Andrew Roby

Recognized as the Sixth Top NC Small Business for 2009

From North Carolina Business Leader Magazine's “Top 100 North Carolina Small Businesses for 2009”

Jun 25, 2009

How does a company grow from a one-man shop offering handyman services to one of the most respected names in custom residential construction? One satisfied client at a time. In 1950 Andrew Robicsek began his company with a simple premise - offer exceptional care and keep your promises. Over the years Robicsek (who eventually changed his name to Roby) stayed true to that vision and developed his business into Charlotte’s largest custom residential remodeler.

Today, the firm has won dozens of awards and is one of the premier residential construction firms in the Carolinas. Two years after starting the company, Robicsek hired Glenn Haston as superintendent. The two would work together for more than 25 years, establishing the fledgling organization’s reputation. In 1976, Haston bought the firm outright from Robicsek – but kept the name - and today, the second and third generation of Haston’s extended family work for the firm.

“We only know how to go the extra mile,” says Trent Haston, Vice President of Andrew Roby. “This business is operated in true family business fashion.” At Andrew Roby, no one job is any more important than another, and it’s not unusual to find construction foremen or site managers pulling a client’s garbage from the street back to the yard, or taking in the daily paper simply because it’s the right thing to do. Throughout its near-60-year existence, Andrew Roby Inc. has strived to treat its employees and clients as family. Two members of the original Roby team worked for Andrew Roby, Inc. for more than 50 years, and seven others claim more than 25 years of service. Meanwhile, Andrew Roby Inc. has become synonymous with outstanding service and second-to-none craftsmanship.

“Our mission statement reads ‘Making it home for our clients and associates through exceptional quality craftsmanship and personal service for life,’” says Haston. “Our typical customer is a discerning homeowner or business owner that needs and values the quality of their property asset, but also wants exceptional service, communication and trust for their family.”

Andrew Roby has always been something of a “working organism,” willing to grow, change and adapt to the needs of its customers. Much more than the sum of one man’s, or one family’s ideals, the company is well on its way to becoming a Fortune 500 company, with company standards and processes to match. “We have embraced the fact that one man or one family can only do so much so well,” says Haston. “We have built a system that will allow our associates opportunities for a career of new successes and challenges that will help us to grow the company, its divisions and its locations.” Already, Andrew Roby has rolled out three new divisions - including Roby Electric and D&R Properties, a real estate investment and management firm.

And, in true family businesses fashion, Andrew Roby understands the needs of its employees exceptionally well. “For other companies of our size in our industry we’re the best at retaining employees,” says Haston. “In fact, when other companies were shutting down or downsizing the size of their staff, we implemented a 401(K) program to reward our employees and to give them the opportunity to plan for their futures.” This progressive thinking culture extends to the community as well, with philanthropic endeavors that include raising more than $30,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) through the Light the Night Walk. For this achievement, along with our ethical residential business, Andrew Roby received the 2008 Regional Remodeler of the Year Award from NARI Charlotte.

Haston believes that learning and growing means being available - to teach and to be teachable is the mark of true success. “I believe in being proactive,” he says. “And myself and my executive board take that calling very seriously.” It’s a common sight to see Haston lunching or casually calling on friends and associates in the industry. But, these are more than just social calls - these, he believes, are at the heart of his company’s continued forward progression. “It’s important to stay current, not only in the construction industry but in business as a whole. I have much to learn from leaders of other companies, and I have a lot to give as well. It’s a mutually beneficial situation and we learn and grow from each other.”

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