October 2024 marks 100 years in business for our company. Below is an article published in the Daily Times.
BERWYN — O’Donnell Roofing Co. held a ribbon cutting, hosted by The Exton Region Chamber of Commerce, at its newest location in Berwyn on Oct. 16, celebrating 100 years of family ownership.
The company, still strong and growing, has been through a lot of transitions over the past century. While much has changed, the family-owned and operated company says its core tenets have stayed the same, passed from generation to generation: quality workmanship, honest advice, a dedication to doing things right and putting the customer first.
Clement Aloysius O’Donnell Sr. began doing small repairs and installing roofs with a roofing and sheet metal company in Philadelphia. Quickly learning and perfecting his skills, O’Donnell ambitiously opened his own company, C.A. O’Donnell Roofing and Heating in 1924, along with a sheet metal fabrication shop, at 56th Street and Lansdowne Avenue in West Philadelphia.
In 1953, Clement Aloysius Jr. took the reins from his father and maintained the company’s core values. He explored some of the newer options in roofing and siding as a more cost-effective way to meet clients’ needs and expanded the company’s service to the Delaware County suburbs and its surrounding area.
In 1980, Clement Jr.’s son Larry renamed and incorporated O’Donnell Roofing Co., and expanded its services to include commercial roofing and historic restoration. Several of the company’s large restoration projects at that time — Longwood Gardens, Merion Train Station and Pomona Hall — garnered widespread attention and praise.
He then began studying and learning the intricacies of completing a solar project. He sold his first job only months later.
In 2010, after spending time in Vermont studying business, Larry’s son Kevin, the next generation of O’Donnells, committed himself to the family business. Having already had roofing experience from his youth, Kevin quickly became a journeyman roofer and jobsite foreman, and then began focusing on sales and company growth.
Larry stepped down from the company’s presidency in 2017, turning the reins over to Kevin, who then focused on applying the newest roof-related technology. O’Donnell Roofing became a certified and licensed installer of the top brands of exterior products. By 2019, the company purchased and moved into its first physical location at 8501 Lansdowne Ave., Upper Darby.
Today, the company serves customers throughout Philadelphia and the entire tri-state region, delivering full home exterior services and installations. The company’s services include residential and commercial roofing, siding, solar, windows and skylights, gutters, custom services, storm damage repairs, and more.
“Our commitment to quality craftsmanship and timely customer service has never changed,” the 100-year-old company states on its website. “From repairs to installations, you can trust us to safeguard your home or business with durable, long-lasting roofs and other products and services that reflect our dedication to our local community.”
To contact O’Donnell Roofing, call 610-897-7495 or 610-632-7014, or email customerservice@odonnellroofingco.com.
Locations are at 8501 Lansdowne Ave., Upper Darby; 311 Lenox Road., Havertown; and 1057 E. Lancaster Ave., Berwyn.
