Condo Media - June 2012 - 32

VENDOR SPOTLIGHT

Turnpike General Contracting, Inc.
More Than Just Roofing: A Whole Menu of Building & Maintenance Services
by Pamela Schweppe ands down, one of the largest maintenance expenses of any condominium association is the roof, so if yours needs installation, replacement or repair, you want to be sure you invest in the right roofing firm. Usually, that comes down to two ingredients: quality and experience. You can find both in Turnpike General Contracting, Inc. Founded more than 50 years ago, the Topsfield, Mass.-based firm remains family-run — small enough to offer personalized attention and service, but large enough to offer, not just roofing, but a full menu of services, including painting, siding, masonry, windows, carpentry and more throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

the property manager’s reputation depends on theirs. “There’s a very personal relationship between the property manager and the vendor,” says Susan Tierney, business operations manager for Turnpike. “The property

New roofs installed by Turnpike General Contracting/Olympic at River Run Condominiums in Danvers, Mass.

The Contractor Property Managers Can Trust
Having specifically served condominium complexes for two decades, Turnpike has gained extensive experience in their specialized roofing needs. Working with associations of all sizes, Turnpike is well versed in working with property managers, association boards and unit owners alike to determine the solution that is most costeffective — while still maintaining quality. No matter whether it’s a single unit that needs roofing or the entire complex, Turnpike is prepared to take on the job. With every job, the Turnpike General Contracting staff is keenly aware that

manager’s job is to make all the homeowners happy, so they need to know they can make a phone call and have an issue addressed quickly. It’s where their bread and butter is.” And she should know: her husband owns a property management company. To ensure that Turnpike remains a company property managers can rely on, the company is fully staffed with 125 employees, an unusually large number for a general contractor. In addition to on-site crews, Turnpike maintains a workforce that includes sales managers, estimators, operations managers, human resources, a warranty department and an accounting department. To ensure customer needs are met, Turnpike dedicates a supervisor to facilitate and monitor each job assignment at all times.

Sometimes, however, the company runs into a situation that is specialized even for Turnpike, and that’s when property managers should know that Turnpike also knows who to call on. Tierney recalls a project in Boston, for example, involving Somerset Condominiums at 416 Commonwealth Ave., a luxury complex that was a wellknown hotel in Babe Ruth’s day. The building had clay tiles, copper work and detailing that was “beautiful, but a real challenge,” as Tierney puts it. She explains that clay tiles are more commonly found in hot-weather climates, so Turnpike had to cast a wide net to find craftspeople with the appropriate expertise. “We’re very good at finding the right people to handle intricate detailing,” she says. “Our primary goal is to provide our clients with the highest standard of craftsmanship, with each job tailored to their exact needs and done professionally and in a timely manner.” For the Boston job, Turnpike was able to find two men in Texas who were used to working with clay, who created a mold to match the building’s facade. Not only did Turnpike fly the two men to Boston and provide housing for four months while they completed the job, these two specialists are now on Turnpike’s full-time staff. In another instance, a low-income housing complex on Martha’s Vineyard needed work done on its cedar-shake-sided homes. “It’s hard to find someone on the Cape who has

http://www.olympicroofing.com

Condo Media - June 2012

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