Daniels
T.J. Daniels, President, Bright Roofing & Restoration, and Linda Daniels, Past President of the Metropolitan Detroit Building Superintendents Association, are not only a dynamic married couple but they also know the dynamics of managing properties. The two teamed up to show how roofing contractors and property managers could work together to everyone’s benefit.
T.J. Daniels, who has worked for more than 30 Bright Roofing in Detroit, said his company’s plan develops “customers for life” by way of a consistent and repetitive message. “My job is to dissect the process to find new property management business,” he said, noting that building and maintaining relationships is crucial. “There’s no contractor who can afford to take advantage of property managers.”
The family business ownership was successfully passed along from Bill Daniels in 1992. Through expansion of their core competency, Bright Roofing and Restoration have developed a business model that features commercial and residential roof replacement.
Meanwhile, Linda Daniels represents 25 years of commercial property management experience including new construction, management, leasing and marketing of malls, shopping centers and big box retail properties between Ohio, Indiana and Florida.
Upon moving to Michigan in 1997, she managed and leased in excess of 2.3 million square feet of retail, commercial, medical, industrial and warehouse properties.
Currently, she is CFO of the newly established Bright Green Roofs and Living Walls, LLC, the sole distributor of the ELT Green Roof and Living Wall Systems, developed out of Brantford, Ontario.
“Property managers work for more than one boss,” Linda Daniels said. “I work for the owner, and I work for the tenants, too.” Linda Daniels said when property managers project budgets for common area maintenance, and working closely with a roofing contractor can make the difference between an expensive roof replacement and a minor repair.
She used the example of a shopping center with a large roof repair budget that she was able to slash by instituting an biannual maintenance program. “I became a hero to the owner and the tenant,” she said. She urged contractors to educate property managers on their roofing needs and touch base with them in September, noting that many budgets are set the following month.
She told attendees, “You guys make us better at what we do by taking us under your wing and educating us.”
