Javen Simon Roofing workers prepare to put on a new roof by removing an old one
PORT ALBERNI – When Javen Simon moved to Port Alberni, he saw potential. And a lot of roofs that needed what he could provide.
Thus he started Javen Simon Roofing, and hasn’t looked back. Over 15 years later, his business is the largest roofing company in the Alberni Valley with 20 employees, thanks to a relentless deter-mination to provide the best service possible to his customers.
“When you go to the local hardware or building supply store, they only sell two different types of shingles,” he notes. “We’re selling a good experience and long-term relationship with our customers with the service we provide through our trained and certified team. We follow up regularly, as much as our customer wants, and we are constantly talking to our customers about the process.
Javen Simon Roofing hires red seal roofers and puts employees through apprenticeship programs
“We hire red seal roofers and put our people through apprenticeship programs. They’re not just showing up to a job with a pickup truck and a ladder. When someone is spending thousands of dollars on a roof, they should expect a professional crew to look after them. And we do.”
Javen was working for another roofing company in Nanaimo when he and his wife Brandee, who was from Port Alberni, decided to move back home.
“We were out for a family dinner and my father-in-law said ‘they’re building a house around the corner. You should go and see if you can do their roof’,” he recalls. “So I did, got the job, and when I started it, I stuck a lawn sign up and got another job. It spiralled upwards from there.”
Javen Simon Roofing is known for its professionalism.
“We built a business model where when people call us, we have phone calls returned by real people right away, not answering machines, which is different than a lot of other companies,” he says. “We start there, and we have long relationships with our customers that last from the time they get their estimates, to getting the roof completed, to follow-up.”
The company is in the process of building a new showroom at 4233 Cedarwood Street, where customers will be able to see the various options available for their roof. It will include a screen display that cycles through different jobs they have completed.
“The roofing materials we put on are the same as everyone else, but the difference with us is the process of who we choose to employ,” he explains. “We don’t hire subcontractors, and we really focus on employee retention. We have people who have already been with us for 5-10 years, and I focus on making sure our team have comfortable jobs that they can support their families with.
Javen Simon Roofing head office in Port Alberni
“When people come into our company, they don’t leave. We offer proper health and dental benefits, and work on a culture that is going to keep people around. Because we’ve done that, quality control becomes simple because we know who we are sending out to the job and the standards they will uphold,” he adds. “I don’t sell the roof, I sell the guys who put the roof on. I sit down with them and get to know them, and I only hire people I would be comfortable with working on my own house.”
Javen Simon Roofing is also looking outside the Alberni Valley for opportunities.
“We’re expanding into the Parksville area,” Javen notes. “We’ve done the roofing on some apartment buildings there already, as well as in Qualicum Beach and Nanaimo.
“I’m excited for future growth. We’ve grown a lot already, and lots of people have told me that we should take what we’ve done here and take it somewhere else. It’s just a matter of taking that jump, and we’re doing that now.”