Hoffman Weber Construction

Hoffman Weber Construction (HWC) doesn’t just fix houses and roofs; the team also patches the holes in customers’ expectations, worn thin after years of bad service. The mission of HWC is to satisfy its customers by keeping its promise to deliver an exceptional experience and end product, and it has been making good on this promise for the last decade, having been founded in 1992.

As a general contractor specializing in home improvement and remodeling, HWC completes exterior and interior remodels, commercial roofing and repairs and also assists with insurance claims. With headquarters in Minneapolis, Minn., the company has been growing exponentially since 2004, when it was incorporated, and has locations in 12 states west of Wisconsin.

Progression over the Years

Founder Weber retired in 2010, and Joe Hoffman, president, has been leading the way since joining the business. Hoffman was a natural fit, as he worked for Weber during the summer as a high schooler and right out of college.

HWC began as a roof, siding, gutter, window installation and repair company, in the early ’90s and dipped into remodels in the early 2000s. “Since 2004 we’ve been growing every year,” says Hoffman. “We started doing storm restoration work in 2005 after a massive hail storm hit Minneapolis.” HWC went down the block; working with insurance adjusters and helping customers rebuild their damaged homes.

Subsequent years brought more hail and more work to the Minneapolis region, and furthermore, HWC branched out geographically. Following Hurricane Ike, HWC traveled to Houston, Texas, to assist with recovery. Although not immediately a profitable venture, HWC then went to Oklahoma City and Denver following storms, and financial success followed.

Today, HWC completes exterior remodels, including window, gutter, roof and siding installation and repair, attic insulation and deck construction, as well as interior remodels and additions. However, the team is also known for performing commercial contracting, such as roof replacement and repair, as well as insurance claim assistance; there is not much the team cannot deliver.

Over the last decade, HWC has grown by an average of 40 percent a year and is an Inc. 500 fastest-growing company: ranked No. 22 in Minneapolis Metro, No. 24 in Minnesota and No. 39 in construction. “We’ve had to reinvent our processes nearly every year,” explains Hoffman of the rapid pace of growth and, therefore, change the company has undergone.

Regrouping to Further Capitalize

After a full decade of steady growth, HWC has put the brakes on. “We’re at a point where we are regrouping before we hit that next level,” says Hoffman. Some corporate restructuring has taken place and executives are taking stock of where HWC found itself at the end of 2013: which was in a good place. “We won more awards last year than any other year,” he says proudly.

The company was given an Angie’s List Super Service Award – an honor received by only 5 percent of roofing service providers, approximately – for the fourth consecutive year. Additionally, the company was again listed by Roofing Contractor Magazine as a Top 100 company.

It’s important to HWC to control its growth and not risk compromising superior quality. “We focus on balancing three aspects of the company: growth, customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction,” asserts Hoffman.

HWC is set apart from its competition by its strict adherence to exceptional customer service. “It’s amazing how many companies in our industry don’t care or don’t understand what it takes,” marvels Hoffman. “They don’t seem to understand the importance of both the experience and the final product.”

The company is dead set on tracking customer satisfaction and uses GuildQuality to do so: HWC earned the 2013 GuildMaster Award, receiving likely to recommend marks from over 90 percent of its customers. Also, estimates are free, which is just another way HWC aims to please.

The Beauty is in the Details

HWC also controls quality by keeping specialized work in-house. “The more complex stuff we hire and train for,” explains Hoffman. “We complete the fine detailed trades, such as framing, window settings and trim work.” The company will only release control of work that is more straightforward: sheet rock, siding, roofing and gutters fall into said-category.

When such trades are called in, Hoffman says the company has a good bullpen of contractors in various locales at the ready. “Once we have them, we keep them,” he declares. However, it is rare that HWC has to go through the process of acquiring new subcontractors. “We put a high priority on treating our subcontractors and our employees with respect,” Hoffman continues. “We pay them on time and with fair wages.”

This practice leads to both subcontractor and employee loyalty. With approximately 45 employees, HWC has a good team of carpenters, estimators, schedulers, admin, quality control and office staff. An expert employee with extensive permitting experience is able to expedite work across a dozen states.

“Each area has its own rules,” acknowledges Hoffman. “But he knows how to get the necessary information and pull permits.” After a project is complete, HWC offers maintenance and quality assurance in the form of a two-year guarantee on all labor for all installations.

Outward Again, Eventually

Growth will continue once the company is 100 percent sure that the integrity of the company and its services will remain intact. The company has a spotless reputation – a perfect record as a member of the Better Business Bureau – and doesn’t intend to compromise it. HWC also aims to increase attic insulation work, improving energy efficiency, and complete interior remodels and additions in the future.

HWC is certified by trusted organizations: the company has garnered CertainTeed Select ShingleMaster status, which is the highest level of roofing credentials. Additionally, the company is a GAF/Elk certified contractor and maintains its role as an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor. Over 90 percent of HWC roofing is Owens Corning, and HWC partners with other big-name brands, such as Lindsay Windows. “We work with companies that help us grow our business,” says Hoffman, of these successful, multimillion-dollar companies.

HWC is a member of the United Association of Storm Restoration Contractors and the National Roofing Contractors Association, supplying itself with a wealth of industry knowledge. Furthermore, the company focuses on the community, supporting various charities, including: Disabled American Veterans; Tree Top Kids, assisting at-risk communities in Minnesota; and the Tour de Cure, benefitting American Diabetes Association.

The company is committed to fulfilling its mission to keep every promise – which it inks on paper – and the trust of its customers as it continues to grow. And what’s important, is that Hoffman Weber Construction is doing a lot of good work along the way.