Custom Exteriors, Inc.

Jeff Kendall: A Customized Career

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

PLEASANTON — Since taking his first sales job, Jeff Kendall has spent the subsequent decades customizing his career. “I’ve been doing sales since I graduated college,” he recounts. “I’ve always loved meeting and talking with people, and I appreciate not being stuck in an office all day. After working as a Yellow Pages salesman for a few years, I got a job as a window and siding sales estimator at Sears. It was there that I met Kevin Gundry, who is now co-owner of Custom Exteriors. Later, while working for a Bay Area home exterior company, I got a call from Kevin, who suggested we start our own business. I decided to take him up on the idea. At the start, we worked out of my wife’s flower shop in Orinda. Two decades later, we have our own showroom and more than 40 employees.”

Today, as president of Custom Exteriors, Inc., Jeff cites two crucial ingredients that account for the company’s success. “First, there’s a very solid partnership between the owners. Kevin and I are also very hands-on with the business, which is unusual for owners in this industry. Additionally, we have some incredible employees—very loyal, dedicated and caring. Despite the size of our company, it feels like a close-knit family business.”

A resident of Lafayette, Jeff spends his time outside of work on a variety of pastimes. “I’m a passionate golfer, an avid fisherman and a sports nut,” he lists. “My favorite sports teams are the Cal Bears, the 49ers, the Giants, the Warriors and the Sharks.” Jeff also enjoys spending time with his wife, Donna, and their three children and two grandchildren.

In regard to his professional career, Jeff says he derives great satisfaction from improving his customers’ homes and lives. “Really, we’re in the comfort business—we make our customers’ homes easier to heat in the winter, easier to cool in the summer and much quieter when high-quality windows are installed. We’ve completed 18,000 jobs over the last 21 years, and it feels good to know I’ve provided so many people with a more comfortable home and an improved quality of life.”

When asked what he’d do if he were to retire tomorrow, Jeff says he’d spend more time pursuing the activities he currently enjoys. “I’d play more golf, fish more often and spend more time with my family. However, I’d also want to work part-time and keep my hand in the industry. I enjoy what I do and I’m good at it, so it would be fun to work a couple of times a week doing measurements and dropping by jobsites.”

Ask Me Anything!

Q: Are you an early bird or a night owl?
A: An early bird.

Q: What’s your favorite local restaurant?
A: Postino in Lafayette.

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
A: I would go to St. Andrews in Scotland to see the castles and play that famous golf course.

Q: What’s your favorite holiday?
A: Thanksgiving, because I get to be around the people I love most. Plus, I don’t mind the four-day weekend.

Q: What’s your favorite band?
A: The Beatles—I listen to them just about every day.