Call it a germ, or call it an obsession.
How does one private person, who deals with renovations, decide one day to establish an entire industry.
How he saw the repairmen identified with the overalls and the notch sticking out from the back, and decided to fit uniforms for them that would impress the profession.
He did the same with the entire renovation industry which was considered a degraded sector, a sub-industry in construction and marched it forward, into the world of construction contracting.
Today it sounds like a crazy dream, or a hallucination, but about half a year later, the renovation industry has 16,000 renovation contractors, a large part of which is registered with the Association of Renovation Contractors, so that the renovation industry has become one of the most respected in the country, run by Eran Siev.
Today, there is no minister in the government who did not meet with him to hear his demands.
Siv, chairman of the Renovation Contractors Association, a 58-year-old resident of Hod Hasharon, married to Gila and father of three, started his career when he specialized in marketing materials for the renovation industry and held a number of positions in the building industry.
In those days, we were exposed to a broken, unorganized industry, contractors and workers in the industry who were not represented, did not receive service and did not unionize.
From here he decided to act.
After a long process, he founded the Renovation Contractors Association, to which thousands of contractors were registered, which led to the next step: regulating the industry with the Ministry of Construction and Housing and creating a corresponding training system.
Who would have believed in those days that the renovation branch that grew from below, would be consolidated and regulated.
The lack of trust and doubt in the rightness of his way created many harsh reactions, some scoffing at the claim that a branch of repairmen will not succeed in becoming established.
Today, looking back, Siv proved them otherwise.
Today he leads one of the strongest associations in the world of work, which numbers tens of thousands of renovation contractors and leads fundamental reforms in the labor market.
The renovation contractor branch has become well known, under the supervision of the contractor registration system - the professional arm of the Ministry of Construction and Housing where training tests are held for the new renovation contractors.
How did you even think to act in the direction?
Siv: "The average citizen buys one apartment in his life, but almost every citizen is involved in renovation work at the level of maintenance or improvement of the residential building.
In my acquaintance with the industry I was exposed to significant holes.
The industry has attracted a bunch of diggers for whom handing over work is not handing over work, the work was not professional and secondarily there is exposure to real danger.
Together with friends from the industry we decided to put an end to it and founded the association.
As of today, there is a tremendous decrease in the number of diggers in the field and the industry is regulated, the citizen receives proper service and we can promote various issues to promote the industry as a whole.
It is truly a tremendous privilege to work for decades in favor of such a vital and important profession in the Israeli real estate and labor market."
You started promoting the renovation warranty legislation. Do you estimate that you will be able to pass the law in the current Knesset?
"This law is an important consumer law that comes to regulate the relationship between the consumer and the contractor at the time of delivery and the responsibility that the contractor has at the time of delivery.
On the face of it, as someone who represents employers, some will say that I have no interest in promoting such a law, but as I have always acted, I know that the more this industry accepts standards of quality and competition for responsibility and safety, it will improve the situation of the entire industry.
Those who do not know how to look at the interests of the citizens of Israel should not serve the public.
We are looking for the right Knesset member to raise the law for the third time."
Eran, you always had one foot in the professional field and another foot in social activities
"The workers and contractors in the field of renovations come from all strata of the population.
Therefore I always looked around and heard needs from the field.
At first we would donate renovation works to those whose hands could not reach, and later we decided to embark on a national project "Renovating a Community".
There we came out with loud voices in collaboration with the state and in fact we did huge renovation projects for the weakest populations.
For the population of drug addicts, girls and boys at risk, street children, victims of domestic violence and the rehabilitation neighborhoods.
It is worth everything, more than any money and any other achievement.
Beyond that, I truly believe that the role of Israeli society is to increase the bond between us.
It's not just that the deep meaning of the word renovation is to take something and beautify it, to try and design it in a more correct way."
What is the driving force in your social work?
"The truth is that it is the moving human stories that give me the strength to do.
I'll give you a few examples - when we were doing kashrut and placement for the Bedouin population, a young Bedouin grabbed me and said to me: 'This is the first certificate I've received in my life, I feel I'm worth it now', and it really brought tears to my eyes.
Even when we renovated a residential complex for Deri Rehov and for women victims of domestic violence, I suddenly saw a light in my eyes, that we created a feeling of home.
It's worth all these years of volunteering.
Every day for years we encounter being on the giving side and this is truly a great privilege.
You want to strengthen and come out strengthened."
Why did you decide to enter the training field?
"I saw that there are entire communities in Israel that are plagued by unemployment alongside thousands of building, renovation and infrastructure contractors who suffer from the lack of professional manpower.
This is also reflected in the decrease in productivity, but no less important in the decrease in safety issues, in the professionalism and delivery dates of the works.
When I presented the idea to Raul Sargo, president of the Haaretz Association of Builders, Yitzhak Moyal, chairman of the Construction Workers' Union and Related Industries, and Moshe Ben Zaken, CEO of the Fund for the Encouragement and Development of the Construction Industry (the outgoing one) - they immediately put all their egos aside and joined the task.
We also engaged Hagai Reznik, head of the Ripman Institute and former CEO of the Ministry of Construction and Housing, who formulated a comprehensive and multi-stage plan for us regarding employee training that includes an array of placements at the end. Already in the pilot phase, we trained 200 employees and all were placed at the end of the training with an operating contractor - renovations, building or infrastructure .
Now we look forward in the current working year, together with the elected government, to complete a joint project with the Ministry of Construction and Housing and the Ministry of the Economy and turn what we have done in dozens, into thousands of workers, members of minorities with a blue identity card, ultra-Orthodox, released soldiers and the general population."
How do people see your public role?
"The truth is, many people are sure that I work for a salary at the Association of Renovation Contractors.
The investment is so large and around the clock that almost no one believes that I work completely voluntarily.
As long as I enjoy it and the members continue to elect me as chairman, I will continue with all my might."
And what is the dream from here?
"My dream is to expand the field of training and placement.
Even by the standards described by Rambam - finding a livelihood for a person is one of the highest virtues and there is no greater right than that.
Beyond that, I think that the entire professional education - secondary and high school - should go in the directions we have taken and we are absolutely ready to be partners in promoting such a national model."
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