SUBMITTED PHOTO - Mike and Angela Lorden show their new Same Day Grab Bar van. The Lordens are starting a new business this month, installing grab bars in homes.

A husband and wife have taken the leap to open a business and fill an unmet need in the area.

Mike and Angela Lorden will open a Same Day Grab Bars franchise in Marshalltown and serve the counties of Marshall, Boone, Jasper, Polk and Story. With an opening date goal of Jan. 15, the business will supply customers with grab bars and installations.

“We are excited to work more in Marshalltown,” Angela, 56, said. “We have worked outside of town for some time now. This will be the first Same Day Grab Bar franchise in Iowa. The rest of them are on the east coast, like Florida and the Carolinas.”

Discovering Same Day was exciting for them, she said, especially since the company carries the same values as the husband and wife do.

“They are for customer care and satisfaction,” Angela said. “They have a high standard for that, and to make it the most pleasant experience. They get to know the customer and then take care of what they want.”

Providing customers with grab bars is going to be all the Lordens will do.

“We will put safety bars in bathrooms, in the shower, by the toilet, in transition spaces such as from the garage to the kitchen,” she said. “We want to make this an easy choice for people. Some people can’t find handymen to do it for them. Some people will not do just a grab bar installation. They will only do it if they remodel the bathroom.”

According to Angela, she will take care of the office aspects of the business, while Mike will do the installations. They will not charge to respond to a request and do a safety evaluation, to make sure the bars meet the Americans with Disabilities Act recommendations.

“We will tell our recommendations, and how much it will cost,” she said. “We will install and get out of their hair.”

Mike, 59, carries three different finishes on the Moen bars, which come with a lifetime warranty.

“Some people have bronze fixtures and want something to match or we have different finishes that are more modern, less institutional,” he said.

They range in diameter from 1.25-1.5 inches, and have a length of 12-42 inches. Mike will also have the necessary equipment for efficient and swift installation. Angela said they will give customers two-hour windows. That way, no one will have to stay at home for hours on end, waiting for someone to complete the installation.

“Mike will call when he is on the way to confirm the appointment,” she said. “They will look at bar options, he will write a quote and if the customer wants to move forward, the installation will happen then and there. If they decide it’s not for them, or they want to think about it, that’s OK, too.”

If customers have special circumstances, such as walls that need extra work to hold the bars, Mike said they will not charge extra for the special services. Any price differences will occur if a customer needs larger bars.

“We price it all the same,” he said.

Angela has worked as the administrative assistant of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Des Moines during the last 22 years. Mike has been self-employed, fulfilling duties such as cleaning gutters and other handyman tasks since 2006. The desire to work in their hometown and open their own business led them to Same Day Grab Bars.

“As I was cleaning gutters, customers would ask me to change light bulbs and other odd jobs,” Mike said. “Some said it was difficult to find someone they could trust to do some things like install grab bars, and even return phone calls. This seemed like it would be a good fit.”

Angela said during her time at St. Luke’s, she worked with congregation members who fall into the primary demographic – senior citizens – grab bars are produced for. A significant percentage of seniors fall and become injured, which can create permanent life changes. Angela’s mother was one person who fell, which has created some of the motivation to provide these services.

“She fell in the bathroom and broke her femur,” she said. “She had surgery, but that was the beginning of the end and she passed away at 73. Doing this just makes sense for us.”

Since the duo have gotten word out about their upcoming business, the response has been positive, with great feedback.

“So many have said this is going to do well,” Mike said. “And we are beat, jumping through hoops, getting stuff done to open and it is nice to get encouraged.”

While Jan. 15 is the goal opening date, Angela said they still have to take care of a few more loose ends. By then, they will be ready to book more appointments. To help familiarize themselves, they have installed grab bars in the homes of family and friends.

“We are excited and are looking forward to this,” Angela said. “The founder of Same Day started it at the age of 70. His customers have been the greatest, and we are looking forward to that.”

Business info

Name: Same Day Grab Bars

Address: 409 N. Fourth St.

Days: Monday through Friday

Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Phone: 515-776-8870

Email: angela.lorden@samedaygrabbars.com

Website: samedaygrabbars.com

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Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.