Almost 20 years ago, Barry Perdue was a single dad with hardly
any money in the bank. Today, he runs a successful roofing company
that has withstood the economic slump, several earthquakes and the
sewer moratorium that put a stop on local construction. He is also
an amateur aviator who enjoys zipping around the state in his new
plane.
Hollister – Almost 20 years ago, Barry Perdue was a single dad with hardly any money in the bank. Today, he runs a successful roofing company that has withstood the economic slump, several earthquakes and the sewer moratorium that put a stop on local construction. He is also an amateur aviator who enjoys zipping around the state in his new plane.
The business started serendipitously when a neighbor asked Perdue to help him on a roofing project in 1984. The then-21-year-old knew little about using a saw, staple guns and other equipment, but willingly accepted the offer to earn some money.
“I didn’t have two cents to my name and I had never been on a roof before,” he said.
After six months, Perdue was convinced he could do the job on his own. He borrowed $2,000 from his friend Leila Swanson and bought the tools he needed to get into business. He named his company Hollister Roofing Inc. but did not open a store front. Instead, he stored his equipment in the back of his car. To this day, Perdue, now 40, has not opened a shop in order to “keep costs low” and says his business has prospered as a result.
“Everybody that opened a shop went broke,” he said.
According to Perdue, two local roofing companies have gone out of business in the past four years, after being unable to make a profit. Perdue’s business, on the other hand has grown to three employees and generates approximately $1.3 million a year. He also prides
himself on being a generous employer, paying his workers $22.50 an hour, higher that the typical wage for construction work.
“Without my workers, I am nothing,” he said.
Most of Perdue’s jobs are around town and only the occasional job for a friend of a friend takes him to other parts of California. Perdue was born in Redding, but moved to Hollister when he was nine after his father got a job with the California Department of Forestry. He loves the small town feel and relishes in the satisfaction of knowing that a family is warm and protected because of his work.
When Perdue is not busy driving from one job site to another, he spends time with his own family – five kids, ages 22 through six. His oldest, David, just a baby when Perdue decided to pursue his fortune in roofing, now attends school in Salt Lake City, Utah.
On the weekends, Perdue flies his small private plane, a six-seater Cherokee 260, which he bought last year. Although he enjoys coasting among the clouds, the primary reason he bought the plane was to cut down on driving between Stockton and Hollister, where his kids go to visit their mom.
He also enjoys jet skiing at the San Luis Reservoir and is thinking of expanding his business, although he won’t divulge too many details.
“I’ve seen roofing companies come and go,” says the now-veteran of the business. “But no one has stuck around as long as I have.”
Karina Ioffee covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at (831)637-5566 ext. 335 or [email protected]
