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Interview with Tay Han of S2 Siding
We had the opportunity to sit down with Tay Han of S2 Siding, to get his side of the construction world and his relationship with CERACLAD.
By Hina, aki & Yuki of Kmew Japan
We had lunch with Tay Han, the owner of S2 Siding, a long-time installer of CERACLAD. He specializes in multi-family housing, handling not only exterior materials but also windows, doors, and waterproofing, among other materials, to deliver quality workmanship. With about 20 years of experience, S2 Siding has built a strong foundation, fostering good relationships with both customers and employees. While the company has primarily served the Seattle area, it is now expanding its reach to Portland. Our three guests from Japan had the opportunity to learn from Mr. Tay about his work, experiences, and his collaboration with CERACLAD, as well as ways to further enhance it.
How he gets new customers
Once I have that relationship, it's basically about getting repeat business once I do a good job. That's how I operate—I don't advertise. I've been doing this for over 20 years. So all the developers and customers, they all kind of talk to each other about who's good, and I call your suppliers and ask for references. That's how the system works here.
How he keeps doing his job
Before, I used to work with my brother, so it's been about 25 years altogether. I used to take care of the bookkeeping and accounting. That's my background—accounting and business. Some guys try to run the company based on their technical knowledge of installation, but if you're weak on the business side, it's not enough to run a business. There's just so much involved in running a business. I try to avoid easy jobs that anyone could do because everyone wants to do them, but they yield little profit.
The scope of his work
We install windows, perform waterproofing, and handle weatherization, essentially waterproofing the building. We handle all the coating and even install fences. Any penetrations on the building, such as pipes, require waterproofing, except for the roof.
Q:
What have you valued while building a good relationship with CERACLAD?
A:
I think it’s a good product. When I finished the project, I was impressed with the way it looked. That's how I build my relationships with my customers. If everything looks good and pleases them visually, if they're happy with it, then they're going to call me again and use it as a reference. Developers check out each other's projects and kind of know who's doing what.
Q:
How do you manage your field superintendent?
A:
We have a lot of meetings in the mornings and over the phone. They usually prepare reports, sometimes including photo reports, which I review. Occasionally, I make unannounced visits to ensure they're following through on their tasks because I can't spend too much time on the job site. Thus, I rely on them to do what they're supposed to be doing.
I conduct site analyses, sometimes on Mondays, sometimes on Thursdays, or whenever I drop in. During these visits, I take pictures, and if I notice anything I don't like, I address it. It's essential to keep them on their toes; if they're too comfortable, issues may arise.
There are many aspects to discuss, apart from installation. There's cleaning and safety; I have to ensure everyone's safety and prevent injuries. Superintendents and project managers need to be constantly vigilant and involved in these aspects.
Hina：
Japanese construction sites are always orderly and very strict about safety. Although the conditions of construction sites in the U.S. are very different from those in Japan, it was very meaningful to hear about Mr. Tay's high level of safety awareness for the job site. It was a pleasure to hear your valuable story. Thank you so much.
Aki:
Thank you for your valuable time!
I’m glad you appreciate the CERACLAD product. I think that S2 Siding Company’s work is good enough to lead to the next new job.
I would like to have S2 Siding Company, a professional installation company, continue to install CERACLAD.
Yuki:
“Doing a good job leads to another job.”
This is an important lesson we learned from Mr. Tay.
Expertise is important, but the way you do your job changes your reputation. Mr. Tay was not only a man of expertise, but also a man of high aspirations in his work. It was a great honor to spend some valuable time with Mr. Tay.
Thank you for always installing our products.
Amanda:
We always appreciate working with Tay Han. You can always pick his gold hard hat out in the field of contractors on a site and he's always a delight to talk to. I really enjoyed listening to his stories and experiences over our lunch meeting.