Park Heights Roofing

Because business isn’t just about what you know, it’s about who you know.

Avi Mandel of Park Heights Roofing

What do you do if you’re working up on a roof and someone threatens to pull the ladder out from under you unless you throw down your wallet?

For Avi Mendel knowing how to fend off such onslaughts is one of the unexpected skills he’s had to learn on the job. 

Since 1999, Park Heights Roofing has been servicing residential and commercial clients as a full-service roofing and home exterior contractor.  On any given day, they have four or five crews working in Maryland and the surrounding states, on repairs, installations, inspections, siding or shingles replacement, and more.  Their customers range from residential home owners to huge industrial complexes.

Being in a service industry, Mandel has experienced the gamut of clients, from the celebrity (like Ravens football player Justin Tucker) to the surprising (like the many houses of worship he has done work for over the years) to the downright creepy.

Speaking to Mandel, there were two things we wanted to know: what should we homeowners be doing to upkeep our roofs?  And, as the owner of a successful business, what advice does Mandel have for business owners looking to grow?

“There are two basic things homeowners can do to avoid costly roof repairs.  One, bring someone in to do a regular maintenance check of your roof – ideally once every two years.  And two, don’t neglect your gutters.  Cleaning your gutters about twice a year can prevent major roof damage.”

As for his advice to business owners? Aside from figuring out how to deal with brazen thieves (his solution: “Tell them to go fly a kite like you mean it, always travel with two people, and stay out of those neighborhoods!”), Mandel has learned a lot of other useful business skills over the years.  Such as the crucial element in creating a loyal client base and attracting new clients.

In a word, trust.

“As a contractor, the most important factor in building a business relationship is trust. Especially when you’re dealing with a very expensive project like a roof replacement, you need to make the client feel they can count on you, that you’ll give them a high-quality product and that you’ll be there for them through the life of the roof. The more you can personally connect, the more trust you build.”

Networking is an essential component of creating these connections. As any business owner knows, the best way to find clients and grow a business is through connecting: with people in related fields, with people who have direct contact with your client base, with people with whom you can build a mutually supportive relationship. 

That’s why Mandel was excited to hear that the renowned OJBA Expo would be coming to Baltimore. 

“I’d heard a lot of great things about the big event in the New York area,” he says. “The frum world offers a lot of opportunity to build networking connections, and an event like the OJBA show is the perfect forum for this.”

In addition to networking, what other advice does Mandel have for business owners?  To remember that, at the end of the day, parnassa comes from Hashem.  He relates an incident where he saw this message starkly.

“I’d started learning the sefer Emunah V’Bitachon with a chavrusa, since the whole bitachon/hishtadlus issue can be tricky for business owners. Well, just four weeks later, I met with a new client, and he signed on the spot for a $650K job.”

Stunned, Mandel asked him why he’d decided to hire him so quickly. 

“Because I can tell you’re a man of faith,” the client replied to Mandel (who, wearing a baseball cap and using his English name, had nothing to indicate his religiosity). “And I want to support a man of faith.”