Deaf Remodeler adapted office phone to hear clients
APEX President “JB” Biancini has been profoundly deaf since birth. When you meet him you will quickly discover he is a consummate lip reader. But how does he communicate by phone?
Although some deaf people use a service that translates incoming voice into text, JB crafted his own technology solution. He adapted his office phone with a pair of powerful in-line amplifiers and a special headset that enables him to hear callers in real time. It’s similar to the system he invented when he learned to fly airplanes, where the need for precise communication was even greater.
JB admits it helps if callers speak slowly and clearly and that deeper voices are easier to understand than higher pitched ones, but the technology solution definitely works. I have regular phone conversations with JB and often forget he is deaf.
APEX phone equipped with amplifiers and special headset
For those who know JB as a Top Gun-decorated flight instructor, the in-office communications gear must recall his many hours in the cockpit teaching others to fly. No doubt, they also would appreciate his business desk organization. Pilots are big on printed checklists and visual displays. That’s why JB keeps a copy of his APEX mission statement, core purpose, corporate vision and shared values in direct line of sight whenever he flies his desk.
Mission statement keeps APEX on course
While the electronics amplify voices so JB can hear callers, the APEX mission statement is what informs both his words and actions. Simply put, APEX’s goal is to help clients enhance their quality of life at home. JB achieves this through his commitment to absolute integrity, employee empowerment, client relationships, exceptional service, uncompromised quality and appreciation of life.
Because we spend so much time in our homes, they have a big impact on our quality of life. That’s why APEX remodeling projects never are merely about carpentry, plumbing and electrical. The goal is to make clients’ lives happier, healthier, safer and richer.
Quality of life takes many forms, including the food we eat, the company we keep, how well we sleep at night, how natural light affects our mood, our sense of order and opportunities for personal expression. APEX understands that a proper remodeling project considers all of these things. It’s the mission.
Each year, Remodeling magazine publishes its annual 
The popularity of three remodeling trends is beyond debate: integrating interior/exterior living areas, universal design features that support aging in place, and adapting homes for multi-generational/multi-family living. But the report suggests financial ROI for these projects would not be as compelling as for some other projects. These are improvements with significant labor costs so it can be more difficult to recover those expenses.
Industry studies such as the annual Cost vs. Value Report provide interesting benchmarks, but it is important to remember what motivates most of us to remodel our homes — quality of life. Ever since I founded APEX, our core purpose has been to help our clients enhance their quality of life at home. It still is what gets me out of bed each morning. My point is that prospective homebuyers may value a new entry door or garage door, but it’s doubtful those are the projects that would truly elevate your quality of life.
You love your neighborhood, your children have good friends here and so do you, but the house you live in is simply getting too small for your family. 
