John Handloser is no stranger to risk, having served in the U.S. Navy for 21 years. The wisdom he acquired during that time proved instrumental in his post-military career: becoming a franchisee for Pillar to Post (PTP), one of the leading home inspection companies in North America.
Handloser, however, had no background in construction, building or any seemingly related field. But one of his Navy duties in particular prepared him for the home inspection business, although it didn’t require a hammer and nails.
“As a career counselor in the Navy I inspected all of the HR, personnel and counseling programs on cruisers, destroyers and frigates in the mid-Atlantic,” he said. “(Inspecting is) all about gathering information, solutions and debriefing.”
After leaving the Navy, Handloser knew sitting behind a desk wasn’t an option. He looked into a number of entrepreneurial opportunities before deciding on PTP in 2004. Since that time, he’s been inspecting the homes of Palmyra, Va.’s finest.
His favorite aspect of the job: working with first-time homebuyers.
“First-time homebuyers are such a curious audience,” he said. “I enjoy teaching them how a house operates and how to maintain it. Usually, they have never looked at a house that way before.”