I’m Greg Clear, the proud owner of Clear Roofing and Siding LLC.

I look forward to sharing my story. I hope that you will enjoy getting to know me better.

After twenty-one years of honorable service, I retired from the Marines, and I had an empty spot in my life for serving. As a Marine, I became so mission-oriented that my sense of purpose was lost once I was back into civilian life. I had worked for a few different companies as a project manager. When I worked with a roofing company, I saw a void in the industry. There was a significant requirement for someone who genuinely cared, was honest, and did what was right regardless of the profits.

The last company I worked for went under and left its customers stranded and feeling helpless. It wasn’t a matter of the company not doing well. It was quite the opposite. They were doing quite good, had a great name, excellent visibility in the community, and were on the rise. However, they just grew too big too fast, putting money before their customers and their bills. It was a sad situation, and as their project manager, I had no control and felt hopeless.

The sense of pride, faithful service, and integrity as a human being was all taken away by someone else’s selfishness. I had spent countless hours building trust in my customers and the community. It was killing me to see them all suffer on account of someone else.

After the company sank, the owner disappeared, leaving everyone in a lurch. With him gone, I saw an opportunity to make things right with our abandoned customers. I spoke with many of them and realized that they still wanted me to complete projects for them. I did my best to clean up the mess left by the previous company, and my clients really liked the work and services I provided them. Finally, after enough requests from clients, I decided to form Clear Roofing and Siding LLC. It has been a great decision, as I can handle the projects with more flexibility, work with sales, and treat our customers the way I want to be treated.

Today Clear Roofing and Siding LLC is in its first year of business. I had worked in the roofing industry for six years overseeing hundreds of builds. I even took on a short one-year contract as a National Restoration manager for a substantial commercial company specializing in flat roofing. I have always been eager to learn new things so I can stay ahead of the industry. A few years ago, I received a certification as a HAAG Certified Inspector for Residential Roofs. I also got my License as an All Lines Insurance Adjuster for the state of Florida. I took a keen interest in learning the ins and outs of the insurance world as I wanted to confidently inform customers of their options by understanding the industry myself.

Usually, most roofing companies claim they are insurance claim specialists and roof inspectors. Unfortunately, 90% of the time, the person on your roof is a salesman with no credentials, and they are just looking for that next contract to pay their bills. I spent long hours and money getting the licenses and certifications to back my findings. Similarly, I believe that if the amount of damage isn’t worth an insurance claim, why should you take a hit on your insurance if it’s not a strong case? Not all storm damage is worth a claim.

When I started Clear Roofing and Siding LLC, I had one main goal, and that is to ease of mind through a painless process. I formed our company right before the COVID-19 pandemic, and in a few months, I had to adjust to the day to day changes quickly. Currently, 90% of our methods are contact-free and can be done remotely without human contact if our clients prefer. We offer a range of contact-free services from virtual office meetings, sales presentations, roof inspections, to satellite roof measurements, and visual home simulators. With these innovative features, we aim to make our services as hassle-free as possible.

Of course, we will come out to the client’s home and physically inspect the roof, and if needed, I will record or share live footage of my findings with them. I have even done live facetime calls with customers while I was on the roof of their house to show them what I am looking for and finding. All inspections I do are documented via photos and uploaded into a software that can be shared with customers. They can then watch and see the progress of their build right from their mobile device.

When it comes to our services, we are all about transparency, and the more our clients know and understand, the stronger their buying decision will be. At the same time, I am present at every job site to give my clients a safety brief, job site walkthrough, building inspection, and then the customers’ final sign off. I love to be involved with customers and see smiles on their faces when we wrap up. It’s one of the many rewards of my job.

The most enjoyable part of my business is hearing the customers’ excitement over the work we did. Some people think it will take longer, and others are surprised at our attention to detail. I love surprising my clients with satisfactory services as it often encourages them to refer us to their friends and family members. I especially love client feedback that appreciates our efforts to do what is right and treat them like family.

My business philosophy is to be 100% honest and treat our customers the way we want to be treated. I think honesty can go a long way, and treating clients with respect and compassion is a big deal. Investing in home improvements, maintenance, and repairs can be a significant investment for our clients, and we try our best to remember that so we can do our work correctly and leave the client’s home better than we found it.

When communicating with a client, we make sure to be direct and confident. We don’t beat around the bush, as it serves no purpose for our clients or us. We also commit to the projects we take up and work hard to meet the deadlines that we’ve agreed to. In case we feel like we may end up running behind, we make sure to inform our clients of the same.

Being a small company has given me so much flexibility to be there for all my clients when they need me. I wanted to keep working as a small business as I like being available to those in need. It also allows me to meet customers and personally thank them for their business.

Managing a small company also enables me to walk the job sites, pick up a tool, and work beside the crews. Similarly, I want my company to be enjoyable and not stressful, and a small scale business will certainly encourage this. I understand that not every client will be the perfect fit for my small business, but that’s okay! We may not be the ideal fit for them either. Business is a two-way street, and we have to have a balance. At the end of it all, we want our customers to know that they are being treated with respect when they choose to us, they will receive an honest assessment, and know which way to go next.

One of my most satisfying moments as a roofing professional so far was being able to help a family that another business took advantage of. That company had stolen the client’s insurance money and closed shop. This family paid to have a service completed, and the service never started. So after completing a few projects, I took my profit and donated a new roof on that family’s home. They were very grateful, and I felt good knowing that I could now control a bad situation by making it right no matter what. I believe in passing a blessing forward.

When I’m not fixing or building roofs, I enjoy heading out to enjoy the outdoors. I have always been an avid outdoorsman, so I like to hunt, fish, hike the trails, and enjoy nature when I get the chance. As a competitive rifle and pistol shooter, while in the Marines, I’d taken up 3D archery and participated in tournaments while I was stationed in NC. I still enjoy sports with trajectory, and my family often jokes that if they were to participate in competitive trajectory sports, it’s a safe bet to be on my team.

Besides what I’ve already mentioned, I don’t have any real personal causes. But, when it comes to business, I would say that the need of the hour is to get trades back into the school systems. It kills me to see all these young people accumulating vast amounts of debt after college, and then not being able to find a job in the field they specialized in.

The trades community is a dying community. Without them, our way of life could be profoundly affected. I tell all the young people there is a golden ticket out there waiting for them if they want to take advantage of it. But for this, they need to explore the trades and see what may interest them. It is a respectable career path, and the demand for skilled tradesmen and women is continuously growing.

I have enjoyed sharing my story about the things which matter to me and how they influence the way I do business.

If you or someone you know could benefit from our expertise as experienced roofers in Canfield, Ohio, I invite you to get in touch. Please visit our website at www.clearroofingandsiding.com.

Sincerely,

Greg