You may have heard the old saying to never go into business with family. Nothing good can come from it. Undoubtedly, there can be fights, differences in opinion and even potential breakdowns. However, at Neemann & Sons, the experience as a family-owned business has been a bit different.
It all began back in 1981 when Terry started the company here in Lincoln, Nebraska. Back then, he was working at the penitentiary full-time, with construction experience under his belt. When a hail storm blew into town, an old friend asked Terry to pick up some work and repair roofs. He agreed. Soon enough, Terry was working on roofs left and right to earn extra money to pay the bills. After a few years of part-time work repairing roofs, Terry decided to branch out. He left the penitentiary and went into full-time construction as Terry Neemann Roofing.
Later on, his wife Chris joined Terry in the business. Then, they added more team members with their three sons: Travis, Trevor and Trent. For the first few years, the business and home life were practically inseparable. Terry and Chris made it a date night to check on projects for customers. They gave projects to some clients for free, just to help them along. The work was personal, connected and different than anything Terry had experienced before. It was full of pride and satisfaction in seeing a job well done, and knowing he had made a difference. The business was the family, and vise versa. Eventually, people they helped told their friends, who told their friends, who told their friends, and so on. Everything grew by word of mouth like wildfire through the Lincoln community. They incorporated and changed the name to Neemann & Sons, Inc. Soon enough, the family couldn’t handle the workload anymore and they knew it was time to expand.
As a family, they were excited to find another family-owned company that understood their values. So, they connected with Sprague Roofing here in Lincoln. Greg Sprague owned the business, which his parents had started back in 1961. They specialized in commercial roofing. Neemann & Sons had worked alongside Greg for years, and knew him and his team had plenty of experience which would benefit the company. After negotiating terms, Neemann & Sons acquired Sprague Roofing in November of 2018. Not only did they gain valuable equipment and resources from Sprague, but they even added indispensable members to the family. With 30 years of experience, Brad Hershiser joins the team as commercial roofing superintendent; Greg Sprague comes on as a consultant, and more employees are added to the family.
Neemann & Sons is most excited for providing more services to the Lincoln community through this acquisition. Most residential roofing companies can have a tough time transitioning to commercial roofing. With Sprague Roofing on the team, they can diversify into all aspects of exterior projects between both residential and commercial areas. This includes roofing, siding, gutters, windows and everything in between. Sprague Roofing had seasoned professionals on their team with specialized experience. Now as members of the Neemann & Sons family, they can work together to meet all of their clients’ needs.
Not only is Neemann & Sons family-owned, but it operates primarily in Lincoln and the surrounding communities. They started in this community, work in this community and plan to finish in this community. They like to think of Lincoln as a big small town. Everybody knows everybody. It’s the perfect combination of big city life and loyal small town. When someone knows a trustworthy business, they stick with it, and that means the world to Neemann & Sons. As born-and-raised Nebraskans, they strive to be involved with the Lincoln area. Not only is their work here, but they also coach youth football and sponsor their own team. While many people in big cities might choose the easiest, cheapest or quickest company to work with, Neemann & Sons loves Lincoln because of the loyalty to local contractors.
Some roofing companies claim they’re local, when it couldn’t be further from the truth. Just a few years ago, a huge hail storm blew into Lincoln, and with it came storm chasers. These companies came, fixed up roofs and stayed. They claimed Lincoln as their hometown, when they were actually owned and operated elsewhere. These company owners often hire sub crews to do the work for them, without any prior knowledge themselves. They put crews on the job and hope it turns out okay. These companies act more like brokers—not real roofers.
Neemann & Sons refuses to operate this way. Their family grew up in construction, so they know what needs to be done. They genuinely care about the Lincoln community, and want their projects done with heart, pride and real work ethic. When they do hire sub crews, they assign a personal team member to check in with them, communicate with the customer and make sure the job is done to the highest quality. They want to provide the best service possible to the Lincoln family, because they plan to stay here for awhile.
At Neemann & Sons, the motto is: “Let our family be of service to your family.” Their family and the legacy they have in Lincoln drives them to be the best, no matter the weather. As a fellow family-owned business, they know Sprague Roofing will have a valuable impact on the company. It feels just like adding a new member to the family.
Listen to Trevor Neemann on commercial roofing in Lincoln Nebraska. With the new acquisition of Sprague Roofing, Neemann & Sons have the ability to service commercial properties. Watch the video!
