Coffee Break: Jay Andreas, CEO, A.S.I. Construction in Burr Ridge
Q: Describe your company.
A: A.S.I. Construction specializes in residential and commercial exterior remodeling and restoration services.
Jay Andreas
CEOA.S.I. Construction88 Burr Ridge Pkwy, Burr Ridge, IL 60527https://constructionbyasi.com/Industry: General contracting and exterior remodeling services for residential and commercial projects.
Annual sales: $8 to $10 million
Number of employees: Less than 25
Age: 33
Family information: Married with 3 children
Hometown: Chicago
Current residence: Chicago
We process insurance claims from start to finish on a very high level, and we are partnered with a world-class supplement department. We are a well-respected leader in the wind and hailstorm damage market. Working with any and all insurance companies, is what sets us apart from the competition. We are an insurance-based roofing, siding, window & door company. We offer FREE roofing/siding/window /door/ full eight-point thorough inspections. We also offer retail services involving FREE estimates for roofing, siding, windows & doors. We offer top of the line products, and we have an incredible network of installers.
Q: From a business outlook, who do you look up to?
A: Jack Ma — The richest man in China. He is the co-founder and former executive chairman of the Alibaba Group. I also follow Dana White — The President of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)/Lorenzo Fertitta former Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of the (UFC). Ari Emanuel is best known as the CO-CEO of William Morris Endeavor IMG (WME-IMG), an entertainment and media agency who recently purchased the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) for 4.025 Billion Dollars.
Q: What’s the hottest trend in your industry?
A: Customers are looking to have their roofing, siding, and gutters paid for by their insurance carriers so they don’t have an out of pocket cost other than their deductible and/or upgrades. This also includes paying for zero maintenance products as well. Everyone wants to buy something and never look back or have to touch it. I’m also finding that customers are requesting epoxy flooring. It’s durable, easy to clean and lasts forever.
Q: If you had one tip to give to a rookie CEO, what would it be?
A: It’s your job to keep the moral high, every second of the day and to be — so patient. You are the visionary of the company that sees down the street, around the corner and a little to the left. Always think outside the box and be innovative — you have to go for it. Learn to adapt and make extremely calculated risks. Slow money is better than no money, but you only live once and life is short. You need to make sure the people you hire to run specific divisions are smarter than you in their field. If you sell windows, go out and hire the “Michael Jordan” of windows. Provide them an opportunity to do what they do best and give them FREEdom as well as structure. Do NOT manage people out of the door. You never fire people because people fire themselves. Be calculated on whom you hire, everyone is a puzzle piece. It’s your job to make sure they all “fit and gel well” with the group and each other. If you create an amazing culture that is intoxicating, it will be the best tool for recruiting and retention in your arsenal.
Q: What will your company’s main challenges be in the next year?
A: As we continue to grow, I would say that our biggest challenge would be finding “good” people (i.e. additional crews / sales reps / office help) who are as phenomenal as the ones we already have now. The work is certainly out there; the problem is always finding good crews that score 5 star ratings from our customers … and those crews / people are not always easy to find. It’s easy to find crews; it’s hard to find “good” crews who care when your growing this fast.
Q: Do you have a business mantra?
A: “We treat everyone’s house like our Mom’s house.”
Q: What is one interesting fact about you or your company that most people may not know?
A: Every single person here gets along with each other. It’s unheard of.
Q: Do you plan to hire any additional staff or make any significant capital investments in your company in the next year?
A: Yes, we are opening our second roof, siding, windows and doors showroom in Burr Ridge and it will be much larger than our Frankfort office. This is certainly going to be a six to seven — figure investment. Our company is also growing like crazy. We are hiring like crazy for new sales positions, new crew members, installers and of course new office staff members to join our constantly growing team.
Q: What do you like to do in your FREE time?
A: Playing golf, producing/listening/licensing music and spending time with my wife and kids.
Q: What book is on your nightstand?
A: I never read books. I’m an auditory and visual learner. I do read articles, etc. on my phone — anything that catches my eye.
Q: What keeps you up at night?
A: I don’t sleep, so I’m always up!
Q: If you were not doing this job, what do you think you would be doing?
A: Producing/licensing music — full time, and real estate investments
Q: If you could put your company name on a sports venue, which one would you choose?
A: I would put A.S.I. Construction’s name on Soldier Field.
Q: Who are the two people to follow on Twitter and why?
A: I can’t just pick two. I follow Dana White, Inky Johnson, and Steve Harvey because they motivate me on a really high level.
