The saying goes “If you want to keep your customers happy, start by keeping your employees happy”. That is what Bristol-based entrepreneur Paul O’Brien is doing. Mr O’Brien is the founder Paul O’Brien Roofing, and Solar Installations, in addition to managing a number of properties across the city.
Paul O’Brien Roofing carries out all kinds of domestic and commercial roofing work from new builds to restoration of small works and large contracts. The firm is known for specialising in tiling, slating and lead work for heritage of listed builds and churches. Recent contracts have included the old entrance to the city of Bristol, St John the Baptist Church as well as extensive flat roofing contracts at Rolls Royce.
With all this work, plus maintaining prosperous relationships with new and existing clients, the 25-person team has a lot to do. Office manager Kate Radford spoke to BusinessLive alongside bookkeeper Stacey Devey and roofing manager Ryan Elliott, about how their boss has given six members of the team a 50% stake in the business.
Mrs Radford explained: “We work for Paul O’Brien Roofing and he’s given us employees 50% of the company, which is a huge deal for us. I’d never be able to have an opportunity like this without Paul. There are currently six of us on the scheme but there is opportunity for more employees to join. It’s a family run business where everyone is made to feel important.”
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Ms Devey continued to describe how members of the scheme would need to have worked for the company for a number of months. She explained that in the roofing trade it is rare for people to stay in the job for a prolonged period of time. However, members of the share scheme have worked at Paul O’Brien for a combined period of 27 years and five months.
Mrs Radford added: “We have a really good retention rate for staff. One of our shareholders has been here for nearly 15 years, he’s been here a long time. To be a roofer and stay somewhere that long is unusual.”
Investing in the wellbeing of staff is high on the priority list for the company. Mr Elliott told BusinessLive that he used to run his own business but is much happier at Paul O’Brien. Mr Elliott joined the business in December 2022, and was the only employee to be offered the shared ownership scheme so quickly.
Mr Elliott’s son has cystic fibrosis and he told BusinessLive how he hopes to discuss fundraising ventures in the future with the team and Mr O’Brien. This he believes will have a positive outcome, due to the business leader’s previous interest in staff wellbeing.
'I’d never be able to have an opportunity like this without Paul'
He explained: “He has so much going on. He has his developments and properties, and he has Solar. This has enabled him to help all the men through Covid. Whether that is through personal loans, he has helped keep people on their feet.
“People can come in and say ‘I don’t have any money’ and he will give them extra money.”
For example, the company’s carpenter may not always have work and Mr Elliott explained that if Mr O’Brien doesn’t have carpentry work on his development sites he will find him work on roofing projects.
He continued: “He generates a lot of work because his sites are huge and he is subbing bits out to different companies, so he is keeping a lot of people employed. If some of his regulars don’t have work, he will find them work as he doesn’t want them to go without.
“For example, Adam the carpenter, if he doesn’t have work on his development site he doesn’t want him to not be working. He’s got children and he regularly goes home to Poland, so he [Mr O’Brien] will find work. For example, he is good at plastics and will fix the guttering.”
Mrs Radford added: “Someone else who left the company, hurt himself when scaffolding fell on him at a new job. They wouldn’t pay him and he couldn’t work. Paul welcomed him back with open arms.”
It’s not just the current employees that the firm is taking care of, but the team wants to provide opportunities for young people and deliver quality service to its customers, especially during the cost of living crisis.
Mrs Radford explained: “We are currently looking to take on an apprentice. We want to be supportive of young people and give them a trade so they can go anywhere and do anything.
“With an apprentice we have to start small, with one, as they will be attending college three days a month. It’s going to be a trial.”
The team are already looking at candidate profiles and Mr Elliott will be taking the chosen apprentice under his wing on the roofing team. In addition to a new apprentice the team will also be investing in eight eco-friendly vans.
Not only do they separate their waste but they are also reusing tiles to keep costs down for their customers.
Mr Elliott explained: “We reuse tiles, which can help keep costs down for the customers because people are feeling the pinch and people do say ‘can we make the quote cheaper’ and it’s an option we can do.”
If the lower costs weren’t enough the company is still offering a guarantee on these jobs. Normally there would be a 10 year guarantee for new tiles and none for reused, but Paul O’Brien Roofing has agreed to give reused tiles a five year guarantee.
'We want to be supportive of young people and give them a trade so they can go anywhere'
Mrs Radford continued: “Because people are feeling the pinch we are more willing to give the guarantee, which is only half of what we normally give but it’s better than nothing.
“Tiles have gone up so much in price. It’s about £1.80 for a clay tile, which is a lot to pass on to the customer who may need 1,000 tiles.”
Mr Elliott added: “We would never go to a property and quote them something that they didn’t need doing. We advise people. We don’t pressure anyone to have something that they don’t need doing.”
Mr O’Brien has recently finished a development in Bedminster and last month sold 26 flats in Leicester Street to social housing.
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