West Shore Home has acquired Atlas Home Improvement, a family-owned remodeling company in Whitmore Lake, Michigan, pushing the Mechanicsburg-based firm deeper into one of the country's largest housing markets.
The deal, announced Tuesday, Oct. 27, adds more than 50 employees and a 23,200-square-foot facility to West Shore Home's operations, according to a company announcement. Financial terms and a separate closing date were not disclosed.
The acquisition extends West Shore Home's Michigan footprint beyond its existing Grand Rapids operation into metro Detroit, the nation's 14th-largest metropolitan area. Atlas operates from a facility between Ann Arbor and Detroit.
"Atlas has built a loyal customer base across southeast Michigan, and we see a strong platform to grow on," B.J. Werzyn, founder and CEO of West Shore Home, said in the announcement.
Werzyn said the region's housing market and Atlas's experienced local workforce made the company an attractive opportunity for expansion.
Family-owned business founded in 1989
Atlas Home Improvement was founded in 1989 by David Bobby. The second-generation business, led by Bobby and his son Darian Bobby, specializes in bath and shower remodeling. That category is also West Shore Home's largest service line, according to the announcement.
Both companies use a direct-to-consumer model built around in-home sales and professional installation, which West Shore Home said made Atlas a natural fit.
West Shore Home plans to transition the Whitmore Lake location to its brand and operating model. The company also plans to introduce replacement windows and doors to the southeast Michigan market Atlas has served, according to Qualified Remodeler.
The Bobby family is stepping away from day-to-day ownership. Atlas's leadership team is expected to stay on to support the transition and regional growth.
"Our team and our customers are in the right hands," David Bobby said in the announcement.
West Shore Home's customer transition information says already scheduled Atlas projects will proceed as planned unless customers are contacted about changes. Sales, installation and operations employees are continuing with the company.
Michigan's housing market
West Shore Home cited Michigan's aging housing stock as a factor in the expansion.
The state's median home age is 53 years, eight years above the national median, according to company figures. Roughly 60% of occupied homes in Michigan were built in or before the 1970s.
The company sees that older housing inventory as a source of demand for bathroom remodeling, replacement windows and other home improvements.
The Atlas deal follows West Shore Home's purchase of Wonder Windows, Showers & Baths, a Rochester, New York-based business. West Shore Home announced that acquisition in September, extending its operations in western and central New York.
Mechanicsburg company continues expansion
Founded in 2006, West Shore Home is headquartered at 3 Crossgate Drive in Mechanicsburg.
The company reports more than 3,000 employees operating in 32 states and more than 340,000 completed home renovations.
The Atlas acquisition adds an established southeast Michigan customer base and local remodeling workforce to those national operations.
West Shore Home has not announced a timetable for completing the Whitmore Lake location's transition to its brand.
The deal represents another step in the Mechanicsburg company's expansion through acquisitions of established regional remodeling businesses.
