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History

The History of Central Ohio's #1 Roofing Company

In 1981 Steve Weyl went into business with a chimney sweeps top hat and tails, a pick-up truck, and a keen sense of what homeowners were searching for - a great job at a fair price. Years later, that same philosophy has enabled Weyl to make ABLE #1 in Central Ohio.

From top hat to top cat, Weyl recalls fondly that early climb up the ladder. "While we were cleaning chimneys, customers began asking us to check for roof leaks," Weyl says. "And so we did. Our success rate was better than a lot of roofing companies and people started requesting the 'chimney sweep' for their next roofing project.

By 1985 the company's emphasis shifted to roofing. By 1991, with a formula of success consisting of hiring the right people, smart marketing, and effective quality control measures, ABLE ROOFING was well on it's way to becoming Central Ohio's #1 Company!

Weyl kicked off ABLE'S second decade in business by assembling an experienced senior management team. While ABLE'S rise was inevitable, it fully accelerated in 1997 after catching the eye of a local investment firm owned by one of Central Ohio's largest and oldest privately held companies, Crane Plastics.

"Crane not only invests in great companies, we invest in great people, and ABLE had both," explains Dan Carter, Able Roofing's President and a long-term executive with Crane Plastics.

With Crane's involvement on the administrative end, and the additions of Mike O'Connell, Financial, Bert Seymour, Human Resources, Ross Appeldorn, Corporate Sales, Dave Tuttle, Residential Operations, Dennis McCann Commercial/Industrial Sales, and Jim Weaver Business Development, ABLE'S senior management team became complete. Quickly thereafter, the company was able to lower prices and even offers more service to their customers.

ABLE has served more than 50,000 customers and has grown 10 times over since its inception. No wonder the company was named one of Central Ohio's Fast 50 several times, an award presented annually by Business First to the fastest growing companies in the area. In addition, ABLE has been the proud recipient of the Consumers' Choice Awards of Central Ohio every year since 1998 through the present in the category of roofing and recently received the award in the category of siding as well.

In addition to roofing, ABLE offers a complete line of exterior services and products including a full line of replacement windows, patio sliders, exterior doors, garage doors and openers, vinyl siding and trim products, gutters, brick work, chimney work, masonry work, tuck pointing, waterproofing, stucco work, and stone work.

ABLE also offers an exclusive shingle roof system, THUNDER GUARD, for homeowners, which carries a Lifetime Transferable Warranty and is Installed In 1 Day.

"Of everything we've done right over the years, I can actually recall one single reason why the homeowners of Central Ohio have made us #1, "Weyl concludes, "We offer a great job at a fair price."

Community Service

Always Able to Help Out

Reprinted with permission, August 1997, Small Business News

By Nancy Byron

She didn't have any money. She made that clear. She needed a new roof. That was equally evident. Most business owners would have politely backed away. Yet, for some reason, this woman captured Steve Weyl's sympathy.

"She wasn't just looking for a handout," recalls Weyl, president of Able Roofing Co. in Columbus. "Her roof was leaking, she was taking care of all of her daughter's kids, she had a real need."

Weyl did the roofing work for free. That was seven years ago. Today, donating roofing services, and sometimes cold, hard cash to those in a pinch has become a regular part of Weyl's business.

This spring, Able Roofing donated $ 10,000 worth of roofing supplies and labor to install a free roof at the Pater-Noster House, a local non-profit facility for AIDS patients. Last year, the company waived the $5,000-plus cost to re-roof the rehearsal studio area for BalletMet. In 1995, Weyl gave up nearly $60,000 worth of materials and work to replace an old slate roof on the Homeless Families Foundation building.

"We normally do a roofing project like this once a year," he says. "It's how we give back to the community. Sometimes it surprises me how many people don't do things that are charitable. It's just not part of their nature."

That's too bad, especially since it qualifies as a tax write-off and can bring some favorable media coverage. A few months ago, when Weyl donated the $1,200 rent payment a local pet shelter needed to remain open another month; WSYX highlighted it on a newscast. "We'll always take the publicity," Weyl says. "There's nothing wrong with that. We're doing something good for somebody."

Sometimes Weyl's philanthropic ways bring in new customers. "I've had people tell me that's the reason they used Able Roofing," he says.

So what's the downside? Having to say "no" once in awhile. "When we get calls, we filter them. I decide which are truly in need and fit the bill. Sometimes you really can't confirm the need. When that happens, we're limited to what we can do."

Fast 50

Able Roofing was recently honored among Columbus' "Fast Fifty" recognizing the area's most dynamic companies for their contributions to the growth of the community. The "Fast Fifty" represents the economic backbone of Greater Columbus and pays tribute to their success.

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