Young Gun Vincent Malizia | Roofing Contractor

Roofing
has always been part of the family in Vince Malizia’s world, and though
cliché, there’s no doubt it’s in his blood. Started in 1981 by his
father, John Sr., A1 Roofing has served the Long Island, N.Y., and
greater New York City area for more than three decades. While his father
handled estimates in the morning and completed installs in the
afternoon, Malizia would watch his mother, Nancy, field new calls and
organize billing.

Now, with both parents retired, the business is run by a different duo, Malizia and his older brother, John Jr. Being an RC
Young Gun is hardly new to the family – Malizia follows his older
brother’s footsteps (Young Guns, class of 2015), and shares the same
passion for high-quality work.

Malizia also remains hungry for
further success, and as a perennial attendee of Best of Success, is a
big believer in developing company culture. He recently spoke about his
efforts as a first-time presenter at the 2024 International Roofing Expo
in Las Vegas.

Malizia supervises the day-to-day operations and
production of over 15 roofing crews. He has also dedicated himself to
A1’s new business development and most recently took on the role of
chief culture officer.

Though he acknowledges he’s thought about
leaving the business for something more comfortable, he’s pushed his way
through, and doesn’t regret a step.

“I knew if I stayed focused
and worked hard, eventually I would prevail,” he posted on LinkedIn late
last year, celebrating two decades in the field. “I’m proud to say that
my hard work [paid] off. The years of working in single digit temps and
triple digit temps [paid] off. I suffered through many hard years
however it taught me a lesson. I learned something about myself, I’m a
fighter and I won’t give up.”

RC: How long have you been in the roofing industry, and how did you get your start?

VM: I
started in the roofing industry in 1998 at the age of 15. My father
would send us to job sites to clean debris. As time moved on, I spent my
summers working on job sites learning as much as possible. After
graduating high school, I went to college locally, where I focused on
school and working at A1. I eventually moved up to mechanic, foreman,
and after graduating from St. Joseph’s College, became a
salesman/estimator.

I spent the next few years networking and
building our reputation. After Hurricane Sandy hit, my father retired
and my brother John and I took over as owners. It was at this point that
we had the vision to grow our company into the commercial market.

RC: What types of offerings does your company provide?

VM: Our
company focuses on commercial roofing in the Tri-State Area. The types
of clients we like to work with are private building owners, general
contractors, and a small portion of public work. This includes
reroofing, new construction, maintenance and repair.

RC: What are the top reasons why the company is successful?

VM: Our
organization is successful for many reasons. When we make decisions, we
always refer back to our core values: safety, integrity, customer
experience, innovation and trust. This helps guide our team throughout
the course of the day. Also, we pride ourselves on relationships. We
aren’t interested in working for anyone and everyone. We enjoy working
with people we know and trust. When working with our clients, it is also
important for us to make sure they meet our core value standards.

“[W]e have invested into consulting every year with other companies that have helped us grow to where we are now. Our first year we did about $1 million, year two about $2 million, and this year we will finish close to $4 million.”

RC: How has your company evolved over the years?

VM: My
father founded the company in 1981 with my mother. Their focus was
residential roofing on Long Island. At that time my father employed a
handful of employees. Fast forward to today and we are currently one of
the largest roofing contractors in the New York region mainly focusing
on commercial roofing and waterproofing.

RC: What are significant challenges in your market, and how is the company addressing them?

VM: One
of the challenges that we face each year is labor. This is typically an
issue that we hear no matter the trade or location. A few ways that we
have worked around this would be to hire qualified subcontractors that
are properly insured. We also try and offer our employees and new hires
as many perks as possible. Some of the perks are: vacation time, sick
time, holiday pay, health benefits, 401(k) with a 4% company match.
Also, we have many parties/events throughout the year to let our staff
enjoy some down time.

RC: Have you recently implemented any new technology or programs that have helped your business?

VM: Over
the past few years, our company has made many changes for the better.
When I first took over the business, we were a residential roofing
company using paper and pen. Today we are mainly focused on commercial
roofing, and we have implemented a CRM system for our daily work. We are
big with technology, and we are constantly changing and evolving. Our
staff knows that they can never get too comfortable, as we are always
raising the bar and focused on growing for the better. Some of the
technology that we use include drones for inspections, photos and
videos; infrared scans to locate moisture and heat loss; and recently AI
to help with our blogs and social media campaigns.

RC: Do you see a generational difference in your own company?

VM: I
see a generational difference in the field with our laborers and techs.
The younger generation seems to be more content making less money
working at Starbucks, opposed to working in construction making more
money, however the work is much harder.

The benefit is that we have stepped up our game by offering more money and perks to attract new hires.

RC: Do you see your age as an advantage or disadvantage in this business?

VM: I
happen to see my age as an advantage in the industry. Most of our
competition in the New York area are older gentlemen that are phasing
out of the industry. We are up-and-coming, utilizing our college
degrees, technology and hands-on experience to surpass our competition.

RC: What area of the roofing business are you the most passionate about?

VM: I’m
most passionate about our company culture. I grew up working in this
industry and I know how hard work can be. The physical part of your
body, the mental aspect on your mind and on top of that we are fighting
the outdoor elements. That is why I’ve made it a mission to visit job
sites weekly, learn and meet all my employees, celebrate their hard work
and show them our appreciation by setting up happy hours, BBQs, holiday
parties and much more.

RC: What’s next for your business?

VM: The future for our business is summed up in our Mission Statement:

What
starts here, at A1 Roofing, changes the world. We intend each day to
make ourselves and those around better; going out into society, making a
positive impact.

RC: What are you doing when you’re not thinking about roofing?

VM: When
I’m not thinking about roofing I enjoy golfing, family vacations and
donating my time to charity. I’m on the Kids for Kids Committee where we
focus on hosting events to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Hospital
and other local charities.