When P.J. Fitzpatrick, Inc. was first founded 35 years ago, Founder Pete Fitzpatrick had a vision of transforming Delaware homes through trustworthy roofing, siding and window installation. With the help of repeat customers and a hardworking team, the business has since outgrown multiple offices and now has more than 50 contractors specialized in multiple areas of the home, from roofing to bathrooms.
Throughout the 80s and 90s, P.J. Fitzpatrick, Inc. had mastered the art of installing, repairing and updating all areas of a home’s exterior, from roofs to windows to siding. After experiencing consistent growth for decades, the brand, now headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, eventually reached a point in which it knew the next step for growth would be to take the seasonality out of the business.
“The weather isn’t too consistent, and we typically have a rainy spring in the Northeast, so our business was fairly seasonal,” said Rick Stover, president and general manager at P.J. Fitzpatrick. “It was tough for both our installers and our salespeople when things would slow down – and if we had a roofing or siding job, and we’d miss a day due to weather, we couldn’t get that day back. Missing out on revenue like that hurts a small business like ours, and we wanted to make sure no one was sitting at home when they wanted to be working.”
About five years ago, P.J. Fitzpatrick decided to take the next step toward growth by becoming an exclusive dealer of BathWraps, the one-day bathroom transformation brand now owned by Jacuzzi, Inc. With the help of BathWraps, P.J. Fitzpatrick was able to quickly train its employees on replacing customers’ outdated or damaged bathroom wetspace and became an exclusive dealer of BathWraps’ premium products and Jacuzzi® Walk-in Bathtubs.
“Not only did BathWraps help us solve the seasonality of our business and diversify our product offerings, but our customers have loved the results they’ve seen,” Stover said. “When you put a roof on for someone, they’re happy, but you don’t get the ‘wow’ factor. The bathroom, on the other hand, is used multiple times a day, so it’s very exciting for people when it not only looks better, but we make it safer for them as well.”
There are no franchise fees or extra costs to adding the BathWraps brand to an existing business, but a partnership comes with the same benefits and support of a franchise. BathWraps provides its dealers with an exclusive territory, lead generation support and extensive training, which was extremely beneficial for a business like P.J. Fitzpatrick who didn’t have experience with bathroom upgrades prior to the partnership. Additionally, BathWraps’ partnership with Jacuzzi enables dealers to exclusively distribute walk-in baths made by the original inventor of the increasingly popular jetted bathtubs.
Based in Illinois, BathWraps is now focused on expanding its network of local dealers further. The brand currently works with businesses similar to P.J. Fitzpatrick that were looking for ways to grow their existing businesses and add another revenue stream to their bottom lines.
“Not only have we been extremely impressed with how engaged BathWraps is with its dealers, but it’s been such a neat feeling to know when you’ve helped somebody in their daily lives by creating a better-looking shower or a safer walk-in tub,” Stover said. “Now that we work with BathWraps, no one misses a day of work because of weather, either!”
To learn more about BathWraps and becoming a dealer, visit https://www.bathwraps.com/. For more information about P.J. Fitzpatrick, visit http://www.pjfitz.com/.