When Tim Newman left his father’s roofing business to pursue his own company in 1992, he never could have imagined it growing to become a giant in the central Ohio construction industry. Now, after nearly 30 years of business in central Ohio, Newman Roofing, LLC has outgrown its current digs and will soon have a new, upgraded home.
On June 21, a groundbreaking ceremony was held just off of Kintner Parkway in Sunbury to mark the start of work on a new, state-of-the-art facility that will become the new home of Newman Roofing. The facility, which is expected to be completed next year during the company’s 30th year in business, will include a spacious warehouse and conference room, as well as a fitness center and cafeteria among other amenities to the benefit of the company’s 22 staff employees.
Perhaps even more special than the considerable growth of the company and the new facility that’s to come, however, has been the people that have joined Newman in taking the company to the broader heights it’s currently experiencing. Newman’s wife, Barbi, joined her husband in the business as the chief financial officer in 2011. Most recently, two of Newman’s daughters, Alyssa and Alexis, have also joined in full-time roles, ensuring the company remains very much a family affair in the years to come.
Alyssa Newman, the oldest of Tim and Barbi’s children, started with the company a year ago and serves as the chief of operations. Alexis Newman just recently joined the fold and now serves as the company’s sales manager.
Although growing up and working in the family business may have seemed like a no-brainer to some, that wasn’t always the case for the Newman daughters in an industry that few women were a part of. However, with their mother blazing a path for them to follow, Alyssa and Alexis Newman weren’t far behind.
“Growing up, we have seen our mom and dad work very hard,” Alyssa Newman said of the decision to join the company. “They always provided for us, we were well taken care of. And as the company kind of grew, we had never really pictured ourselves in the construction industry.”
After seeing their mother join the Newman Roofing team, as well as other females in the construction industry, both Alyssa and Alexis Newman saw an opportunity to get involved in something all in the family would agree is special.
“We have a team that really believes in what they do,” Alyssa Newman said. “We have a team that works hard every day, and everyone shows up to do their very best … It’s a great atmosphere, everyone enjoys coming to work. They want to do the right thing every day, and so we saw an opportunity to come in and join the family business, work alongside our parents, create some memories, and help take this to the next level in terms of growing the business, focusing on different things, helping our parents out, and really creating an opportunity for ourselves.”
While working alongside parents and siblings each and every day could understandably lead to some tension-filled moments both in and outside of work, Alyssa Newman said such moments are very scarce. She attributes their bond during work hours to a collective effort to always put the company’s best interest at the forefront of each of their individual responsibilities.
“We all have the same kind of mindset in terms of doing what is best for the company, constantly looking for ways to improve the company and make it better,” Alyssa Newman said. “Really, we always go back to the same thing. It’s doing our best every day and taking care of our customers. That’s what has gotten us to this point, and that’s what’s going to continue to carry the company.”
She added, “It’s a blessing to get to spend so much time with our parents. Our days are limited, so getting to make memories with them every day is special … Speaking on behalf of my sisters, too, it’s special to us to help our parents’ dreams to come true. My father had set out to just own a roofing company. Now, I’m seeing his dreams come true in terms of owning a big roofing company.”
Alyssa Newman went on to say that seeing the company recognized for awards and honors such as being named a top 20 contractor in North America with CertainTeed for protecting their customers with SureStart warranties is a “huge accomplishment,” and seeing that happen for her parents is “special because they’re so deserving of it.”
There is a chance a third Newman daughter will eventually grow the family line within the company as well. Autumn, the youngest of the three sisters, is still in school but has already found herself working at times in the office. Asked if she believes her sister will eventually join the team, Alyssa Newman said she believes so, adding that they hope the team has a future accountant or lawyer on their hands. “Time will tell,” she said.
Whether or not Autumn follows in her sisters’ footsteps remains to be seen, but regardless, the future of Newman Roofing is in the hands of those whose names are attached to every single aspect of the business.
“My dad said at one point, ‘When your name is on it, it really means more,’” Alyssa Newman recalled. “Every time we pull up to the building, we see our last name on it. Every time we hear someone say they have a Newman roof, that’s our last name on that product.
“It’s really important that we uphold the reputation of this company because that’s what it was built upon. With us all being in here and having different pieces of the puzzle, it just makes sure everything continues to run smoothly, that everything is done up to the standard that we want it to be done to, and it really just signifies that (customers) are not just another number to us.”