CT Veteran, Brother-In-Law Team Up To Bring Handyman And Age-In-Place Services To Shoreline

GUILFORD, CT — Eric Schreiber has always felt a calling to serve others, from the time he joined the military three decades ago to his most recent chapter as a small business owner in Connecticut, helping residents with handyman work and allowing seniors to age in place up and down the shoreline.

He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1996 and became a pilot, flying jets on and off carriers.

On Sept. 11, 2001, shortly after the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center, Schreiber flew combat air patrol missions over New York City and was later deployed to Afghanistan.

In total, Schreiber tallied 300 carrier landings throughout his tenure in the Navy.

In 2006, when he was faced with a decision about his future, Schreiber, a senior lieutenant, felt it was time for a new path.

He went to business school and started a career in Corporate America, landing a job with United Technologies, which was based in Farmington. After working there for several years, he landed a job with Sikorsky in 2011. He was then sent to the Middle East, where he led the company's sales and business development team.

"I always had this affinity for the lifesaving mission," Schreiber, a Madison resident, told Patch in an interview this week.

When Schreiber was relocated back to CT a few years later, and his career at Sikorsky had run its course, he looked into owning a small business and felt there was a need in Shoreline communities for everyday handyman work and helping seniors age in place.

He came up with two business plans and continued to revise them and conduct research.

Schreiber also had plenty of conversations with his brother-in-law, Stan Rheinheimer, who now lives in Deep River and has spent years honing his construction and handyman skills through farm work, building houses, and even working on horse shows where various issues at different venues need to be fixed promptly.

Throughout his research on how to get started, Schreiber kept coming across TruBlue Home Service Ally, which offers franchising.

The company has more than 90 locations across the country and offers handyman repairs, home maintenance and seasonal services for homeowners, busy adults, families and seniors.

TruBlue also offers home safety assessments and accessibility modifications to help older adults remain in their homes as they age. Its locations are independently owned and operated.

With Schreiber's business acumen and Rheinheimer's experience in the field, it made perfect sense to join forces and help people.

The TruBlue Shoreline CT business launched about five months ago with around six handymen, including Rheinheimer, available for scheduled work in Branford; Chester; Clinton; Deep River; Durham; East Haddam; Essex; Guilford; Haddam; Higganum; Killingworth; Madison; Middlefield; Moodus; North Branford; Old Lyme; Old Saybrook; and Westbrook.

Jobs can range from basic handyman work that can be completed in a couple of hours, such as taking care of a mouse infestation in insulation, fixing a leaky windowsill or painting, to more involved work that could take a couple of weeks, like a kitchen or bathroom remodel.

"We want to be your first choice for those in-home repairs. Sometimes you don't need a full-on electrician or plumber. It might be a simpler fix than you might realize," Schreiber said. "Give us a call, and we'll assess it. If it's outside of our scope, we're going to refer you to trusted partners."

Schreiber noted that both he and his wife's parents have desires to remain in place and have navigated the past few years with health challenges.

"We realized not all families were fortunate to have a Stan in their lives - someone they can ask to help fix things or make the home safer. We wanted to be able to provide that service for a broader population of affected families," Schreiber said.

Services for seniors can include wheelchair ramp installations or removal, grab bar installations, doorway widening, zero entrance tub and shower installations, handrail installation and removal, fixing walkways or entrances, keyless entry systems, and more.

The new chapter for Schreiber and Rheinheimer has been both successful and rewarding so far, especially when it comes to helping seniors age in place. Schreiber said he's received handwritten thank-you cards from clients.

"It's just a good feeling," Rheinheimer added. "A house is a house, but for these people, it's their home. And to keep them in their home, it makes you feel good."

Schreiber looks back on his military career and flying jets as a "wonderful experience," and admitted he didn't expect to be doing what he's doing today.

"I define my life in chapters. There was the Navy chapter, there was the Corporate America chapter, and now there's the small business ownership chapter, and a focus on making an impact on my local community," Schreiber said.

"There's an undercurrent of service throughout all of those."

For more information on TruBlue Home Service Ally for the CT Shoreline, click here, call 860-532-4025, or email shorelinect@trublueally.com.