Deer Park Roofing - PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of a live interview with Nick Sabino of Deer Park Roofing. You can read the interview below or listen to the podcast.

Intro: Welcome to the hottest podcast in the roofing industry. Get ready to meet the stars of the rooftops, the shingle sensations and  the gutter gurus. Each month we'll climb up to the top to shine the spotlight on one remarkable roofer who's nailing it. We'll dive deep into their stories, their triumphs and  the secrets behind their sky-high success. Don't miss out on these industry insights and incredible tales of resilience and the passion that keeps these roofers at the top of their game. Tune in, subscribe and  follow us on this incredible journey as we crown this month's Roofer of the Month. 

Hello, I'm Alex Tolle with the Roofer's Coffee Shop. I'm back for another Roofer of the Month podcast, April of 2025. We are so excited to honor Deer Park Roofing and  I am here with Nick Sabino. Nick, how are you? 

Nick Sabino: I'm doing great, Alex. Thanks for having me today. 

Alex Tolle: So excited to celebrate you and all the great work you guys are doing. So if you can just start with telling us who you are. Tell us a little bit about Deer Park Roofing, where you're based out of, the services you offer. Just give us a little overview of who you are. 

Nick Sabino: Sure. I'm the President of Deer Park Roofing and I started the company in 1996. We just have a really talented team of roofing professionals. We're based here in Cincinnati, Ohio. We also have offices in Walton, Kentucky, which is just right across the river from Cincinnati and then also Louisville, Kentucky. We do work pretty much all over the state of Ohio, Indianapolis, Louisville, greater Cincinnati area, so offer both residential and commercial roofing services. We're about 30% residential, 70% commercial. We do a lot of condo work as well. A lot of steep slope condo work, a little bit of low slope condo work, so really a lot of different roof systems. We're pretty diverse. We do a lot of sheet metal. We really pride ourselves in our craftsmanship. 

Alex Tolle: Amazing. You guys just really, you hit it all. You get all the different types of roofing out there. I love it. So you kind of already explained this, but maybe go a little bit more into depth about the different services that you all provide? 

Nick Sabino: Sure. So we really stand behind our work. So the most important thing for us is we look at roofing as a comprehensive project management, like a cradle to grave type of process. So really our process starts with really good design. How we start and what we propose to put on a roof might be a little more expensive than what our competitors are doing. But our scope of work is going to be be really in depth, a lot of attention to detail. We're going to make sure that our roof systems have really good wind uplift, fire protection, every single thing, every flashing detail that we need. So really an emphasis on design. We have a big emphasis on employee training, employee supervision, so that we can deliver really good, quality roof systems to our customers. So design's very important, but again, a cradle to grave approach. 

So we're really looking to maintain our roof systems. We have a really large service department, have about 15 to 20 trucks just dedicated to service both on the residential and commercial side. We get a lot of rain, we get a lot of storms in Cincinnati, so we're quick to respond. Most of our work is retail. We do a little bit of storm restoration work as well, but typically, just a normal replacement cycle is what our company does and  warranty is really important. What we do from a warranty standpoint, if a customer has an issue, we're quick to respond and we prioritize those customers. We look at our maintenance option, as we call it, Roof Advantage 360, which really composes, it's comprised of three things, emergency services, restoring a roof back to its original design and  then also preventative maintenance, which we call Defend 360. So we have three blankets that our service department's operated under and  it works really well for us. 

Alex Tolle: I think that's so important, the maintenance aspect, I think that's awesome that you have such a huge maintenance program because so many people think like, oh, we just put on the roof and we're good for 10, 15, 20 years, however long the roof is good for and  there's a lot of maintenance that needs to be done to give it its full life. And so being there and being able to put the roof on and then help maintain it throughout its entire life is really, really awesome and important to the home and building owners that you work with. 

