“I saw a deficit in our industry of quality contractors who were being honest,” Michael said. “I wanted to be somebody that people could trust, someone they knew was going to do the right thing.”
Trustworthiness is valued by the Harrises in any business relationship, but especially when a client has been through a traumatic experience, such as the Oct. 20 tornado, Michael said.
In the days following the storm, it was all hands on deck at Bry-Jo, Michael said. Staff reached out to every former client living in the tornado’s path to offer help if needed, Michael said.
It is not uncommon for storm victims to be preyed upon by crooked contractors looking to profit off the wreckage, Michael said. So in addition to being hired for projects, the Bry-Jo team is often called in to repair damage left behind by unskilled workers.
But because major storms do not happen every day, the roofing side of the business is “feast or famine,” Maria said. To balance the equation, the company also offers home remodeling.
“Our custom work really started as a result of the fire restoration work that we did,” Maria said. “Once people got past the trauma, they started to get excited about building back and upgrading things.”
The company’s remodeling projects include room additions; kitchen and bathroom remodels; and garage conversions. The Harrises pride themselves on maintaining hands-on relationships with clients and sticking to a set schedule.
“We have a well-oiled machine,” Maria said. “We don’t really have a history of jobs taking longer than we expect them to.”
Bry-Jo has a steady foothold in the industry, but that reputation was hard-earned, Maria said. The construction business tends to attract workers who are not committed to the long haul, Maria said. But that was never the intention with Bry-Jo.
“From the very beginning, we knew that this was a legacy. The intention was that we are going to be around for a while,” Maria said. “That’s who we are. We are not going anywhere.”
Bry-Jo Roofing and Remodeling
681 N. Plano Road, Ste. 119, Richardson
972-669-7807 www.bryjo.com
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., closed Sat.-Sun.
