Page 21 - BusinessWest March 2, 2026

are many businesses that would like to see more booked jobs to feel
good,” he explained.
Meanwhile, for visitors, the show presents an opportunity to get
a break from winter (especially this year), see what’s new, and per-
haps find someone to handle the next project on their to-do list.
For BusinessWest, its annual show preview provides a chance to
tell the stories behind some of the vendors — like Dimauro Carpet
& Tile. The East Longmeadow-based company, now celebrating 30
years in business, will be making its first appearance at the show,
and Jeff Beturne, project manager for the company, is expecting ...
well, he’s not really sure what to expect.
“I’m excited about what it might bring — we’re really not sure,”
he said, adding that members of the company’s leadership team
are putting together a game plan for the show, including deals to be
offered to customers.
Overall, they will be looking to introduce themselves to the
region and “get our personality out there,” he went on, adding that
the company will stress its longevity and the fact that it is locally
and family-owned.
For Earthlight Technologies, an energy solutions company based
in Ellington, Conn., and with offices locally in Northampton, the
goals are similar, said Andrew Bessette, content manager.
“The trade show is a good way for us to get more visibility and
get direct lines to our customers,” he noted, adding that, while the
company gains several jobs directly from the show, it also builds
name recognition and tries to separate itself from competition that
is not as focused on quality and customer service (more on this
later).
For this issue and its focus on home improvement, Business-
West previews the Home & Garden Show and talks with several
area businesses about why these four days at the Big E are time
very well-spent.
Home Work
This is the slow season for chimney sweeps.
It starts in January and goes until about the end of winter, said
Kapinos, adding that this general quiet allows the company to make
the significant investment in time required of home show vendors.
“We start revving up for spring cleanings, and then we’re out
straight again until next January,” she explained, adding that the
show, while time-consuming, is a solid investment for Ace when it
comes to getting its name out and making acquaintances.
“The show keeps us in front of people that have been coming
to us for years,” she said. “They stop by the booth to say ‘hi’ and
put my face with my voice on the phone, and also meet the guys
because they’re at the show with me.”
This business of putting faces with voices and ‘meeting the guys’
might be the unofficial mission of the home show, said Crane, who
said organizers are on track for another sellout when it comes to
vendor space.
Crane noted that, in the wake of COVID, a time when people
spent more time at home — and also when many had more dispos-
able income — most contractors and home improvement compa-
nies had all the work they can handle. Some didn’t want to come to
the home show and tell those visiting their booth that they couldn’t
put them on the schedule for several months at least.
Most contractors are still busy, he said, but there is now more
need to get in front of people and, hopefully, fill the calendar with
work.
“For the first time in a long time, people want to sign up to get
work scheduled,” he said. “In past years, they’ve been so busy ...
they came to the show because they didn’t want to lose their spot
and they wanted to keep their name out there, but they really
weren’t trying to sell work. This year, there’s a different mindset.”
Like many home improvement companies, Dimauro received a
significant boost from COVID, said Beturne, noting that the com-
pany’s portfolio leans heavily (about 80%) toward commercial and
municipal work, and there was a lot to be found in 2020 and 2021.
“Municipalities had an influx of money, and it was just sitting
there,” he explained, adding that the company gained a significant
amount of work taking out carpeting and putting in hard surfaces.
“This past year was the first quiet year after all of that,” he went
on, adding that there was less work to be had on the municipal side
“For the first time
in a long time,
people want to
sign up to get
work scheduled.
In past years,
they’ve been
so busy ... they
came to the show
because they
didn’t want to
lose their spot and
they wanted to
keep their name
out there, but
they really weren’t
trying to sell
work. This year,
there’s a different
mindset.”
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