Chamber Recognizes Bill’s Roofing & Siding
The Wells County Chamber of Commerce staff and Ambassadors surprised Jonathon Lee and Larry Connett with Bill’s Roofing & Siding as the December member of the month. Bill’s Roofing & Siding is based out of Ossian and have been in business for 70 years.
Larry Connett explained that his father, Bill, started Bill’s Roofing & Siding in 1951 in Ossian. Larry had three other brothers, Bill Jr., Larry, and Richard, and each one worked the business with their father. Bill passed in 1987 and over the years the brothers retired; however, Larry continued to own and run the business.
In February of 2019 Jonathon Lee bought the business from Connett. “I worked for another roofing company and learned the in’s and out’s regarding sales, insurance adjustments, building and manufacturer codes, and regulations,” said Lee. “Larry’s son approached me about purchasing Bill’s Roofing and I was absolutely interested.”
Lee knew the reputation and the history of Bill’s Roofing & Siding and wanted to give everything he could to live up to the expectations that was built by the Connett brothers and Bill for the past 70 years. “People have such a high trust level with this company and Larry teaches me something every single day,” said Lee. “Larry and his family have built a legacy within the Wells County area and Larry knows everybody by building relationships, which is the area I needed to grow, even though I am from Wells County.”
“Larry has always done business with an honest handshake and built relationships over the years, and it is awe-inspiring the clout he has in the area with so many people,” stated Lee. “I have an insane amount of respect of what he and his family have created. The past couple of years has been amazing working with Larry as he currently is focusing just on sales, and not doing every facet of the business, which has allowed him to exceed goals.”
“From the very beginning to the end of the project we go above and beyond to make sure the customer knows we care about them and their home,” said Connett.
Lee continued to explain that the insurance side of the business has allowed the company to grow. “Insurance is one of the biggest questions we get on a regular basis. There may be pre-existing conditions that need to be replaced or fixed and Larry can look at a shingle and determine if it can be covered by insurance or not.”
Lee said that many homeowners are not aware of these options or are afraid it may impact their insurance premiums. “We want our customers to know that we build relationships with the insurance companies so they know it is legitimate and that we are not chasing after something that should not be approved.”
“Every member of our team is helping in the process to make sure the project is done right,” said Lee. “Everyone is vital to the success of the business from the knowledge they bring to the table, keeping us on track with deadlines and regulations, and working as a team is a huge aspect of the business.”
“We really can’t stress enough about the importance of shopping local due to being able to offer better options and be more cost-effective,” said Lee. “The direction we are going allows us to help more people in the community.”
Bill’s Roofing & Siding is excited to announce that they will be opening a new location in Wells County after the first of the year. The new space will be large enough to make a home for the company with a nice office and an area for supplies.
Since Lee taking over in 2019 there has been a lot of growth, adjustment, and re-adjustment to the business. “We love this community, and this is home to Bill’s Roofing and Siding,” concluded Lee. “Our goal in the next two years is to expand our community involvement and outreach. Larry has made sure we maintained our involvement and we will continue to grow.”
Pictured in the photo left to right:
Alyssa Sponseller, Archbold & Lewis, Chamber Ambassador
Erin Prible, Executive Director, Wells County Chamber of Commerce
Erica Lehman, Coldwell Banker-Holloway, Chamber Ambassador
Jonathon Lee, Bill’s Roofing & Siding
Kevin Pritchard, Ruoff Mortgage, Chamber Ambassador
Larry Connett, Bill’s Roofing & Siding
Sandy Garcia, Chamber Ambassador
Keith Muhlenkamp, First Merchants Bank, Chamber Ambassador
Erin Daugherty, State Farm Insurance, Chamber Ambassador