JENNY SMITH, 36
Director, OPERATIONS, JR Jones Roofing & Waterproofing
LOCATION: Houston, Texas
WEBSITE: jrjroofing.com
WHEN YOU’RE NOT THINKING ABOUT ROOFS: Traveling and collecting some pretty cool rocks!
Though
she’s just 36, there’s probably no one in the roofing industry who
knows more about the geological origins of the roofing materials they
handle daily than Jenny Smith. The veteran project and people manager
has a degree in geology from the University of Houston with a
concentration in petroleum geotechnology.
While it sounds like
that kind of background has a lot of applications in a few different
fields, Smith began blending her love of the Earth’s minerals with
commercial roofing over a decade ago. Throughout most of her academic
journey, she worked days at JR Jones Roofing & Waterproofing and
attended night classes until 10 p.m.
That type of dedication and
thirst for knowledge continues in her current role, running operations
for a major commercial roofing contractor focused on growth.
RC: How long have you been in the roofing industry, and how did you get your start?
JS: I
started 10 years ago. I started with JR Jones while in college. I
needed a full-time work schedule that allowed me to attend night
classes.
RC: Tell us about the roofing company you’re part of.
JS: James
Ronald Jones, founder of JR Jones, started roofing on the residential
side in 1980 and transitioned the company to the commercial side in
1984. By 1987, JR Jones was traveling the United States to install
roofs. The business was built on a people-oriented mentality and grew by
referrals. Currently, we have 85 team members in the field, split
between roofing operations, service operations, and waterproofing
operations, with 29 team members in the office supporting all three
divisions.
RC: What types of offerings does your company provide?
JS: Commercial roofing, waterproofing, sheet metal, concrete, and service.
RC: What are the top reasons why the company is successful?
JS: The
biggest reason our company is successful is our people. We have a
fantastic team of talented individuals who truly care about what we do
and the services we provide. Most of our field management has worked
with us for 10-plus years, with some of our top field members having
20-plus years of service. The quality of workmanship we strive to
provide to our partners also far surpasses the majority of other roofing
contractors. We do not base our business model on cheap labor; our
field teams demonstrate this focus on quality daily.
And our
partners. We travel the nation with our partners. Our [people’s]
demonstrated levels of care and quality make our partners feel sure and
comfortable with our work, [allowing us] to travel nationwide to perform
work for them.
“My goal is to become an industry expert. Throughout my time with JR Jones, I intend to increase my technical knowledge while continuing to provide improvements and solutions to industry-related problems.”
RC: How do you contribute to that success?
JS: My
role in this process is support. As a member of the management team, we
work diligently to get the right people in the right positions. Once a
role is staffed properly, we do anything and everything required to
support our staff in success.
RC: What are significant challenges in your market, and how is the company addressing them?
JS: The
public bid sector of our market is challenging. We do not pride
ourselves [on] cheap labor nor do we strive to be the lowest bid.
Houston is a huge market saturated with contractors willing to cut
corners and sacrifice quality to win jobs. This is not who we are. We
balance this by maintaining a partner-focused mentality in our sales
processes and cultivating referral-based work.
RC: Do you see your age as an advantage or disadvantage in this business?
JS: I
view my age as an advantage. I like to think I am in the “sweet spot,”
which allows an understanding of [how] the industry previously operated
and the direction the industry is going. There has been an operational
shift in the construction industry over the past five to seven years. My
age aids [in] an easier operational evolution while maintaining those
original industry ideals.
RC: What area of the roofing business are you the most passionate about?
JS: Personally,
I am most passionate about project management. However, my opinion may
be a bit biased as that is where I have spent most of my time.
RC: What’s next?
JS: My
goal is to become an industry expert. Throughout my time with JR Jones,
I intend to increase my technical knowledge while continuing to provide
improvements and solutions to industry-related problems.
www.roofingcontractor.com
https://www.roofingcontractor.com/articles/99229-young-gun-jenny-smith
