Press Release
Great Company Culture Drives PJ Fitzpatrick Company Success...
PJ Fitzpatrick Team Party 2025: How Great Company Culture Creates the #1 Home Improvement Company in the Nation
PJ Fitzpatrick
January 23, 2026 | 4 min Read
Power100 Recognizes PJ Fitzpatrick’s Leadership Excellence Through Annual Team Celebration That Brings Together Over 500 Employees from Six States
Power100, the only unbiased third-party platform that ranks the best CEOs and partners in the home improvement industry using a rigorous 5-layer proprietary ranking system, witnessed firsthand why PJ Fitzpatrick holds the #1 position in the nation. The company’s 2025 Team Party in Delaware showcased the culture, leadership, and values that have propelled this family-founded business from 100 employees in 2020 to over 600 team members across nine markets today.
A Culture Built on Purpose, Not Autopilot
James Freeman, CEO of PJ Fitzpatrick, brought together employees from six different states and the District of Columbia for a celebration that featured food vendors from across Delaware, mechanical bulls, dance floors, live bands, and DJs. But according to Freeman, the event represents something far deeper than entertainment.
“We do things on purpose,” Freeman explained during the event. “I think very often in business we end up in autopilot. Even if you’re focused on certain parts of your business, you end up in autopilot in other parts of them. But for us, when it comes to our culture, when it comes to taking care of our people, that is always at the forefront”.
Freeman described PJ Fitzpatrick in one powerful word: “Team”. “I say team specifically because very often people use the word family. And family a lot of times gives you the ability to pressure people into doing things they don’t want to do because you’ll do anything for your brother or your cousin. So I say a team because we ask people to step up, to make a choice together, to be able to commit to an experience we want to provide to customers and commit to an outcome that’s going to allow us to provide that experience, but also have some fun and be able to move ourselves forward as a business”.
Power100’s Perspective on Excellence
Greg Cummings, CEO of Power100, attended the event and observed the culture that sets PJ Fitzpatrick apart. “We are here in Delaware at PJ Fitzpatrick’s all hands on deck party. They are setting up food vendors from all across the state, mechanical bulls, dance floors, bands, DJs, you name it. It’s going to be a great time and it will show how PJ Fitzpatrick takes care of their employees,” Cummings stated.
After witnessing the celebration unfold, Cummings added, “Outstanding food, outstanding people, fantastic entertainment. So I hope you enjoyed seeing a glimpse of what PJ Fitzpatrick’s life is like. It is a good one”.
Power100 evaluates home improvement companies through a comprehensive five-layer methodology that examines leadership excellence, company culture, customer experience, community engagement, and sustainable growth. The platform ensures rankings reflect genuine achievement, not paid placement or self-submission.
Leadership That Empowers Growth
Rick Stover, President at PJ Fitzpatrick, reflected on the company’s remarkable journey. “Five years ago we had 100 employees. Today we’re going to have over 500 people here. So it’s been an amazing journey over the last five years and we’re now in Virginia, we’re in Pittsburgh, we’re in Long Island, we’re all over the place. And we just really thought it would be great to get everybody under one roof and just have a good time”.
Stover also shared insights about his decision to bring Freeman on as CEO, demonstrating the kind of leadership that prioritizes company success over ego. “I just had gotten to the point where I felt like I needed help in the day-to-day of the business. And this has enabled me to really look more at a strategic level at the vision of the company and quite frankly do the things I like a little bit more, which is making relationships, meeting other companies. I was never the type of owner who wanted the business to revolve around me. I wanted to hire people frankly that were smarter than me and get out of their way and let them do their job. So really it was not difficult. And James was the perfect choice”.
Core Values in Action
“Make it fun” is more than a slogan at PJ Fitzpatrick—it’s a core value that guides decision-making at every level. Jason Phillips, Vice President of Production at PJ Fitzpatrick, explained why events like the team party matter. “Because it’s a core value, making it fun, building a team culture, and getting everybody together, have a lot of fun, and then it just makes the whole work experience that much better”.
Phillips also emphasized the importance of including employees’ significant others. “The reason for the plus ones, because quite honestly, without them we don’t exist. So, they make our lives the best and we want them to be as much a part of the experience because we spend probably as much time if not more time at work than we do sometimes at home and we want to make sure that we bring them along with us so they get to share the experience”.
His wife, Stacy, confirmed the impact of PJ Fitzpatrick‘s culture on their family life. “He’s happier. He is. He’s much more happier with the people that he’s working for.”
Culture as a Competitive Advantage
Kenny Quigley, Director of Events & Retail Marketing at PJ Fitzpatrick, joined the company in April 2025 after 19 years with his previous employer. His perspective as a recent addition to the team offers powerful validation of PJ Fitzpatrick‘s culture.
