Small Businessperson of the Year finalist: 5 questions with Barry Jones, owner of JCS of the Carolinas

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As Charlotte has boomed, so has Barry Jones’s business.

After growing up in the construction industry, Jones launched JCS of the Carolinas to fill a gap for high-quality roofing and siding. They quickly gained a foothold as a preferred installer of popular materials like products James Hardie and Tamko.

In less than four years of business, JCS of the Carolinas has already grown to 16 employees and $9.9 million in annual revenue. Along the way, they’ve put an emphasis on hiring people with disabilities, veterans and immigrants.

All that’s led Jones to be the finalist for our Small Businessperson of the Year award in the Construction category.

Get to know Barry Jones better and learn from his success with these five questions. Responses have been edited for space and clarity.

What’s the first hour of your day look like?

My first hour starts with my family. Brandy and I get our son Cooper ready for school. This is so important to me and I really enjoy laughing and talking to my son on the way to drop him off. Then with a good cup of coffee and three important calls – one to my Operations Manager, one to my Sales Manager and one to my Construction Manager.

What’s the most valuable business lesson you’ve learned?

You are only as good as your team or in our case, family.

Here at JCS, our employees are our family. We spend 40 hours or more with each other and in most cases, that is more than we spend with our families at home.

Many of us have worked for someone in the past that made you dread coming into the office for a variety of reasons. Maybe the owner cared less about his/her company than you did. Maybe you were not allowed to use your knowledge and skills to your full potential.

I think it is important to provide a positive work environment where everyone really enjoys coming to work and can thrive professionally. Treat everyone well and with respect. I learned it is so important to empower your team to produce and succeed in every possible way.

What’s a recent purchase of less than $100 that you love?

Bidet attachment for my toilet. Game changer.

What’s the best book you’ve read in the past year?

“The E-Myth Revisited,” by Michael Gerber.

What other small businessperson do you admire?

My dad. He passed away before I started JCS but the lessons I learned from him have guided me. Honorable mention: Chad Jenkins, CEO of Seedspark. I’m not sure you can consider him a small businessperson anymore. His company helps many small to large businesses transform their companies through technology. Chad has been a mentor to me and a good friend.