamMaker, watch the video below.