Roofs are rarely a one-job endeavor – they require maintenance and repairs, often on short or immediate notice after weather-related emergencies such as extreme wind or rain. Korellis, roofing for Northwest Indiana’s businesses and families for decades, understands the need to be available 24/7 365 days a year to meet customer’s needs – be it for routine maintenance or a 2 a.m. weekend emergency.
Tackling that responsibility rests on the shoulders of the Korellis’ service department, headed by Service Manager Karen Knezic and Assistant Service Manager Meredith Moran-Pruim. Together, the two women are responsible for communicating with Korellis’ customers, coordinating the schedules of the company’s tradespeople, and more.
“My primary job is essentially to keep the schedule moving and keep our technicians working; that’s my main goal,” Knezic said. “I want to make sure our techs are prosperous, fruitful, and get their hours in so that they can provide for their families, all while providing exceptional commercial and industrial customer service.”
The job, both hers and roofing in general, is very weather-driven. Rain and storms can both create opportunities for work but stretches of bad weather can keep Korellis’ workers off roofs.
“The schedule is extremely fluid and ever-changing,” Knezic said. “There has to be a level of prioritizing in some situations – is a leak damaging equipment, is it damaging property, is it a safety concern? That must take priority.”
Knezic, along with a rotating two-man service crew, is always on call to help customers whenever the need arises.
“We’re always available. It’s rare, but those middle-of-the-night calls have happened,” she said. “I get up, create a work order, dispatch the on-call crew, and make sure they’re notifying me once they’re safe at the jobsite and again once they get home. I’m always on call.”
When Knezic is off, Moran-Pruim steps in - a tag team that ensures Korellis’ customers always have excellent service at hand.
“Ever since I walked in the door here, I’ve had my hands in the service department, so I’ve seen all aspects of it,” she said. “When Karen’s on vacation, I’m not only doing her work but I’m doing mine too, so I understand the challenge that comes with the role.”
Construction is a predominantly male industry – both on the jobsite and in the offices of contractors around the country. The duo of Knezic and Moran-Pruim are proud to be women in leadership roles running one of the most forward-facing departments at Korellis.
“This is the first time in company history that this department has been run by two women,” Knezic said. “I am proud to be a part of that.”
It is not always easy for the pair. There are occasions where they need to stand up and beat back preconceived notions of what they are capable of.
“We’re firm and clear – we won’t tolerate anyone disrespecting us,” Moran-Pruim said. “Over the five years that I’ve been here, I’ve built these relationships, and people know what I can do. There’s a level of respect that’s there.”
Korellis takes pride in being a leader in the construction industry and expects great things out of every member of their team.
“If we weren’t cutting it, we wouldn’t be here because Korellis has standards,” Knezic said. “Then, we have our own standards for ourselves individually and how we want this department to run.”
Those standards mean taking the job and finding new, creative ways to manage workflow and ensure that every tradesperson gets the hours they need to make a good living.
“We’re doing things that some of our predecessors haven’t done before,” Moran-Pruim said. “We’re taking the lead and running with it.”
Knezic praised Korellis’ leadership for creating an environment where women like her are allowed to take charge and thrive.
“It is a unique scenario,” she said. “We’ve been able to take the reins and make this our own. We’re prospering while doing our own thing, it’s kind of like we're running our own business under the Korellis umbrella in a sense.”
When Moran-Pruim joined the company five years ago, she was the seventh woman on the team – now, there are 14.
“We’ve doubled the women in the office in just five years,” she said. “That’s something that’s great to see.”
