Artistry & Family in The City
Frey Incorporated keeps traditions alive
San Francisco is a city of contradictions. Tech bros and Etsy artisans. Corporate bigwigs and hippie free spirits. Telegraph Hill and the Castro.
Not many people understand this as clearly as Barry Frey, the President of Frey Incorporated (Frey). A proud son of the City by the Bay (also known as The City), he owns an award-winning commercial plaster and lath, drywall, metal studs and fireproofing company. Founded by Barry’s father, James, in 1976, the 44-year-old company blends Old World techniques with high-tech materials to elevate structures to art.
“I care about keeping traditions alive and forming lifelong relationships with our clients,” says Barry. “Frey embodies my family’s ethics—we install our work the right way, we don’t compromise the safety of our staff, and we care about our employees and customers equally. That’s the Frey way.”
The Frey Way
A family deeply rooted in San Francisco, Barry’s great aunt and uncle were plastering contractors in The City. Barry’s great uncle died in the early 1950s, and his wife, Barbara, and eldest son took over the business. They, in turn, passed the trade to their nephew and cousin, James, before Barry was born.
But Barry, who was born in San Francisco but grew up in Novato, California, never felt pressured to join the family business. “I started working with my dad when I was 13,” Barry says. “He wanted to instill a strong work ethic in me. I did everything for him. I was doing payroll at 16. But after I graduated high school, I made my own choices.”
After high school, he went to junior college and became a plumber. “I was a residential plumber for a couple of years, living in apartments with my friends, having fun,” Barry says. “It was a pretty normal 20-something-year-old life. I was having a lot of fun.”
That is, until a fateful conversation in his father’s living room. “I remember it clearly: my dad sat down next to me and said, ‘I always wanted a son who is a lather,’ “ Barry says. “That was his way of asking me to join the trade. It was subtle, but it wasn’t.” As Barry recalls, the next day, he was a union lather.
For the uninitiated, a lather is a construction professional who prepares wall and ceiling layout and installs metal studs, lath and drywall on the structural framework so that plaster, tiles, insulation or other finishing materials can be held in place.
It was Barry’s first foray into plastering since he was a teenager. But, he was happy to make the career change. “It was the best way to learn the business,” Barry says. “Working as a lather helped me understand how to build relationships with clients and exceed expectations. The best way to learn this craft is with your hands.”
Barry worked with his father until 2001, when James began to retire. At that time, Barry informally took over the business. “There was a lot going on at the time,” he explains. Over the course of three years, Barry moved the company to a new building, hired more staff and focused on branching into the commercial market.” In 2015, Barry formally assumed sole ownership.
Barry at the Helm
Under Barry’s leadership, Frey has grown to be one of San Francisco’s go-to contractors. With up to 75 direct employees, the company now completes projects for a variety of clients, including hotels, restaurants, retail spaces, senior housing, temples, churches and museums throughout the greater San Francisco Bay area.
“I think in the last few years is when we made our mark,” Barry says. “I attribute it in part to the project managers, foremen and a great field crew.”
Barry is immensely proud of his team, many of whom have been with the company for over a decade. “We’ve got some great field foremen,” Barry says. “Because they have been with us for such a long time, I have watched them grow into solid, professional craftsmen. They are the make or break pieces of the business.”
He explains that many of their clients request the same foreman over and over again. “We were working on a high-end home in Marin County,” Barry says. “The GC, Tom, calls me and asks for Ozzy, a foreman. He says, ‘I need to work with Ozzy. He knows how to do the work, is detail-oriented, can communicate effectively and is great with people. I love working with him.’ “ Barry pauses. “I think that says something about our company—that many of our guys are requested over and over again. We hold the team to high standards, and they come shining through.”
Historical Restoration to Contemporary Construction
Being productive and making sure a project runs smoothly is key for the type of work Frey does. The company is proud to use Old World techniques on new construction to produce work that will last the test of time.
“Right now, the architecture is heavily skewed to the contemporary style,” Barry says. “Architects and engineers are using a lot of different finishes and paneled wall assemblies. But, we can use Old World techniques like veneer plasters and other artistic techniques to apply the material to contemporary substrates.”
Most notably, Frey has extensive experience in historical restoration and high-end residential homes. “Historical restoration is one of our key areas,” Barry says. “Our team includes highly trained craftsmen. We blend modern composites with old-school craftsmanship. Plastering is an art form, and we welcome the chance to work on restoration projects.”
The company has worked on many high-profile historical restoration projects, including the Orpheum Theatre (built in 1926), the Commanding Officer’s Quarters of the Benicia Arsenal (built in 1860) and the North Branch Berkeley Public Library (built in 1936).
“Today, we have so much technology and CAD systems that allow us to create forms and composites in a factory,” Barry adds. “Combined with traditional plastering techniques, we can make almost anything look like it was always there.
But Frey excels at contemporary structures as well. In 2015, the company won the Construction Excellence Award for Residential Exteriors from the Wall and Ceiling Alliance, an organization that promotes the plaster and drywall industry in Northern California. Frey received the honor for its work on the new 1645 Pacific Avenue condominium building in San Francisco. The six-story concrete structure includes decorative elements, including urns surrounded by aloe leaves and a sculpture called “The Reclining Lady,” which was installed and finished by Frey.
“We had a very talented team on this project,” Barry says. “Our team’s attention to detail and years of experience really shines through in the finished project.”
Overall, Barry is excited about Frey’s future. “I think what separates us is how we work with our customers and employees. We have compassion and genuinely care about each other.”
He believes that collaboration is key. “Because of the nature of our work, some of our clients need guidance and you need to guide them in the right direction,” Barry says. “We care about our projects, and we complete our projects to our highest ability and collaborate with our clients to ensure the best results. We are here to partner with them for the next 50 years, too.”