By David MacDonald R oofing. Siding. Windows and doors. Gutters. Cultured stone. A three-year growth rate of 128%. Revenues that topped US $14 million in 2014. An A+ rating from the BBB (Better Business Bureau). Twice named one of America’s Top 500 remodelers by Inc. 5000, once coming in at 165. One of the Top 100 roofing companies in the United States, says Roofing Contractor Magazine. Number eight in Illinois, according to Qualified Remodeler Magazine. Sixty happy employees, including subcontractors. They put restoration first. They are one of the fastest growing companies in the industry. I could go on. Seriously. But like any ascent, it began at basecamp. “I have been using Apex for five years, starting with the repair of a flat roof that no one else would touch. This ended several years of leaking following other half-baked repairs.” “In the start, we didn’t have enough money for overhead,” Stringham explains from Apex Exteriors’ 5,000 square feet Corporate Office, “so we literally started in my mom’s basement. But it wasn’t long before we needed to make a move – the first of three. I actually got a credit line through my dad,” he recalls “and leased a bigger corporate office. This was a great fit for us but it really wasn’t long until we outgrew that office. Our third location was in a strip mall but we still didn’t have the space to accommodate our growing team. Now, our office in Illinois has a training room, board rooms, and different offices for everyone here at Apex.”
Apex Exteriors also operates an office in Houston, Texas along with eight satellite offices throughout the United States. “All the satellite offices are between 1,000 and 2,000 square feet. We have two Field Supervisors and 10 Sales Reps and these offices are their stomping grounds. Everything is cloud-based now, which means that once their work orders are complete, they submit everything directly to the corporate offices through Acculynx. After the orders are verified by the team at corporate, they are sent along to ABC Supply or SRS Distribution and then our subcontractors can get to work – but it all starts in our satellite offices.” Acculynx is a “cloud-based construction management software designed with the Specialty Trade Contractor in mind” (acculynx.com). ABC Supply is “America’s largest distributor or roofing, siding, window and gutter materials, tools and supplies” (abcsupply.com); SRS Distribution is “a roofing distri- bution company that includes over 161 locations in 39 States” (srsicorp.com). “Where these recognitions, awards, and solid supply lines – our success, really – translate to savings for Apex customers,” Stringham explains, “is through things like our platinum membership with Owen’s Corning – they don’t just give these away. The status that comes with belonging to the Owens Corning Roofing Preferred Con- tractor program allows us to offer a lifetime warranty to homeowners – they’ll honor it for 50 years. And when these kinds of perks are backed-up by a five billion dollar company, it’s quite a good thing for homeowners.” In this line of work, empathy is a must. Stringham has it for his customers, homeowners and business owners alike. “We deal with thousands of customers a year. There will always be people who need help after storms. El Niño, for instance, has really played a role in us reaching out to more customers. Unfortunately, drastic storms are becoming more and more prevalent – but we’re not going to stand down because of Mother Nature. The more big firms we partner with, the more people we can help rebuild and restore,” he says. When asked about the expansion he’s suggesting, String- ham was quick to delve into Apex’s recruitment practices and corporate culture. “We work with people who follow one simple credo: If you don’t get it right the first time, follow up and make sure that the end product is what you would want for you and your family. This applies in the field and in the office. We look for self-motivated people when we’re bringing a new team member on board; people with fortitude. Experience comes with effort.”
Apex’s subcontractors, Stringham says, are highly moti-
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS • SEPTEMBER 2016
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