An Elevated Framework
Sisco Architectural Metals tackles the aluminum metal needs of the Big Apple
Some Greeks who move to New York arrive with a dream of starting their own restaurant. Theo Siskos is not one of them.
“Never in my life would I go into the restaurant business!” he says with a laugh. “I always wanted to own my own company, but I’m more technical and like working with my hands.”
In 1979, Theo was a young motorcycle mechanic living in France when he decided to move to the Bronx where most of his family, including his mother and some of her 12 siblings, lived.
When he first arrived, he dabbled in photography for a brief stint until his cousin, who worked at a glass glazing company, approached him with a job opportunity.
Theo accepted the position, and though he didn’t know it at the time, that job would set the trajectory for the rest of his career.
He got to work installing windows in residential buildings and private homes, and later on his brother, who was an engineer fresh out of the U.S. Air Force, joined him. Life was pretty predictable until a few years later, when Theo’s entrepreneurial aspirations set a new plan into motion.
“I realized we had the right skills and contacts in the city to start our own business,” he says. “So, I thought, ‘Why do we have to work for somebody else?’ ”
In 1987, the two embarked on a mission to create a company that has evolved over the years into what it is today: Sisco Architectural Metals, a commercial subcontractor and custom aluminum fabrication and installation company based in Mount Vernon, New York.
The business specializes in an array of architectural aluminum products and frames—including curtain walls and storefronts, partitions, windows, railings, skylights, composite panels and balcony doors.
The Siskoses pride themselves on delivering high-quality products and solutions to meet their customers’ needs, and they bring a dash of scrappy intuition that’s allowed them to continuously adapt their services to the times.
“Over the years we’ve gone through a lot of changes,” Theo says. “One thing that’s consistent is we’re always looking at what’s possible and what’s new to stay relevant for our customers.”
Humble Beginnings
Indeed, the company has evolved and grown significantly over the years. But it had its roots in humble beginnings.
In the early years, Theo and his brother operated their glass company, which they called Crystal Windows, out of a tiny 8-by-25-foot warehouse in an alley behind a local gym in the Bronx.
“We had developed some business leads through a Greek contact who knew the owners of a large chain of hotels in Manhattan,” Theo says. “So, we started things off small by providing glass work services and installing windows and storefronts for those hotels.”
Through hard work, grit and determination, the Siskoses’ services expanded over the years to include commercial renovations and repair jobs as well.
With that growth came an opportunity to manufacture their own windows, so the brothers moved Crystal Windows out of its tiny location and into a 5,000-square-foot warehouse located in the more affordable industrial area of Mount Vernon.
But they didn’t stop there.
“We continued with our commercial hotel work but slowly started to move into glass, screen and porch enclosures for residential customers,” Theo says. “So, we also created a new company called Creative Living, which became the sunroom and enclosures side of the business.”
Industrious Industrial Projects
Crystal Windows and Creative Living did well for many years until 1997, when the Siskoses decided to simplify their business model and establish Sisco Architectural Metals to focus their efforts on window installations and the light fabrication and installation of their industrial aluminum products.
Today, Sisco Architectural Metals provides those services for a variety of commercial clients and is a go-to subcontractor for many general contractors. Its work ranges from New York City School Construction Authority-related projects to commercial buildings, hospitals, studios and more.
Theo, who is Owner and CEO, is especially proud of the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, a $1.5 million project that involved building an extension of multiple floors above the existing building. It required the Siskoses to hire a draftsman, and all fabrication of the panels and walls was done at their warehouse in Mount Vernon.
“It was a complicated job because everything had to be customized, and I’d never managed a job like it,” Theo says. “It required a lot of coordination, and there were a lot of challenges, but my brother is a great engineer and we handled the mechanical and technical issues easily. It came out really nice, and we had no complaints.”
Another project that stands out to Theo is York Studios in the Bronx, one of New York’s qualified motion picture and television production facilities that provides a broad range of production and media-related services to the entertainment industry.
The project involved tackling all the curtain walls and entrance and material partitions as well as glass installations for the offices and the main entrance for three studios. Those studios—which house well-known production companies—total 500,000 square feet.
“That was a nice job that took us a year to finish,” Theo says. “The owner was very happy, and we continue to do work with that client as a result.”
Theo and his brother rely on a loyal five-man team to tackle their installation projects, and they hire additional workers as needed to handle larger jobs. According to Theo, their dedication, skills and hard work are what make Sisco Architectural Metals’ projects successful. “We have a diverse team from many different backgrounds, and they all have an open mind to learn from each other,” he says. “Our employees create new ideas and help us solve big problems because we like to learn from each other’s cultures and support one another. That’s how we can always stand behind our jobs.”
An Aluminum Dream
Looking back on the past 30 years, Theo admits that while he never dreamed of getting into the world of glass or aluminum, he’s grateful to have created something of value from it.
“When you see that you started something from nothing and it becomes successful, you feel proud of that,” he says. “Not just for yourself, but for others who benefit from your work as well.”
Reflecting on the days when he first arrived in the United States with the hopes of starting a business, he feels satisfaction with the way things have turned out.
“I had a lot of ideas and always thought I would have my own company,” he says. “I didn’t want to take something that someone else made and add to it—so I worked hard and now I have something I’ve built with my own hands.”
And while he may have, by all accounts, achieved the American dream, he says his success lies in finding the sweet spot between the American work ethic and the Greek approach, which is more about enjoying the journey of it all.
“The most important thing is to balance your life between hard work and the way you live, and to get pleasure out of it in the process,” he says. “That’s what this life is all about.”