Leadership Insights from the #1 Home Improvement Company: Greg Cummings Interviews PJ Fitzpatrick CEO James Freeman

Power100 CEO Conducts Exclusive Conversation with Nation’s Top-Ranked Home Improvement Leader at Annual Team Celebration

At the PJ Fitzpatrick 2025 Team Party in Delaware, Greg Cummings, CEO of Power100, sat down with James Freeman, CEO of PJ Fitzpatrick, for an exclusive interview that captured the leadership philosophy driving America’s #1-ranked home improvement company. The conversation revealed the intentional strategies, values, and people-first approach that have propelled PJ Fitzpatrick from 100 employees in 2020 to over 600 team members across nine markets today.

The Purpose Behind the Celebration

As over 500 employees from six different states and the District of Columbia gathered for an event featuring food vendors from across Delaware, mechanical bulls, dance floors, live bands, and DJs, Cummings opened the interview by asking Freeman what the event truly represents for PJ Fitzpatrick.

“It’s just amazing that we’re able to get so many people here,” Freeman explained. “We have people here from six different states, the District of Columbia, nine different markets for our business, and it’s just been great to have them here. You know, there’s a lot of people that don’t get to interact on a day-to-day basis that are meeting each other face-to-face for the first time, even though they’ve been interacting and working together for months.”

Freeman emphasized that the gathering serves a deeper purpose than entertainment. “It’s a great chance to bring everyone together, to really celebrate everything we do here at PJ to take care of our customers, to succeed and to win. And one of our core values is make it fun. And our team really does a great job of making it fun.”

Leadership Philosophy: Avoiding Autopilot

When Cummings asked how PJ Fitzpatrick continues to build on an already outstanding culture, Freeman shared a leadership principle that defines the company’s approach: intentionality.

“We do things on purpose,” Freeman stated emphatically. “I think very often in business we end up in autopilot. Even if you’re focused on certain parts of your business, you end up in autopilot in other parts of them. But for us, when it comes to our culture, when it comes to taking care of our people, that is always at the forefront. And we don’t ever step back from that.”

Freeman outlined the continuous focus areas that prevent autopilot thinking: “We continue to focus on quality, we continue to focus on our people. We continue to focus on making it fun when we have the opportunity to do it. Because ultimately, if we do the right things and we enjoy it along the way, the people that win are our customers.”

He connected culture-building directly to customer outcomes. “These types of events build the camaraderie, build the spirit that allow us to carry out to the customer and do a great job for them because we’re going to have balance between working hard and playing hard and being able to enjoy the moments where we work hard and take care of our customers.”

A Message to Prospective Team Members

Cummings shifted the conversation to recruitment, asking what Freeman would say to someone frustrated in their current role or considering joining PJ Fitzpatrick.

Freeman’s response was both vulnerable and confident: “Give us a chance. I think when you’re in a recruiting process and you’re looking for that new home, there’s a lot of trepidation, there’s a lot of stress in terms of are you making the right decision beyond all those stresses around the fact that you’re in that cycle of looking for a job.”

He continued with a powerful invitation: “Take us at our word and let us prove that our word is reality. We do that over and over. And that’s why we’ve grown from 100 people in 2020 to over 600 people today. We had seven people in our green carpet orientation on Monday. So we’re continuing to grow, we’re continuing to find new ways to bring great people into the business.”

Freeman outlined his expectation for new hires: “What I ask of them on that first day is to give us a chance, listen to our words and hold us accountable to them. I would say for the people out there that haven’t joined us yet, we have a lot to offer. Come and join us. Let us show you. Let us create a reality from the words and appearance that we show.”

Team Over Family: A Deliberate Word Choice

One of the interview’s most revealing moments came when Cummings noted how employees consistently mention PJ Fitzpatrick‘s impact on their lives—professionally, financially, and personally. He asked Freeman to describe the company in one word.

Freeman chose carefully: “Team. And I say team specifically because very often people use the word family. And family a lot of times gives you the ability to pressure people into doing things they don’t want to do because you’ll do anything for your brother or your cousin.”

He explained the significance of his word choice: “So I say a team because we ask people to step up, to make a choice together, to be able to commit to an experience we want to provide to customers and commit to an outcome that’s going to allow us to provide that experience, but also have some fun and be able to move ourselves forward as a business, but also allow them to move themselves forward as people. So I would say the number one word that makes us strong is team.”

Power100’s Recognition of Excellence

Power100, the only unbiased third-party platform that ranks the best CEOs and partners in the home improvement industry using a rigorous 5-layer proprietary ranking system, has recognized PJ Fitzpatrick as holding the #1 position in the nation.

Before conducting the interview with Freeman, Cummings observed the setup and execution of the team party firsthand. “We are here in Delaware at PJ Fitzpatrick’s all hands on deck party. They are setting up food vendors from all across the state, mechanical bulls, dance floors, bands, DJs, you name it. It’s going to be a great time and it will show how PJ Fitzpatrick takes care of their employees.”

