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Taylor, president of All-Star Roofing Inc., Amity Harbor, N.Y., with his wife, Rosemary; stepson, Michael; and daughters, Ashley (left) and Olivia.

Professional Roofing: What is the most difficult roofing project you’ve performed?
Taylor: A 584,000-square-foot (54254-m²) roof system for Farmingdale, N.Y.-based P.C. Richard & Son, an appliance and electronic distributor. My 20-member crew removed loose gravel and wet roofing and insulation materials. The crew then replaced 70 gypsum deck sections and installed a three-ply APP-modified bitumen roof system with 300,000 fasteners that had to be predrilled for insulation and base sheet installation. All this occurred while P.C. Richard & Son operated.

Why did you become a roofing contractor?
My family has been in the roofing business since my father, Bill Taylor Sr., founded Taylor Roofing in 1949. About 16 years ago, the company became All-Star Roofing. It seems I went from the cradle to the roof! And now my stepson, Michael, is participating in the family business during summers.

What was your first job?
Stocking shelves and sweeping floors at the Holiday Food Market located in Copiague, N.Y. I was 10 years old and made 75 cents per hour.

What was your first roofing experience?
My brother, Bill, and I were setting up a wooden ladder for our father while our father was talking to a customer for whom we were working. We assumed the ladder was latched but soon realized it wasn’t when it crashed on Bill’s thumbs shearing off part of his skin. We learned some lessons that day!

What is your favorite item in your office?
A crystal rhinoceros my wife, Rosemary, gave me. It reminds me to charge at things I want and not lose focus.

With which historical figure do you most closely identify?
Sir Winston Churchill because I can identify with many of his quotes, including “Success is not final; failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.”

What is your favorite vacation?
Boating from Patchogue, N.Y.-based Fire Island to Block Island, R.I., with my family and seven other families. On the way back, we encountered heavy fog and a storm so we had to travel toward shore, which added hours to our trip. However, those hours created many fond memories.

What do you consider a waste of time?
Negative thinking.

What is your most rewarding experience?
Having my daughters, Ashley and Olivia. It’s been an experience I never will forget.

What are your favorite stress relievers?
Boating and fishing, as well as reading motivational materials and newspapers.

What are your best and worst habits?
My best and worst habits are perfectionism because it helps make every proposal perfect but can add time when completing things.

What is the most challenging aspect of your job?
Keeping everyday operations running smoothly and my All-Star Roofing team happy.

What is your roofing industry involvement?
All-Star Roofing is a member of NRCA, the New York State Roofing Contractors Association, National Federation of Independent Business and Better Business Bureau of New York. In addition, I am treasurer of the Copiague Chamber of Commerce.

People would be surprised to know that …
I haven’t always been the positive thinker I am now.