Nick Sabino: Yeah, if you look at some of the manufacturer agreements though, there's warranty exclusions for a lack of maintenance and  we really try to talk to our customers about, "Hey, here's the exclusions. We'd really like to come in and do an inspection, do some preventative maintenance each year. We can document, we can take photos, we can document this, we can supply it to the manufacturer." We can also keep that record for our customers in case there's a storm event. When did the storm actually occur? Whose policy did it occur under if there's an insurance claim? So that's really important for us that we maintain that relationship with the customer as well throughout. They're paying for a roof system that's going to last 20, 30 years. We want to make sure that they're getting what they pay for and we're there to support them and their roofing assets. 

Alex Tolle: Yeah, I love it. And that leads into how does Deer Park Roofing define superior customer service? 

Nick Sabino: Well, okay, so superior customer service. When I think about that, I think about what do you value? What I would ask any project manager, in fact, I did it this morning, what do we want the customer to say about us when the project's complete? And I want to be risk adverse. So the first thing I would say is I want the customer to say, "Boy, they were safe. They were really safe on my project. They had a fall protection plan in place. They wore personal protective equipment." That would be number one, but we want the customer to say also, "They were responsive. They returned all our calls promptly. They answered all our questions immediately." We want the customer to say, "They were professionals. At the end of the day when they left my job, I view them as a roofing professional." We want the customer to say, "I got elite service, whether it's from a quality standpoint or just the way that they took care of our needs and responded to everything that we wanted out of the roof system." 

And really, at the end of the day, we want the customer to have peace of mind. So they're not worried about anything when we complete the roof system. They look at us as a true roofing professional, so what do we want them to say about us? And that's what we try to go out and do. So we really invert the whole process of here's how this job's going to end, what's the customer going to say about us when it's over? 

Alex Tolle: And there's nothing worse than being the customer and trying to get a question answered or  if there's some sort of an issue and not being able to get a hold of the contractor. So being able to respond quickly and accurately, that means a ton to the customer, to the home and building owner, to be able to know that you're there for them and you're available and you're not just off on the next job and you've forgotten about them, you're available to that customer. 

Nick Sabino: Yeah, it really is. And I think company-wide, we've embraced a philosophy that we want the customer to view us as an expert. We want the customer to view us as a professional so that they do have the peace of mind that I talked about. 

Alex Tolle: That's awesome. So what is something special that your company celebrates, whether that's maybe anniversaries or birthdays? What's something that you all celebrate at Deer Park? 

Nick Sabino: Well, of course we celebrate anniversaries and birthdays, but I would say our biggest celebration of the year is National Roofing Week. I've been involved with NRCA for a long time and  National Roofing Week is the best week of the year for us. We celebrate the professionalism of our team. So we do something new and different each day and  we celebrate our customers. We celebrate our really difficult and our special project. We celebrate our team the most. I think the people in the office, we all take lunch out to our crews that are working in the field. National Roofing Week's, usually the first week of June. So it's hot. It's always nice to see our office team deliver food to the people in the field and  they really appreciate that. We usually have some kind of get together a party that week, whether it's a baseball game or  picnic or  cookout or something. We have raffles for our team, but it is a fun week. It's a week to celebrate roofing professionals and our team at Deer Park Roofing. 

Alex Tolle: I love that. And I know that employees too, they love the celebration. It just brings everybody's mood up, gets them excited again and  just something to look forward to every year for sure. 

Nick Sabino: Yep. One other thing we celebrate too is we celebrate our safest driver each month. 

Alex Tolle: I love that. 

Nick Sabino: Which is important. 

Alex Tolle: Yeah, that's so important because you think about the fall protection all the time and the actual roofing, but sometimes things like that, like driving, you just don't even think about it, driving to the job site every day, especially in the company vehicle. That's awesome that you guys celebrate that. I love it. 

Nick Sabino: It's actually a bigger risk than the fall protection. There's really more deaths from driving and auto accidents than there are from falls in roofing or some kind of other tragic event. 

Alex Tolle: That's awesome. Can I ask how you measure that? The safest driver? What is it that you look at? 

Nick Sabino: Yeah, so we have an automated safety tool with our GPSs. There's an automated tool that it'll measure speed and  harsh braking and  harsh accelerating steep turns, different things like that. So it'll take miles traveled and it's just a computer algorithm that'll track the safest driver. 

Alex Tolle: That's awesome. 