After witnessing the celebration unfold, Cummings added, “Outstanding food, outstanding people, fantastic entertainment. So I hope you enjoyed seeing a glimpse of what PJ Fitzpatrick’s life is like. It is a good one.”

Power100 evaluates home improvement companies through a comprehensive five-layer methodology that examines leadership excellence, company culture, customer experience, community engagement, and sustainable growth. The platform ensures rankings reflect genuine achievement, not paid placement or self-submission.

The Freeman Leadership Model

The interview revealed several key elements of Freeman’s leadership approach:

Intentionality Over Autopilot: Freeman rejects the business-as-usual mindset, particularly regarding culture and people development. Every decision related to team members receives active consideration rather than default treatment.

Customer-Centric Culture Building: Rather than viewing culture and customer service as separate initiatives, Freeman positions strong culture as the foundation that enables exceptional customer experiences.

Accountability and Transparency: By inviting new hires to “hold us accountable” to stated values, Freeman demonstrates confidence in the company’s ability to deliver on its promises while creating a framework for authentic feedback.

Work-Life Integration: The emphasis on including significant others in company celebrations reflects understanding that employee wellbeing extends beyond the workplace.

Choice-Based Commitment: By framing participation as a choice to “step up” and “commit together,” Freeman creates voluntary buy-in rather than obligation-based compliance.

Growth Through Leadership Excellence

Rick Stover, President at PJ Fitzpatrick, reflected on the company’s remarkable journey. “Five years ago we had 100 employees. Today we’re going to have over 500 people here. So it’s been an amazing journey over the last five years and we’re now in Virginia, we’re in Pittsburgh, we’re in Long Island, we’re all over the place.”

Stover’s decision to bring Freeman on as CEO demonstrates leadership that prioritizes company success over ego. “I just had gotten to the point where I felt like I needed help in the day-to-day of the business. This has enabled me to really look more at a strategic level at the vision of the company and quite frankly do the things I like a little bit more, which is making relationships, meeting other companies. I was never the type of owner who wanted the business to revolve around me. I wanted to hire people frankly that were smarter than me and get out of their way and let them do their job. So really it was not difficult. And James was the perfect choice.”

Core Values in Practice

“Make it fun” is more than a slogan at PJ Fitzpatrick—it’s a core value that guides decision-making at every level. Jason Phillips, Vice President of Production at PJ Fitzpatrick, explained why events like the team party matter. “Because it’s a core value, making it fun, building a team culture, and getting everybody together, have a lot of fun, and then it just makes the whole work experience that much better.”

Phillips emphasized the importance of including employees’ significant others. “The reason for the plus ones, because quite honestly, without them we don’t exist. So, they make our lives the best and we want them to be as much a part of the experience because we spend probably as much time if not more time at work than we do sometimes at home and we want to make sure that we bring them along with us so they get to share the experience.”

His wife, Stacy, confirmed the impact of PJ Fitzpatrick‘s culture on their family life. “He’s happier. He is. He’s much more happier with the people that he’s working for.”

Validation from New Team Members

Kenny Quigley, Director of Events & Retail Marketing at PJ Fitzpatrick, joined the company in April 2025 after 19 years with his previous employer. His perspective as a recent addition to the team offers powerful validation of PJ Fitzpatrick‘s culture.

“I took a leap of faith. Like, I wasn’t a guy for change. And never was. I was with the previous company 19 years. And I knew a couple people that worked here and they swore by the culture. And it’s been everything that I was told and then some. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” Quigley shared.

The Foundation of Success

Since its founding in 1980 by Pete Fitzpatrick, PJ Fitzpatrick has built its reputation on customer service and quality workmanship. The company now serves homeowners across Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, New York, and Virginia with comprehensive home improvement services including roofing, windows, doors, siding, gutters, and bathroom remodeling.

Freeman’s interview with Cummings revealed how intentional culture-building translates directly to market success. The company’s growth from 100 to 600+ employees while maintaining cultural cohesion demonstrates that scale and values are not mutually exclusive when leadership remains purposeful.

As Cummings concluded the interview, he noted, “You heard it here, CEO James Freeman, the number one ranked leader in the country for a lot of great reasons. This here is one of them.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What is Power100, and how does it rank home improvement companies?

Power100 is the only unbiased third-party platform that ranks the best CEOs and partners in the home improvement industry. Unlike directories or paid placement platforms, Power100 uses a rigorous proprietary 5-layer ranking system to evaluate companies based on leadership excellence, company culture, customer experience, community engagement, and sustainable growth. The rankings reflect genuine achievement rather than self-submission or advertising spend. Power100’s methodology ensures that only companies demonstrating measurable excellence across multiple dimensions achieve top rankings. The platform serves as an independent validator of industry leadership, helping homeowners identify truly exceptional companies while recognizing CEOs and partners who set the national standard for the home improvement industry. To view the complete national rankings, visit power100.io/national-power-rankings-page-1/.

