Community Highlights: Meet Susan Ross of Advanced Building Services
The owner of Advanced Building Services (ABS), Gary Ross, started his career in the bricklaying trade. About 10 years later, he switched to sales and project management for roofing, siding, and windows to ensure a steady source of work. Gary’s dream has always been to open his own business. He opened Advanced Building Services in 2006 on a part-time basis, offering roofing, siding, and window installations and repair. To devote more time to family, Gary eventually shifted into a career as a property insurance adjuster while still operating ABS. Meanwhile, his wife, Susan Ross, spent her career in executive management at a community college. Susan left the community college network in 2017.
Gary and Susan decided to work together utilizing their individual strengths–Gary’s salesmanship, project management, and technical trade skills, and Susan’s business management skills. Slowly, they built the business primarily performing roofing, siding, and windows.
Each year, the couple built a more solid business system, including an accounting system, formal contracts, marketing strategies, and added services to now include roofing, siding, windows, pavers, mitigation, and interior remodeling (kitchens, bathrooms, and basements).
We are excited about the success of ABS-it is close to its 20-year anniversary.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been smooth so far? Starting a new business typically takes about three-years to show a profit. Gary and Susan were raising a family when the business began. Thus, both worked full-time positions, managed a family, and devoted every spare moment to ABS.
Another challenge has been generating leads to ensure sufficient business success. ABS has tried many options–some failed miserably, while the others led to our business success today. Part of the trick has also been to identify trends in market activity. When COVID hit, everyone wanted paver projects to enjoy their outdoor space. Currently, potential clients are staying in their homes longer due to high mortgage interest rates. Thus, the major trend is remodeling bathrooms, kitchens, and basements. Gary has had to study and research to ensure proper management of each project, as well as work hard to recruit foremen and teams that performed the work to his level of expectation. Hard work!
One of the toughest challenges is finding the right tradespeople to perform the work. Gary requires his tradespeople to be exceptionally talented, good communicators, and highly reliable. It took time to build our team of exceptional talent. Most of our foremen have been with us for many, many years. We have endured and successfully built exceptional trade teams to service our clients.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Advanced Building Services? Advanced Building Services (ABS) is a local, family-owned business. We are a licensed and bonded company that has provided exterior and interior remodeling services for residential clients since 2006. ABS owners Gary and Susan Ross have built their business and reputation on providing exceptional, prompt, and reliable customer service.
We are about forging and growing long-term customer relationships. Today, about 50% of our business comes from repeat clients and client referrals. Our five-star reviews on Google, Yelp, and our website are a testament to our customer service, quality workmanship, and affordability.
ABS offers a variety of infrastructural repair services performed around your schedule. Our services include:
Roofing Replacement and Repair (Asphalt, Flat, Metal, and Slate)
Siding Replacement and Repair (Vinyl, Hardy Plank)
Window Replacement
Gutters/Downspouts Repair and Replacement
Paver Installation and Restoration (driveways, retaining walls, patios, walkways, sitting walls, planters, etc.)
Masonry Restoration (including chimney repair)
Mitigation (Water/Fire)
Interior Remodeling (Kitchens, Baths, and Basements)
ABS utilizes nationally recognized, high-quality products:
Roofing – CertainTeed, GAF, and others
Siding – CertainTeed, Ascend, Hardiplank
Windows – Simonton and others
Paint – Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore, and McCormick
Pavers – Nicko lock, Flagstone, others
We take great pride in the workmanship our company provides for every job we do. We offer 100% customer satisfaction and stand behind our work. From beginning to completion. ABS offers some of the best industry warranties.
We see that your job will be performed on time and within budget.
How do you think about happiness?
Gary and Susan Ross are very happy for the freedom to do what is right for our clients, not corporate profitability strategies that negatively impact quality or failing business systems that fail to meet the customer needs.
We find that flexibility and nimbleness are the key. We strive to continuously improve our products and business systems to make our service an unforgettable positive experience for our clients.
