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March 2024 Contractor of the Month is: Candor Design & Build

Candor Design & Build is a high-end residential design and build company operating in Los Angeles and New York.

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Tell Us About Yourself & Your Company

Cory McCrummen's education in building and design began early, growing up on a quarter horse ranch in Ohio where there was always a project that needed attention. This led to apprenticeships with local amish tradesmen and general contractors, laying the groundwork for an abiding passion for his craft.

The Interview

  • Can you tell us a little about what you did before lighting and how you got into it? Do you have any certifications or a background that helped excelling with landscape lighting?

    Cory’s passion for designing and building interiors quickly coalesced upon his move to Los Angeles. He had the opportunity to work with A-List celebrities on both residential and commercial jobs, working as a project manager at an Interior Design Firm. He then parlayed that into a role as lead designer with a construction firm, overseeing massive builds and wide scale renovations. His own business, Candor Design & Build was born out of the apparent need for a builder with a designer’s eye.

  • Can you tell us about your business?

    Candor Design & Build is a high-end residential design and build company operating in Los Angeles and New York.

  • How did you get into the landscape lighting business?

    When I was serving as a client representative, all different kinds of needs would arise. And, while I was already designing interiors, I had a preference for laying light along the exterior of the house. So, the interior design work transitioned seamlessly into the exterior landscape design.

  • What percentage of your business is landscape lighting/what other services do you provide (ie: landscaping, irrigation, electrical…)?

    Because we are a full service design company, it's only typically around 5% – but our team enjoys doing it so much we try to incorporate it into every home.

  • How long have you been installing landscape lighting?

    8 years.

  • What AMP products do you prefer to use? Which fixtures are your favorite?

    I really enjoy using the HydraPro M16 well lights and the MR11 Lanai light. They are great quality and universally loved!

  • What tips or tricks have you learned that have benefited your work from a design/installation perspective?

    The addition of the ring outdoor plug and bridge has been a great help so clients can set the lighting to their preferences.

  • Tell me about your sales process. How do you find your customers? What is your sales process? Do you use sales tools such as a free demo…

    We consider ourselves a boutique company with an emphasis on representing the clients and their vision. So, during the design phase, it's important that we talk about landscape design. The low voltage lighting conversation usually happens then!

  • Where do you find inspiration for your lighting designs?

    Personal use! We usually experiment with them in our own homes, and I do in fact use AMP lighting around my home to this day.

  • What do you feel is the most personally rewarding part of installing a lighting system for a client?

    When working with luxury homes, it's the details that really make it look high end. Utilizing AMP products at an accessible price point allows us to polish off the job. This is especially helpful considering that low voltage lighting is one of the last things to be installed after a budget has already been dwindled.

  • Tell us a little bit about you personally: What do you like to do outside of work? What are your hobbies?

    Family time is everything, so naturally I'm roping them into fishing, surfing, and flea markets and that normally makes for full and exciting weekends.

AMP® Lighting appreciates the Professionals that make us who we are and why we strive, daily, to fulfill our vision statement. Our outstanding AMP® Pros deserve to be recognized for their exceptional landscape lighting work and to highlight some of our AMP® MVPs (most valuable professionals)!

Interested in being featured as an AMP® Contractor of the Month?

Contact Zach Evensen at: zache@amplighting.com

Become An AMP® Pro Today

AMP® Pros – a group of landscape lighting professionals authorized to purchase and install the industry’s best products.

AMP® Pros have the skills and experience to design and install professional landscape lighting. They are also committed to the use of high quality products and best practices in the design, installation, and maintenance of their work. These distinctions qualify them to become AMP® Pros.

The goal of AMP® Lighting is to elevate the profession of landscape lighting by providing AMP® Pros with the high-performance products and the professional support they need to succeed.

There is no cost to become an authorized AMP® Pro.

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