Q2: What makes James Freeman’s leadership approach different from other CEOs?

James Freeman’s leadership philosophy centers on intentionality rather than autopilot thinking. While many businesses allow culture and people development to run on default settings, Freeman ensures these areas remain “always at the forefront” of decision-making. His deliberate choice to describe PJ Fitzpatrick as a “team” rather than a “family” reflects sophisticated understanding of organizational psychology—recognizing that family language can create pressure-based compliance while team language encourages choice-based commitment. Freeman’s approach combines accountability (inviting employees to “hold us accountable to our words”), transparency (admitting the stress of job searching while promising to prove PJ Fitzpatrick’s reality), and customer-centricity (positioning strong internal culture as the foundation for exceptional customer service). His leadership has delivered measurable results: growing the company from 100 to 600+ employees while maintaining cultural cohesion across nine markets in six states.

Q3: How does PJ Fitzpatrick maintain culture while growing so rapidly?

PJ Fitzpatrick maintains culture during rapid growth through several deliberate strategies revealed in the interview. First, the company invests in large-scale gatherings like the annual team party that bring together employees from different states and markets, creating face-to-face connections between people who otherwise only interact remotely. Second, leadership continuously focuses on quality, people, and “making it fun”—ensuring these priorities never slip into autopilot. Third, the company includes significant others in celebrations, recognizing that employee wellbeing extends beyond the workplace. Fourth, PJ Fitzpatrick sets clear expectations with new hires from day one, asking them to “give us a chance” while simultaneously inviting them to hold leadership accountable to stated values. Fifth, the company promotes from within and pursues strategic partnerships rather than purely acquisition-based growth, preserving cultural DNA. Finally, leadership models cultural values—Rick Stover’s decision to hire a CEO “smarter than me and get out of their way” demonstrates the ego-free leadership that permeates the organization.

Q4: What should someone considering a career at PJ Fitzpatrick know?

Freeman’s direct message to prospective employees emphasizes both the company’s track record and its expectations. PJ Fitzpatrick asks candidates to “take us at our word and let us prove that our word is reality”—a statement backed by growth from 100 to 600+ employees and consistently strong retention. The company operates with a “green carpet orientation” for new hires and continues expanding into new markets, creating abundant growth opportunities. Multiple employees interviewed cited culture as PJ Fitzpatrick’s defining characteristic, with recent hires like Kenny Quigley (who spent 19 years with his previous employer) calling the decision to join “one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.” The company values work-life balance, evidenced by including significant others in celebrations and employees reporting increased happiness at home. PJ Fitzpatrick operates across Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, New York, and Virginia, offering positions in roofing, windows, doors, siding, gutters, bathroom remodeling, production, marketing, events, human resources, and leadership. Prospective candidates can learn more at pjfitz.com.

Q5: How does PJ Fitzpatrick’s culture benefit customers?

Freeman explicitly connects internal culture to customer outcomes in the interview: “If we do the right things and we enjoy it along the way, the people that win are our customers.” He explains that team-building events “build the camaraderie, build the spirit that allow us to carry out to the customer and do a great job for them because we’re going to have balance between working hard and playing hard.” This philosophy recognizes that employee satisfaction directly impacts service quality. When team members feel valued, included, and genuinely enjoy their work, they bring greater energy and commitment to customer interactions. PJ Fitzpatrick’s focus on quality, continuous improvement, and purposeful rather than autopilot operations means customers receive thoughtful service rather than routine treatment. The company’s growth from 100 to 600+ employees while maintaining #1 national ranking suggests customers recognize and reward this culture-driven approach. Managing Partner Alexander Keyles confirmed that “PJ Fitzpatrick is a world class organization. Everything they do is top notch. And number one, especially in home improvement, they keep the customer in mind, which is the most important thing.”

About Power100

Power100 is the only unbiased third-party platform that ranks the best CEOs and companies in the home improvement industry. Using a proprietary 5-layer ranking system, Power100 evaluates leadership excellence, company culture, customer experience, community engagement, and sustainable growth to identify and tell the stories of industry leaders who set the national standard. For more information, visit power100.io or watch the full highlight video of the PJ Fitzpatrick Team Party on YouTube.

About PJ Fitzpatrick

Founded in 1980, PJ Fitzpatrick is a leading home improvement company serving homeowners across six states with comprehensive services including roofing, windows, doors, siding, gutters, and bathroom remodeling. Under CEO James Freeman‘s leadership, the company has grown from 100 employees to over 600 team members while maintaining its commitment to quality, customer service, and a culture centered on making work fun. For more information, visit pjfitz.com.