“Sterling Commercial Roofing” serves Northern Illinois, Eastern Iowa, and Southern Wisconsin. As a people-focused firm, we prioritize employee safety and never let down our customers, as stated by Kevin Froeter, President of “Sterling Commercial Roofing.” Safety is our only choice, whether it's a 100,000-square-foot re-roof or a little leak repair, we complete every job safely, on time, under budget, and with great workmanship.

Working for his father, Kevin began his career in roofing in 1974, and he has continued in the field ever since and is in charge of all operations. He keeps the company growing so that he can handle all of the work on the entire building envelope. He believes in leading by example. He has a strong work ethic and never asks someone to do anything that he wouldn't do himself. He is quick to acknowledge his mistakes and takes responsibility for them. He has issues with people that are always trying to push the blame onto someone else, but he is sensible enough to handle them. Everyone has something that they can teach you. Never feel that you need to have all the answers, says Kevin.

Kevin tries to learn from criticism so that he can be a better leader. Mistakes are life’s way of making us better at what we are doing, as long as we learn from them, as per Kevin. He tries to see why they think the way that they do and to find out how he can change their opinion. He wants people to feel comfortable being open with him, but most of the time they are not. People often feel that he is too busy to talk to them. "It is difficult to convey that I will make the time if they need me," Kevin adds.

When asked about dealing with inefficiency, Kevin explains that if you discover inefficient staff, you must first determine why they are inefficient. Then try to help them fix the problem and give them the proper guidance that they need. Sometimes they just might not be the right person for the job and you either need to move them into a different role or just let them go. Good people are hard to find, so it is often better to try to cultivate the individual than to try and find a new replacement. However, if they are the wrong person, the sooner you get rid of them, the better it is for the company.

Kevin advises budding entrepreneurs not to establish firms simply because they see someone else make a lot of money doing it, unless they have a better way of doing it. They must love what they are doing and see that there is a definite need for their business in the area. Acknowledge people when they are doing well. Body language says a lot about us and people can see straight through. Try to always be positive; it is a reflection on the company as a whole and has to come from everyone.

To progress, we are constantly striving to be the best, says Kevin. We are installing a product that needs to last a minimum of 20 plus years. We must demonstrate to our customers that we are the best. When we purchased our company, our primary objectives were to take care of our employees and customers, and if we did so successfully, we would make a profit, adds Kevin. Money has never been our number one motivation. We don't offer the lowest prices, but we do offer the highest quality. Many of our customers have come to us because they were told by contractors that they needed a new roof. With just some routine maintenance, we are often able to show them that they can extend the life of their roof for many years.

Our company has grown to be the largest independently owned union roofing company in Illinois, and this says a lot since Chicago is the third largest city in the country. We are presently working on the largest project our company has ever been awarded. It’s a new data centre in Dekalb that has a very aggressive schedule. We have implemented a new Office software system to help improve project management. It’s performing the work in the most efficient way possible.

To put it simply, individuals like to do business with those they like. To build those relationships, to be the best at every aspect of the business relationship, every day is a new challenge to show the customer that we can exceed their expectations, suggests Kevin. Our goal is to do everything that we can to keep customers happy. We constantly strive to be the best at safety, quality, and production that we can be. Our focus is to be a better company tomorrow than we are today!