Accounting manager Tracy Mascelli, left operation manager Karen Truitt, president and owner Ron Simmons stand in the new showroom of Patio Systems in Lewes / SCOTT NATHAN/DELAWARE COAST PRESS
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LEWES -- For nearly a dozen years, Patio Systems has been providing awnings and sunroofs to the people of Lewes.
A small, four-person business, Patio Systems was the pioneer of the awning industry in the region. And owner Ron Simmons may run his company old school, but it's those principles that continue to make it thrive.
"We strive for a wonderful product from an excellent manufacturer," Simmons said, referring to Craf-Bilt in Souderton, Pa. "We're in the process of serving the commmunity. Now we get more referrals than ever."
Simmons broke into the industry 33 years as a general remodeling contractor in Wilmington. After 20 years of installing custom modular sunroofs, a twist of fate brought him to awnings.
While looking for a part-time job, Simmons answered an advertisement. The job introduced him to the man responsible for creating the U.S. market for retractable awnings. And in 2001, Patio Systems was founded.
In 2003, Karen V. Truitt joined the company, and since then she's seen Patio Systems transform from a one-office business into a company catering to more than 2,000 customers.
"We have grown every single year," Truitt said. "It has grown so much that one little room in one little office for Ron and I was OK. This year, we finally got the showroom built. This is what we needed for space so we can continue to grow."
But while the business has expanded, the quality and level of service have not changed at all.
Simmons, who operated the company by himself when he founded it, continues to do all his own measuring, order confirmations, follow-ups and surveys. When there is an issue, he's the one to tweak it.
And he still meets with each customer individually, and to this day can say he has never charged a fee just to chat.
"I wear a lot of hats and put in a lot of hours," Simmons said. "Even though we've been in business for 11 years, we still want to continue to do it that way."
Today, Patio System can now bring customers into its newly constructed showroom, which features four different types of awnings and canopies that can be seen at Victoria's on the Boardwalk and the lighthouse on Dewey Beach.
It's Simmon's principles that continues to bring back positive reviews. Patio Systems boasts that 95 percent of its customers love the work Simmons does.
"It's probably higher than (95 percent), but we're just trying to be conservative," Simmons said. "We have an A+ with the Better Business Bureau. We're the most referred awning company in the region. And our homeowners absolutely love their awnings and they love their sunroofs."