Nick Sabino: But it motivates everybody to be safer and nobody wants to see their name at the bottom of the list. 

Alex Tolle: Exactly. I love it. 

Nick Sabino: Nobody comes into work and says, "Today I'm going to be the most unsafe driver." Everybody aspires to get their name up there. 

Alex Tolle: Everybody wants that moment of recognition and just to prove that, "Hey, I'm the best this month, check me out." So why should homeowners or building owners work with Deer Park Roofing? 

Nick Sabino: Well, I think there's a number of reasons, but I think honestly, what we do, we provide permanent solutions to a building owner, a homeowner. We're not going to do something that's going to be a problem six months from now. So we're really, we've embraced the fact that we're going to use the best design and do things as good as we possibly can. 

I would say that we've never had a roof failure. We've been in business for almost 30 years and  we've never had a failure or anything that was not resolved, resolved immediately. But the number one thing I think we do is we resolve problems from a warranty standpoint. There aren't warranties that go unresolved. We really stand behind our work and we really make it a point to learn from things that don't work.

Again, I was in a meeting earlier this morning and we were talking as a group about what's going to solve a problem and what options that we have the best way to solve a leak that's been going on for a condo complex. They're replacing the roof after seven or eight years. Obviously, we didn't install the original roof, but we want to make sure that we get this design problem solved and really take care of the customer. But I would say that's the thing that really stands out about Deer Park Roofing is that a customer shouldn't have to worry after their roof is installed. They know that we're just a phone call away and we'll solve any problem that they might have. 

Alex Tolle: I love it and  I think I mentioned it earlier, that's such an important thing for the home and building owner to be able to contact you and know that you're there for them. So that's great. So why is Deer Park Roofing part of the R-Club and maybe what's one of your favorite things of R-Club or Roofer's Coffee Shop? 

Nick Sabino: Well, so my favorite thing about Roofer's Coffee Shop and  she's probably going to be mad that I say this, but it's Heidi. I've been on Roofer's Coffee Shop a couple times and I've talked to Heidi. But just knowing her throughout the years and the passion that she has for Roofer's Coffee Shop, but more importantly, the roofing industry and  a lot of people don't know how much she volunteers and the different things that she does for the industry, it just makes you feel good and makes you want to be a part of the R-Club. I know that there's a lot of people here at Deer Park Roofing that are very involved and love the content, but Heidi's my answer to that question. 

Alex Tolle: I love it. And I agree honestly, she's so inspiring and for everybody in the industry, especially for women and  she's really has created something really special for the roofing industry and  I'm very, very proud to be a part of it. 

Nick Sabino: Couldn't agree more. 

Alex Tolle: So lastly and  maybe the most important, what would your walk-up song be? 

Nick Sabino: Oh, boy. My walk-up song. So if I were to karaoke, when I get up and I karaoke, usually the place clears out. So that's kind of a running joke in my family. But my walk-up song, I would say it's got to be something, the Eagles. How about Peaceful Easy Feeling? 

Alex Tolle: Okay. I love it. 

Nick Sabino: That song just always puts me in a good mood and  I'll go with that. 

Alex Tolle: All right, awesome. And I'll be honest, I'm not super familiar with the song. Don't hold it against me, but I'll listen to it afterwards so I get the whole picture. I know Heidi right now is just like, "Alex, you don't know that song." But I love all the walkout songs. They're always great. And it says a lot about the person that's talking about it, so I love it. 

Nick Sabino: Well, I lost two of my favorites in 2024. Jimmy Buffett and Gordon Whitefoot, they both died in 2024, so I guess I'm getting old when all my musicians are- 

Alex Tolle: Dang it. The best always leave us too soon. All right, well Nick, thank you so much. Congratulations on being our April Roofer of the Month. We're so excited to celebrate you and we will chat again soon. 

Nick Sabino: All right, Alex, thank you so much. 

Outro: That's a wrap on this month's episode of Roofer of the Month. Thanks for joining us on this journey. We'll catch you next time for more rooftop celebrations, make sure to subscribe and follow the RoofersCoffeeShop.com podcast page for more. And go to RoofersCoffeeShop or askaroofer.com for more information.