“I took a leap of faith. Like, I wasn’t a guy for change. And never was. I was with the previous company 19 years. And I knew a couple people that worked here and they swore by the culture. And it’s been everything that I was told and then some. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” Quigley shared.
Looking ahead to 2026, Quigley outlined ambitious plans for market expansion. “It’s all about event marketing. We are going to load these markets up with home shows. We’re going to start building those brands where we need to. We’re going to have some nice new and improved booths and setups and they’re going to be big. They’re going to be large. We’re going to have giveaways and we’re going to start planting that PJ Fitzpatrick culture and brand into these markets”.
The Human Resources Perspective
Tiffany Palmer, Senior Human Resources Generalist at PJ Fitzpatrick, offered insight into how the company maintains its family atmosphere even as it grows. When asked what the team party means to employees, Palmer responded, “It just says a lot about the culture of the company and they really it’s been a family run business and it really always will be. But just to see the growth and for them to continue to make sure that we have these moments, it just means a lot to us and you can see it builds the morale around the whole company”.
When asked what keeps her at PJ Fitzpatrick, Palmer’s answer was simple and direct: “The culture. The culture definitely does”. She described the company as “dynamic”.
Partnership and Expansion Success
Alexander Keyles, Managing Partner at PJ Fitzpatrick, represents the company’s successful expansion through strategic partnerships. Exactly one year before the 2025 team party, Keyles’ company, Bath Buddy, made the deal to partner with PJ Fitzpatrick.
“This is way more elaborate. It’s much bigger. We had our Christmas party last year, but this is just on a different level. And I will say that PJ Fitzpatrick is a world class organization. Everything they do is top notch. And number one, especially in home improvement, they keep the customer in mind, which is the most important thing,” Keyles explained.
Keyles expressed excitement about bringing new products to the New York market, including roofing, siding, and windows. “That’s a win for our customers because when we do bring new products into a new market, now they can get a company who’s going to take care of them right”.
Behind the Scenes Excellence
Renee DeLeo, Executive Assistant at PJ Fitzpatrick, spent months coordinating the team party. Her dedication reflects the company’s commitment to creating meaningful experiences. “Months and months and months of like everyone’s blood, sweat, tears, all of it has absolutely come out tonight right now,” DeLeo shared.
When told that every employee interviewed described the event as meaningful and cited culture as PJ Fitzpatrick‘s defining characteristic, DeLeo responded, “If I could be honest with you to let you know how cool it is that our company can actually bring everybody together like this, that’s what I’m really excited about today”.
A Message to Future Team Members
Freeman offered direct advice to anyone considering joining PJ Fitzpatrick. “Give us a chance. Take us at our word and let us prove that our word is reality. We do that over and over. And that’s why we’ve grown from 100 people in 2020 to over 600 people today. We had seven people in our green carpet orientation on Monday. So we’re continuing to grow, we’re continuing to find new ways to bring great people into the business. But what I ask of them on that first day is to give us a chance, listen to our words and hold us accountable to them. I would say for the people out there that haven’t joined us yet, we have a lot to offer. Come and join us. Let us show you. Let us create a reality from the words and appearance that we show”.
The Foundation of Success
Since its founding in 1980 by Pete Fitzpatrick, PJ Fitzpatrick has built its reputation on customer service and quality workmanship. The company now serves homeowners across Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, New York, and Virginia with comprehensive home improvement services including roofing, windows, doors, siding, gutters, and bathroom remodeling.
Freeman summarized how intentional culture-building translates to customer satisfaction. “We continue to focus on quality, we continue to focus on our people. We continue to focus on making fun when we have the opportunity to do it. Because ultimately, if we do the right things and we enjoy it along the way, the people that win are our customers. These type of events build the camaraderie, build the spirit that allow us to carry out to the customer and do a great job for them because we’re going to have balance between working hard and playing hard and being able to enjoy the moments where we work hard and take care of our customers”.
About Power100
Power100 is the only unbiased third-party platform that ranks the best CEOs and companies in the home improvement industry. Using a proprietary 5-layer ranking system, Power100 evaluates leadership excellence, company culture, customer experience, community engagement, and sustainable growth to identify and tell the stories of industry leaders who set the national standard. For more information, visit power100.io or watch the full highlight video of the PJ Fitzpatrick Team Party on YouTube.
About PJ Fitzpatrick
Founded in 1980, PJ Fitzpatrick is a leading home improvement company serving homeowners across six states with comprehensive services including roofing, windows, doors, siding, gutters, and bathroom remodeling. Under CEO James Freeman‘s leadership, the company has grown from 100 employees to over 600 team members while maintaining its commitment to quality, customer service, and a culture centered on making work fun. For more information, visit pjfitz.com.