Team Player

by Mark Robins | 1 October 2019 12:00 am

Metal’s Sleek Design Alois Roofing and Sheet Metal specializes in custom roofing solutions, primarily for commercial buildings. In addition to new construction and roof replacement, it also fabricates and installs composite panels for exterior siding and architectural features, such as overhead structures, columns and soffits.

Metal projects currently make up more than half of Alois’ work. “[But,] we are finding that percentage to increase over the years as more customers seem to be preferring the more modern, metal aesthetic on their properties,” Pum says. “Through unique accents, whether in the form of shapes, colors, perforations, line segments and things of that nature, we’re able to have a lot of fun with our architectural metal. Customers are noticing that and wanting that incorporated more into their designs. It’s not so much about covering up the metal work anymore so much as it is about showcasing it.”

Of Alois’ metal projects, the majority have been commercial projects by about 90 percent. “Companies seem to be leaning toward the sleek design that metal offers for a more modern feel to their businesses,” says Steve Brock, Alois vice president of sales and marketing. “Where we have been seeing more metal work on residential projects though is in the rural properties. It offers a great, cost-friendly, long-term option for them while also helping to extend the life of their properties. We prefer metal. There’s nothing more beautifying and lasting than metal. It’s not for every customer, but for the ones it is for it’s great to work with. It’s something we prefer.”

Employee Emphasis

While its roofing installation has sustained it, Pum insists it’s the employee relationship and team approach that differentiates his company and produces its continuing success. “From our field crew up to our management team, we’re all dedicated to making sure we provide the best service resulting in a quality product and therefore making sure Alois thrives. We’ve got a very talented team in place that has the knowledge, experience and dedication to help successfully take our customers’ designs to reality. From the top down, everybody here is important. Everybody has input: from general labor to crane operator to fabricator. They are engaged.”

Alois management trains its employees on soft skills so all employees can speak to customers. “I think that’s critical,” Brock says. “If someone in the main office isn’t available, our onsite guy has those skills to talk to that customer about what is going on. [Also], we are constantly asking our employees, ‘Where do you see yourself? Where are you coming in at? Are there tools you need?’ This gets back to our culture.” All of Alois’ installers are in-house, which Brock says benefits in speed, efficiency, quality and accuracy. “We wouldn’t be able to accomplish what we do if we didn’t have in-house capabilities and customer engagement.”

Alois has different employees installing different roofing materials. Specialized, fully certified crews work on each specialized part of a job. “We have flat roofers, we have sheet metal guys, we have shop guys,” Pum says. “But several of our employees are cross-trained. Roofing projects are assigned based on an employee’s level of experience. They start with the basics and then expand. Our clientele is very happy and they turn us on to other customers.”

Alois has both a roofing and a sheet metal division. “They overlap and work hand-in-hand in harmony with one another,” Pum says. “In the old days, roofers didn’t want to work with the sheet metal guys and vice versa. But, with more intricate projects, they have to work together in harmony. [To do this] we have a family-oriented consensus, which makes the best use of everybody’s time. We are either going to combine it or we are not going to do it. Customers can see the combined effort of these two.”

Customer Care

Alois’ team approach is equaled only by its customer care, which results largely in repeat business. “Our clientele tells their friends and owners about our excellent service and that opens doors,” Pum says. “We do not need nor do we do a lot guerilla marketing or cold calling. We do target specific industries, but word-of-mouth is the biggest contributing factor to growth here. We are also selective with who we deal with. We do not shotgun numbers across the industry. We see it as a partnership process instead of a generic purchase. That works great with the right professional level of clientele. Our customers say we bring solutions to the table.”

It’s this value engineering that Alois brings to the project that not only results in cost reduction, but also efficiency. “That culture permeates from the top down to the bottom,” Brock says. “A customer is not always educated in sheet metal and roofing, and it’s our role to be that expert. We ask customers, ‘What are you doing with and what is the purpose of this building? How long do you anticipate being there?’ We get a feel for their objectives and goals because roofs don’t generate revenue, but at the same time they are an important piece of protecting all the revenue underneath them. We take a different approach for different customers. What are their goals with the building? And, our customers aren’t giving me a price for this. It’s more like, Steve come over and give me your professional opinion.”

Looking to the future, Alois Roofing and Sheet Metal’s emphasis on teamwork and customer care will allow it to further expand throughout Wisconsin. Since the industry is equipment driven, Alois plans on major acquisitions of trucks and cranes. Pum says, “Our guys drive and operate nice stuff,” and “In order to grow you need more trucks and cranes.” Additionally, the company is looking to attain ISO certification. “A lot of industrial customers here in the Midwest understand the value of that.”

Source URL: https://www.metalconstructionnews.com/articles/team-player/

---