Erdenheim company named 2nd best in Philly area

by Sue Ann Rybak
Posted 10/22/21

B.Q. Basement Systems, which specializes in basement waterproofing, concrete leveling, crawl space, foundation repair and gutter installation, recently was ranked number two in the small-businesses category of The Philadelphia Inquirer’s 2021 Top Workplaces.

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Erdenheim company named 2nd best in Philly area

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B.Q. Basement Systems, which specializes in basement waterproofing, concrete leveling, crawl space, foundation repair and gutter installation, recently was ranked number two in the small-businesses category of The Philadelphia Inquirer’s 2021 Top Workplaces. The Inquirer partnered with Exton-based Energage to rank the Philadelphia region’s top large, midsize and small businesses for the 12th year in a row. The listings appeared in a magazine-style separate section of the Inquirer on Aug. 22.

Brian Quinn, owner of B.Q. Basement Systems, said he was honored and proud to be named one of the best places to work. “We are always trying to measure ourselves up to great places to work,” he said. “The questions they ask employees help us to make adjustments and get better as a company.”

The 2021 rankings were based on employee survey results. Any business or organization can enter as long as it has at least 50 employees and is based in the Delaware Valley.

B.Q. Basement Systems is located at 525 Bethlehem Pike in Erdenheim. Quinn, who started the business in the basement of his rowhome more than 25 years ago, employs roughly 100 employees and serves the greater Delaware Valley.

“It’s a world where the customer comes first, but also our employees come first, and then our customers benefit exponentially,” Quinn said. “It’s a great fit for our company because the employees help create customers.”

Quinn said too often when something goes wrong, instead of trying to resolve the problem, people have a tendency to blame someone, or a specific department. It’s better if the focus is on having a dialogue to solve the problem. “So when something does go wrong, no one is running from the problem. Instead, we are dealing with the problem and working together to fix it.

“In the past, we would do the hiring and then put the person in the field, and we got mixed results. Our foremen felt like, ‘why are you throwing this guy into my team? We need people but not that person.’ We listened and revamped our hiring process. For example, if you pass the background check, then you go out and work with one of our foremen, and they decide whether you are going to make it or not. It empowers them and gives them accountability.”

Since 2004, B.Q. Basement Systems has been one of the Top 10 dealers out of 300 dealers in the entire Basement Systems Network. In 2019, it was named Business of the Year by the Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce. Besides being honored for its customer service, B.Q. Basement Systems was recognized for rescuing and restoring the historic Wheel Pump Inn, built in 1735.

Quinn, who also owns Premier Building Restoration in Erdenheim, bought the property adjacent to the Wheel Pump Inn in August of 2000, which included a farmhouse and barn built in 1798. The farmhouse is now his residence, and the barn is B.Q. Basement Systems Headquarters. Quinn bought the Wheel Pump Inn in 2015 and now uses it for employee meetings and training.

“Within the first month of buying it, the original porch collapsed,” Quinn said. “It was kind of a Godsend because we were going to knock it down. The bar and all the woodwork there were the only things redeemable.” (The bar was featured in the 1988 movie, “Stealing Home,” with Jodie Foster.)

Quinn also allows the Springfield Township Historical Society and Springfield Township Baseball Team to hold meetings and other events there. “It’s a chance for us to get to know the community, and then they get to know us,” he said. 

For more information, call 215-233-5107 or visit bqbasementsystems.com.