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[The following article by
Yvonne D. Hawkins appeared in the PROFILES section of the July 19-25, 2006 edition of
Sioux
Falls Business Journal]
The Drews work together, succeed together Daryl and Dianne Drew, co-owners of Architectural Roofing and Sheetmetal, Inc., have an agreement with each other. "She doesn't tell me how to put a roof on, and I don't tell her how to handle the money," Daryl Drew says. As the roofing company's president, Daryl Drew is in charge of landing the projects. As vice president, Dianne Drew handles the accounting. The couple's pact to respect each other's territory seems to be good for business. ARS, one of Sioux Falls' busiest commercial roofers, is seeing a steady flow of jobs as new businesses open or existing ones expand. And while architects and general contractors are often given lots of credit for changing Sioux Falls' cityscape, ARS also is among the companies staying on top of the city's growth - literally.  A scan of Sioux Falls' commercial rooftops displays ARS' impact city-wide. The company annually completes more than 100 large projects and hundreds of small repair and service jobs, Dianne Drew says. Recently, ARS worked on several high-profile projects that include
The couple says ARS is fortunate to have experienced employees who have the expertise to meet the demand. "We are able to do everything," Daryl Drew says. ARS employs about 40 workers year-round, though staffing levels dip slightly during winter. Like many businesses in the trade industry, ARS is finding it harder to attract young people to roofing work. "We have to start with no experience and train them," Daryl Drew says. And only one of 10 stays to become a good craftsman. "There are easier jobs. You can sit at a computer at a credit-card company," he says. The difficulty in finding younger employees is ironic because working in the industry is easier than it's ever been. Machines run everything these days. And the Drews have more computers in their back shop than in their office, the couple says. "Young people don't understand there's computers in construction. It has to be to make jobs easier and faster," Daryl Drew says. ARS has the newest equipment available, the couple says. It also owns three forklifts and a man-lift to use at job sites, and another forklift to use at the shop. Employees use the lifts to carry sheet metal to a computer, which makes the roofs. However, the couple quickly points out that roofing still is hard work. "You still have to put it on correctly," Daryl Drew says. Local commercial builders tout ARS' workmanship, saying it's always above standard. Gil Haugan Construction Co. has worked with ARS for several years. Vice president Wes Engbers says ARS has the appropriate equipment and personnel to get jobs done will. "They have good knowledge of the industry and the products," Engbers said. The company has a good response time, he said. Marlyn Burgeson, vice president of Sioux Falls Construction Inc., says he's never worried about an ARS roof. The last thing his clients want is problems with a roof, Burgeson said. "They are definitely a superior quality sheet metal contractor," he said. Dianne Drew says one of the keys to ARS' success is paying attention to details. Daryl Drew spends seven days a week at the company; Dianne Drew spends five days a week, though she admits she sometimes gets started on Sundays. "If you're going to have a successful business, you have to be there," she says. "There are so many things you have to pay attention to - safety, people, equipment, employee problems, your own mental health. You put it all together, it's a handful," Daryl Drew says. But it makes life interesting, he says. |
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