Episode 33. Dan Keller runs George J. Keller and Sons, a third-generation family roofing, siding, and windows company in Flanders, NJ. For the past three years, private equity firms have been offering family-owned roofing companies 15 times EBITDA to sell out and roll into a national conglomerate. Dan said no. We talk about what changes the day after a family company gets bought, the marketing playbook he runs down to the lead source, and where AI fits in a business that still needs a person on the roof.

What You Will Hear

• How private equity moved from HVAC into roofing and what a 15x EBITDA buyout offer really looks like

• What changes for employees and customers the day after a family business sells

• The drone walks, hover reports, and project manager touch points Dan uses on every job

• The Facebook moms group referral program (paying past clients to recommend the company)

• Where AI is showing up in roofing offices, and where it cannot replace a human

Time Stamps

00:00 Introduction

01:10 Meet Dan Keller

02:45 Private Equity Offers

07:05 How PE Takes Over

11:19 Client Experience Changes

16:01 Tech That Stands Out

20:17 Joining The Family Business

24:45 Corporate Vs Ownership

28:07 Switching to Entrepreneurship

28:42 Owning Mistakes and Lessons

30:03 Tracking Leads That Matter

32:31 Ditching Tracking Numbers

34:15 Facebook Referrals Strategy

36:47 TV Streaming Ad Challenges

38:40 AI Search and AEO Shift

41:58 AI for Office Efficiency

44:55 Design Creativity vs AI

45:52 Jingle and Human Touch

47:47 Wrap Up and Contact Info

Connect With Dan

Website: gjkeller.com

Phone: 973-927-0963

Connect with Me

Website: lyoncreatives.com

Email: svenja@lyoncreatives.com

Instagram: lyon.creatives

LinkedIn: svenja-lyon

Audio Production

Huge thanks to Mike at Nielsen Audio Solutions for editing this episode. If you have a podcast and you are doing your own editing because you cannot find someone you trust, Mike is the answer. He has been editing every episode of This Might Get Creative and the difference shows. Reach out to him at Nielsen Audio Solutions.