PowerChat with Jeff Gunhus: How Home Genius Exteriors and a Top-5 Ranked CEO Are Redefining Growth, Culture, and Trust in Home Improvement

Greg Cummings explores how Jeff Gunhus built Home Genius Exteriors into one of the fastest-growing companies in home improvement through culture, trust, and relentless execution.

March 16, 2026 – Power100 is the only unbiased, third‑party platform that ranks the best leaders in the home improvement industry using a five‑layer proprietary ranking system built to help homeowners find trustworthy leaders and companies—not paid placements. In a recent episode of PowerChat, Power100 CEO Greg Cummings sat down with Jeff Gunhus, Co‑Founder and CEO of Home Genius Exteriors, to explore how a purpose‑driven culture, bold growth strategy, and deep community commitment are reshaping what homeowners can expect from a home improvement company.

Recognized as the #5‑ranked CEO in the nation on the Power100 platform, Jeff Gunhus shared candidly about hitting 292 million dollars in sales, aiming for 500 million dollars, planting new “flags” in greenfield markets, and building a team that sees home improvement as a mission, not just a job.

How Jeff Gunhus Built Home Genius Exteriors into a Fast‑Growing, Trusted Home Improvement Brand

Homeowners often ask how to know if a rapidly growing contractor is real, stable, and trustworthy. The PowerChat began with that exact question as Greg Cummings described how Home Genius Exteriors first appeared as “almost too good to be true.” Seven years later, the company has proven staying power and a track record of results that our Power100 rankings confirm.

Co‑founded by Jeff Gunhus alongside Brent Miller, Austin Killian, and Max Alesi, Home Genius Exteriors grew out of decades of shared experience at National Services Group. In the PowerChat, Jeff Gunhus joked that their “overnight success has only been 30 years in the making,” underscoring how long‑term relationships and lessons learned across multiple businesses shaped their current model.

Since launching in 2019, Home Genius Exteriors has expanded into multiple states, offering roofing, windows, siding, doors, gutters, and insulation under its “A Different Experience” brand promise. The company has been recognized by national outlets such as Fortune and Qualified Remodeler, and it holds elite manufacturer certifications with partners including Owens Corning, CertainTeed, and James Hardie.

What Homeowners Should Know About Home Genius Exteriors’ Record‑Breaking Growth Strategy

For homeowners, company size and growth raise practical questions: Will this contractor be around to honor my warranty? Are they stable or stretching too fast? In the PowerChat, Greg Cummings pressed Jeff Gunhus on how Home Genius Exteriors manages such aggressive targets.

Last year, the team set a goal of 300 million dollars in sales—driven partly by a love for the movie 300 and the Spartan‑themed celebrations that came with it—and finished at 292 million dollars in sales with 280 million dollars installed. Instead of lowering ambitions after “falling short,” Jeff Gunhus framed the result as proof that they were aiming high enough, telling his team, “If you hit every goal you set, your goals just aren’t high enough,” comparing it to skiing hard enough to fall.

On November 1, Home Genius Exteriors launched what Jeff Gunhus called the “revenge tour” with a new target: 500 million dollars in annual sales. After the first quarter, revenue was already up 138 percent year‑over‑year, with approximately 91 million dollars in sales compared to roughly 45 million dollars in the same period the year before.

For homeowners, this growth matters because it reflects a company that is:

• Confident and disciplined enough to set big goals and track performance.
• Investing in people, marketing, and operations to support expansion.
• Building the scale to support warranties, service, and long‑term relationships in multiple markets.​

Inside the Culture: Why Home Genius Exteriors Is a Top Workplace and a Top Pick for Homeowners

When choosing a home improvement company, homeowners often wonder what the culture is like behind the scenes—because culture impacts the people who show up at their door. The PowerChat devoted significant time to Home Genius Exteriors’s culture, which has earned national recognition as the #1 Best Workplace in Construction™ and one of America’s Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces.

Jeff Gunhus told Greg Cummings that he used to focus heavily on the “what” and “how” of business, but now he and his leadership team obsess first about the “why.” That “why” is centered on:

• Giving team members more opportunity as the company grows.
• Helping employees build “transformational wealth” for their families.
• Making sure that when his five children Google his name, they are proud of the work he does.

This sense of identity came through in a story that grabbed Greg Cummings‘ attention: after a five‑day trip to Mexico with 420 team members, Home Genius Exteriors staff returned on a Saturday and many were knocking on doors on Sunday without being asked. For Jeff Gunhus, that behavior proves that the team doesn’t just work for incentives—it lives the company’s identity as winners committed to their goals.

