Joe Crispin grew up in the Philadelphia area and spent his summers in Lewes where he had family. At 16, he started working for Casapulla’s, and he moved here at 18 to become a full-time manager. College didn’t interest Joe, but working hard did. The owners of Casapulla’s, Mike and Paula LaPenta, invited Joe to partner with them in buying the General Store in Long Neck. Eventually he owned the store on his own for about 30 years.
Joe later joined his father-in-law, Tom Ream, in the roofing business TR Roofing. Joe worked full time in the roofing business, then headed to the General Store in the evenings and on weekends. He soon recognized that lifestyle wasn’t giving him the time he wanted with his family and sold the General Store. About five years later, Joe decided to rebrand the roofing business, which specializes in flat roofs, to Platinum Roofs. Never one to let grass grow under his feet, Joe started two more businesses. The first was Roof Maxx, which was a revolutionary soy-based roofing product. By applying it to a roof, people have an alternative to replacing their roof by extending its life up to 15 years. The other business he started was The Leak Stoppers, which involves injecting an epoxy into poured walls and basements to stop leaks.
Joe uses some contractors, but it is the 12 full-time employees who have been with Joe for many years who do the bulk of the work. Joe has always been big on leading by example and never asked his employees to do a job or task that he hasn’t done. Family is important to Joe, and he carries that value through to his employees, telling them family comes first. Joe also doesn’t micromanage people, and instead chooses to hire good people, supports them and trusts them to do the work the way it needs to be done.
When asked about the culture he has tried to develop in his businesses over the years, he said, “If you create a good environment, people will want to come work for you and, more importantly, they will want to stay.” In line with creating that positive environment, Joe told me there are three things he is always asking his people. 1. What can I do to make your job easier? 2. What processes can we change to make a better product for our customers? And 3. What can I do to be a better boss? Many business owners talk about creating a positive environment for their people, but as the saying goes, Joe walks the talk. He recognizes little things can make a difference, like free water and Gatorade during hot summer days, and taking his team on golf outings.
Joe has been in business for about 37 years, and despite the number of roofing businesses in the area, Joe has never done much advertising. Joe’s focus on quality over quantity has enabled him to grow his business, despite the many other competitors. He has always been committed to growth, but, more importantly, growing slowly. He’d rather have fewer customers that are 100% satisfied. With the rain and wind and temperature extremes we experience in our area, Joe said he wants to be able to sleep at night knowing his customers can rely on the work his team does.
Looking down the road, Joe envisions his businesses continuing to grow, but at a steady rate. That steady growth will enable him to maintain his core values for his employees and the reputation he has earned with his customers. Growth will require more people, and he is concerned about the number of people going into the trades as he looks into the future. Joe sees tremendous opportunity for people in this area who do want to go into some kind of construction trade, whether it’s earning a competitive wage or maybe eventually owning their own business.
Joe is grateful for the support he’s received from the community over the years and makes it a priority to give back. His businesses always sponsor children and families during the holidays to make sure those who aren’t as fortunate are also able to enjoy a happy holiday season. The number of children asking for coats and clothes during the holidays reminds Joe that while the affluence in this area has grown dramatically, there are still many families and children who need the basics of everyday life.
Hard work, high standards and dedication to his employees and customers have gotten Joe and his businesses to where they are today. Despite the challenges of running a small business, Joe looks forward to growing and continuing to serve the community … and sleeping well at night.
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This column provides an opportunity for readers to connect with the personal side of business leaders in area communities. Many of our local business owners and CEOs are thought leaders in their community, and they can provide valuable insights and ideas on issues of common interest to all of us. Successful businesses are essential for a healthy and growing society, especially as people continue to move to this area looking for employment opportunities. This column will highlight leaders who are not only successful, but also making a difference in our communities.
Jeffrey Fried has been an executive in the healthcare industry for over 40 years, including serving as the president/CEO of Beebe Medical Center for 24 years. After leaving Beebe Healthcare, Jeff started his own consulting and executive coaching company, and has coached executives in a variety of industries. In addition, Jeff has partnered with a company called Vistage, the oldest executive coaching company in the country, where he serves as a local chair on the Delmarva Peninsula and leads/supports a group of medium-sized business owners and CEOs. Jeff and his wife Sherry reside outside Lewes and between the two of them have three children and five grandchildren. Last but not least, they are the parents of two rescue dogs.
