Community involvement at the heart: Behind the Business with A-1 Roofing & Construction in Newport, RI

Community involvement at the heart

Sean Napolitano began working in the construction industry nearly 40 years ago. After gaining extensive experience in both residential and commercial buildings, he founded?A-1 Roofing & Construction ?in 2007. Based out of Newport, the company services all of Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts. Today, the company's services include residential and commercial roofing, custom gutters and sheet metal fabrication, custom home building and construction management, solar energy services and dumpster and other equipment rentals.?

"We are a diversified company, and that has aided us in the ability to stay busy even in leaner times, and it always keeps things interesting," said Napolitano, referring to the multiple services A-1 provides.

Since opening his business, Napolitano's philosophy has been "to do the right things with the customer's best interest at heart, and everything will always work out," he said.?

Napolitano leans not only on his extensive experience but also on continued training and industry qualifications.

A-1 belongs to the National Roofing Contractors Association and is a GAF President’s Club member and Master Elite Installer, Carlisle Applicator, and Velux Certified Installer. Napolitano said that A-1’s certifications symbolize the company’s philosophy of providing the highest service to its customers.

“A-1 specializes in complete roofing systems. Every job performed is done with the best products in roofing technology and industry techniques for the benefit and complete peace of mind of the customer," said Napolitano.

When asked about the most challenging roof his company has installed to date, he recalled,

"A private home in Jamestown that involved several roofing challenges and multiple trades performed in-house by A-1, such as a rubber roofing membrane, custom copper fabrication and installation of red cedar shingles."?

His favorite project so far? A full rebuild, from the ground up, of a home in Newport's historic district.

"This project illuminated A-1’s ability to manage a complex project from planning to completion. Much of the work was done in house by A-1’s talented team in collaboration with specialty trades,” said Napolitano.

Napolitano provided advice to homeowners researching roofing companies. "Ask for references. Make sure the company you are hiring is established and local to your area. Also, look at a couple of the company's active and completed projects."

Community outreach and involvement are embedded into the mission of A-1 Roofing & Construction.?

"A-1 is actively involved with a variety of organizations and nonprofits throughout Aquidneck Island. In addition, our team contributes time, finances, and resources to help further the causes we believe in. It is a huge part of what motivates us to keep learning, evolving and expanding as a business. The more successful we become, the greater our potential impact becomes,” said Napolitano.

A-1 Roofing & Construction has worked with several nonprofits, including No Roof Left Behind, Rebuilding Together, The Moving Wall, The Martin Luther King Center, Newport Boys & Girls Club, Newport Mental Health, Norman Bird Sanctuary and more.

"One of the most rewarding community projects we worked on was donating a 12-passenger van to the community organization FabNewport for their summer programs. The vehicle gave campers a way to go on excursions and adventures that otherwise would not have been possible, including golf, sailing, surfing and more," said Napolitano.

For more information about A-1 Roofing & Construction, check out their?BBB Business Profile . To learn more about BBB and read more stories like this, visit?Behind the Business Stories .

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