Air Force veteran takes the plunge into the world of being an entrepreneur

from Edmond Life and Leisure - February 9, 2023

Getting into the ‘spirits’ of a romantic holiday

By Rose Drebes

After retiring out of Tinker with the Air Force, new Pillar to Post Home Inspectors franchisee Chris St. Peter says he feels he has landed the perfect next career.

“This company has made me feel right at home, much like the community here in Edmond has made me feel,” he said. “I enjoy everything that Pillar to Post has to offer and love sharing that with my clients.”

St. Peter was looking for a business opportunity that was not only interesting, but offered flexibility, allowing him to dictate his schedule as he and his wife Giulia are the parents of nine children. He said he has always had an interest in home construction and saw providing home inspections as a necessary service for potential customers rather than a discretionary one.

“I didn’t like the idea of going to another government job or the corporate sector where I’m basically making someone else money,” he said. “I like the idea of being an entrepreneur since it shows you can still make a good living without having to spend a crazy amount of money on a degree that might not even get you an interview nowadays.”

Another of the many reasons St. Peter chose Pillar To Post Home Inspectors is the innovative technologies the company introduced in the past 18 months. He said these advanced technologies, along with the business model, provide an exceptional home inspection with unique and innovative features that are all delivered within a seamless brand experience. All developed pre-pandemic and ready to be utilized when the pandemic struck, the new features further highlight Pillar To Post Home Inspectors’ standing as a visionary in its industry.

The package is now known as the Ultimate Home Inspection and it’s revolutionizing the home inspection industry. So much so that the company was just awarded the much-coveted Best Innovators by Franchise Update Media in the category of “best customer service tools.”

St. Peter said that with his franchise, he received very vigorous training. He has been certified by the state and is licensed as a home inspector. Right now, he is the only employee.

“Later in the year, I plan on hiring local veterans to employ as my business expands,” he said.

As a home inspector, St. Peter said his job is to give a detailed account of the home involved so clients are aware of any potential discrepancies or dangers involved with the home.

There are quite a few things that set Pillar to Post apart from other home inspection services, he said.

“For starters, we have the ability to print our reports in color and on site at the time of the inspection,” he said. “Clients do not have to wait days or weeks to get the report back.

“Another thing that makes us different is that we offer a monitoring service for a lot of the home's major equipment such as air conditioners, furnaces and water heaters to name a few,” St. Peter continued. “One of the biggest things that make us stand apart is that we include a virtual 360-degree tour with all of our inspections. We even have the ability to include a measured floor plan.”

“Of course, there's even more than what I've mentioned but I think one of the biggest things is the first-class level of service my company offers that continues to impress our clients. It's for these reasons that I purchased a franchise as I believe it is simply the best home inspection company out there.”