From a homeowner’s perspective, a culture like this means:

• You are more likely to meet motivated, proud professionals at every step.
• The people working on your roof, windows, or siding see their work as part of a bigger mission.
• The company is more likely to follow through on promises because the team expects excellence from itself.​

People, Processes, and “Planting Flags”: How Home Genius Exteriors Expands Without Losing Quality

One of the biggest topics in the PowerChat was greenfield expansion—what Jeff Gunhus calls “planting flags” in new markets. This is critical for homeowners in those new areas who want to know whether a newcomer company can still deliver quality.

Early on, Home Genius Exteriors considered a first‑year launch that produced 5–6 million dollars in sales a success, followed by 12 million dollars in year two and 18 million dollars in year three. Today, the standard has shifted: if a new market produces less than 18–20 million dollars in its first year, Jeff Gunhus and his team treat it as a sign that something went wrong.

To support this kind of growth while protecting quality, Home Genius Exteriors has built:

• A 500‑step Operation Blueprint for opening new offices, led by senior leader Amy Moneypenny, covering licensing, office set‑up, marketing, and hiring months before launch.
• A recruiting engine that Greg Cummings said can “battle any outside organization,” ensuring each new market starts with strong talent.
• A philosophy of hiring “blank slate” talent when possible, then developing them into high‑performing “unicorns” who embody the company’s standards.

For homeowners in new markets, this structure means Home Genius Exteriors is not improvising; it is following a tested playbook designed to deliver the same level of service found in its more established territories.​

Community Impact and Home Genius Cares: Why Giving Back Matters to Homeowners

Many homeowners want to work with companies that care about their communities—not just profits. The PowerChat highlighted how deeply Home Genius Cares is woven into the identity of Home Genius Exteriors.

Jeff Gunhus shared that in every market, at least once a quarter, the company organizes volunteer activities, often partnering with local churches, food banks, and nonprofits. Participation is technically voluntary, yet Home Genius Exteriors sees near‑universal turnout, and when employees are asked what they’re most proud of, Home Genius Cares is consistently at the top of the list.

Recent examples—including those highlighted in previous Power100 features—include:

• Donating more than 100,000 dollars’ worth of windows to Habitat for Humanity.​
• Completing major projects for Ronald McDonald House Charities with partners such as Owens Corning and ABC Supply.
• Hundreds of volunteer hours at events like the Q4 Launch, where teams assemble care packages and write letters for families and service members.

To homeowners, this level of community engagement is more than a feel‑good story. It indicates that Home Genius Exteriors is invested in the long‑term health of the areas it serves, making it a more responsible and reliable partner for home projects.​

No Headwinds, Only Market Share: How Home Genius Exteriors Plans to Keep Serving Homeowners in Any Economy

When markets feel uncertain, homeowners often worry whether contractors will pull back, cut corners, or disappear. In the PowerChat, Greg Cummings asked Jeff Gunhus how he responds to negative news about housing starts and economic headwinds.

Jeff Gunhus’s answer—“who cares?”—reflects a mindset that Power100 sees in many top‑ranked CEOs: they focus on controllable factors and market share, not headlines. As he explained, Home Genius Exteriors still commands only a small fraction of the total market in its territories, so even in slower macro conditions, there is ample room to grow by serving homeowners better and earning more referrals.​

Internally, the company backs up this mentality with:

• A marketing team nicknamed “the Avengers,” using advanced digital and outbound strategies to keep lead flow strong even as costs rise.​
• Aggressive hiring and training plans ahead of peak seasons to ensure enough installers and sales professionals are in place when homeowners need them.
• A culture that refuses excuses; if goals are not met, Jeff Gunhus takes personal accountability rather than blaming the market.

For homeowners, this approach means Home Genius Exteriors is committed to serving them in good times and challenging times, with a leadership team that adapts instead of retreating.​

How Power100’s Five‑Layer Ranking System Evaluates Leaders Like Jeff Gunhus for Homeowners

Throughout the PowerChat, Greg Cummings referenced Power100’s five‑layer proprietary ranking system, which runs multiple times a year to evaluate more than 8,200 home improvement companies. For homeowners, this system is designed to answer the question: “Who should I trust with my home?”

The five layers include:

1. Leadership Excellence – Vision, ethics, accessibility, and accountability at the CEO and executive level.
2. Company Culture and Employee Engagement – Whether employees feel valued, grow professionally, and stay long term.
3. Customer Experience and Satisfaction – Consistency of quality, communication, and follow‑through across markets.
4. Community Impact and Engagement – The degree to which companies strengthen the communities they serve.
5. Sustainable Growth and Business Results – Financial performance rooted in referrals, repeat customers, and disciplined expansion, not just marketing spikes.

Jeff Gunhus and Home Genius Exteriors rank highly across all five layers, which is why Power100 recognized him as the #5 CEO in the home improvement industry for 2026. The PowerChat episode simply brought those numbers to life, offering homeowners a transparent look at the mindset behind the metrics.