Jerry O’Neal’s Perma-Strate Wall System® Changes the Game for Siding Installation

When he was just 16 years old, Continental Siding’s founder, Jerry O’Neal, picked up his first hammer. His passion and talent for home improvement were evident from the start, and he immediately began working in the industry.

However, as he embarked on his career as a contractor, Jerry quickly noticed a slew of problems that homeowners regularly experienced with their siding. As he explored the issue, he discovered that many of these concerns – wavy walls, buckling panels, moisture intrusion, and mold growth to name a few – we’re the result of poor installation methods. So, he set out to find a solution.

After opening his own home improvement business, Continental Siding, in 1982, Jerry invented and patented the Perma-Strate Wall System®, an innovative method that allows for a flawless siding installation every time. Since then, Jerry has gone on to become a well-known member of the Kansas City community, earning a spot on Ingram’s Magazine ‘50 Missourians You Should Know’ list, and helping homeowners throughout Missouri and Kansas update and enhance their properties.

About the Perma-Strate Wall System®

Typically, siding is installed in short panels, and small gaps, called seams, are created in between neighboring panels. These open spaces allow moisture, dust, and insects to penetrate the siding and get behind it. The siding is then weakened and can begin to fail by pulling away from the home, harboring termites, and growing mold. Jerry O’Neal’s Perma-Strate Wall System®, alternatively, features extra-long panels that are custom-cut to fit the exact dimensions of a home. This allows the panels to reach from one end of a home to the other, eliminating seams and the many problems that come with them. With the Perma-Strate Wall System®, homeowners can enjoy beautiful, top-performing siding for years to come.

How Continental Siding Became Kansas City’s Premier Home Improvement Company

And has grown to Columbia, MO, Springfield, MO, and Wichita, KS.

Jerry O’Neal wanted to find a way to address several problems that had plagued the siding industry for decades, such as sub-par products, ineffective installation methods, and inflated price tags. He felt that his customers deserved better, which is why he invented and patented an innovative siding installation technique called the Perma-Strate Wall System^®. This system features a roll-formed steel bar affixed to the nailing fin, which effectively uses the strength and rigidity of steel to firmly hold the siding in place, while also allowing it to properly expand and contract with seasonal weather changes.    Jerry also began manufacturing his own seamless polymer siding, a business decision that allowed him to have more control over the quality of the siding he was installing for his customers. What’s more, by manufacturing our own siding, Continental Siding has been able to cut out the middleman markups and ultimately provide our customers with a higher quality product for a significantly lower price. Patented installation methods, higher quality siding materials, and factory direct pricing for homeowners are huge contributions that Jerry made to the company during his 36 years as owner.

However, much of the potential set forth by Jerry’s impressive products and installation techniques were not able to truly be fulfilled until Continental Siding owner Alec Cook came into the picture. When Jerry O’Neal and Alec Cook became partners, Continental Siding got the best of both worlds; Jerry’s patented products combined with Alec’s vision for the future and his ability to build an amazing company around those products by attracting and leading the best team of talented people in our industry. Alec always says, “I care much more about how we do business than how much business we do,” a motto that has ironically made us become bigger than ever because what started in Jerry’s garage all those years ago has grown into multiple locations across the Midwest and more than 50,000 satisfied customers served.  We’re proud to have received numerous industry awards and five-star reviews over the years that speak to the impeccable quality of our products and services. We know that if we continue to help our customers love their home that our customers will continue to refer their friends, family, and neighbors to us, which will help us continue to love what we do for a living. 

Transition of Ownership

Jerry has a personal message for you. Watch now.

In 2009, Alec Cook came in for an interview and impressed Jerry O’Neal so much that he was offered a job on the spot. At the time, Alec was only 22 years old but Jerry already saw potential in him that led to him becoming the general manager of the entire company at age 27. Alec Cook worked side by side with Jerry for many years, during which Alec built a vision to fulfill the unique potential of the company. Since taking full ownership of the company two years ago, Alec has provided the leadership necessary for Continental Siding to maintain its remarkably high record of customer satisfaction, as well as achieve many other accomplishments, proving his dedication to this company and community.

While Jerry and his wife Patricia built a small Mom and Pop siding shop with only a few dozen employees and installers, it was Alec’s leadership as an employee and now as owner that has allowed Continental Siding to truly thrive. Under Alec’s guidance, we have cultivated a team that is comprised of people who love what they do and they are a large part of the success we’ve had in every city we’ve opened in. While Jerry’s impressive products have always attracted new customers, it’s Alec’s leadership that has brought in high-quality employees to join our ever-growing team.

From day one, Continental Siding has been focused on meeting the needs of all Kansas City homeowners. Under the ownership of Alec Cook, that potential is continuing into the future. Above all else, Continental Siding is committed to helping local residents love their homes and helping employees love what they do for a living.

If you want to love your home for life thanks to our outstanding siding and windows, or you want to join a team of wonderful people that love what they do for a living… Click or Call Now!