SOUTH ORANGE, NJ, UNITED STATES, January 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Stern Gutters, a fast-growing gutter services company serving North and Central New Jersey, was recently featured on The Aro Benaiah Show in an episode titled “From Wall Street to Gutters.”
In the interview, founder Aleks Krylov shared how the company’s growth and customer experience are built around a strict value system known internally as IC-U COP — Integrity, Communication, Urgency, Community, Ownership, and Professionalism.
The episode is now available on YouTube and Spotify.
From Wall Street to Gutters: How Aleks Krylov Built a 6-Figure Home Service Business
From Wall Street to Gutters
A Value System Designed for White Glove Service
On the show, Krylov laid out how IC-U COP shapes every part of Stern Gutters’ operations — from hiring and training to how crews behave on a homeowner’s property.
“We wanted to bring the responsiveness and discipline of a Manhattan professional firm to a home service trade,” Krylov said on the program. “IC-U COP is how we keep that standard alive every single day.”
Each value is tied to concrete behaviors the team is trained on during bi-weekly warehouse meetings:
– Integrity — Do what you say you will do.
– Communication — Respond to every call, text, or email, and greet homeowners on site.
– Urgency — Work quickly without cutting corners; stay ahead of customer needs.
– Community — Put the homeowner’s interest ahead of convenience; treat every home “as if you’re doing the work for your grandmother.”
– Ownership — Keep job sites clean, safe, and orderly.
– Professionalism — Learn from mistakes and always aim to improve.
Practical expectations include no smoking on site, stopping work to speak with homeowners, maintaining fully clean work areas, and following detailed SOPs for ladder safety, jobsite setup, cleanup, and equipment handling.
High Standards for Hiring: 30-Day Mutual Trial Period
Krylov discussed the hiring challenges facing skilled trades, and how Stern Gutters addresses it through a 30-day mutual trial period for all new team members.
“We want people who match our standards, not just our skill needs,” said Krylov. “The trial period gives both sides clarity. We watch how they treat homeowners and how they handle the work — not just how they interview.”
Installers must demonstrate:
– Consistent adherence to IC-U COP
– Safe work habits
– Respectful customer interaction
– Ability to follow SOPs
– Reliability and on-time performance
Retention depends more on values than resume bullet points.
Incentives Tied to Quality and Values
A unique part of Stern Gutters’ model is its incentive system, where installers can earn a share of project profit only when:
They follow IC-U COP in the field
– The project is completed cleanly, safely, and efficiently
– Homeowner satisfaction is verified
– SOPs and communication standards are followed
“This is not piece-rate work. It’s team performance,” Krylov told Aro Benaiah. “If you live the values and deliver the service the right way, you share in the upside.”
From Wall Street to Home Services
The Aro Benaiah interview traced Krylov’s path from investment banking and CFO roles to launching Stern Gutters after a poor contractor experience at his own home. He recalled calling 13–14 contractors, only three showing up, and almost none following up — a gap he realized he could solve by bringing white-collar discipline to a blue-collar trade.
That experience led him to:
– Launch Stern Gutters with experienced W-2 installers
– Invest in new equipment and a clean operational structure
– Standardize communication and quoting systems
– Build a company centered on reliability and responsiveness
Since launching, Stern Gutters has served 2,000+ customers, added multiple trucks, and expanded into fascia/soffit repair, roofline work, siding, and underground rainwater management.
About Stern Gutters
Stern Gutters is a full-service gutter contractor serving North and Central New Jersey. The company handles gutter installation, repair, and cleaning, as well as fascia, soffit, siding, underground drains, and full exterior rainwater management. Stern Gutters is known for its fast response times, clear communication, and “white glove” customer experience built on its IC-U COP value system.
AleksKrylov
Stern Gutters
+1 973-298-0767
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