An LJS Waterproofing, LLC crew at work on the geoprobe doing soil stabilization at DC Water.

There’s a new partner on board at LJS Waterproofing, LLC (LJS), and she is reinvigorating the six-year-old waterproofing firm with new ideas, new technologies, and most important, a new dedication to customer satisfaction.

Under the enthusiastic leadership of Mary Grubbs, the recently certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) company is making tremendous strides in bringing a fresh perspective and the highest quality service to its clients needing to mitigate water infiltration issues, big and small.

LJS is a waterproofing company on the rise. Mary shares what’s at the heart of this upward trajectory: “To ensure that moisture stays out, there is no room for cutting corners. You need quality service that will provide durable and effective waterproofing. LJS Waterproofing offers chemical grout injection that blocks moisture, and we are the top waterproofing specialist serving residential and commercial clients in the Tri-State area.”

Licensed, bonded and insured, LJS project managers have over 20 years of experience, so, Mary says, “You can expect excellent results when you call us. We also provide free estimates to potential clients.”

In addition to chemical grout injection, LJS’ specialties include void filling, epoxy injection, epoxy floor coverings, sea walls and retaining walls, locks and dams, spalled concrete repair, concrete raising, moisture barriers and more.

Making Major Advancements

Mary, who was initially hired as the office manager in the company’s early days, has spent her energy—even before taking over as a majority owner in 2020—moving LJS into the 21st century. From analyzing and digitizing work processes to integrating advanced equipment and ensuring LJS stays current with safety requirements, Mary is laser-focused on increasing the company’s capabilities to provide streamlined, safe and cost-efficient service.

She remarks, “I’m always analyzing the jobs, looking for ways we can improve. I customized a CRM system that enabled us to send out digital work orders, whereas before we were doing daily tickets. And I pushed to use tablets to take pictures of the jobs, which added greater quality control. I built a customized bidding tool so that when our crews go out and look at jobs, they come back and just fill in the blanks.”

These are just a few of the many enhancements Mary has made, setting LJS on a path toward even greater success. She says, “Once I became the 51 percent owner, I made a plan to convert to a WBE, and told the team, ‘I’m going to run the hell out of this place.’ I’m one of those people that when I commit to any business I’m working in, I put everything I have into it. I’m going to learn everything I can about it because I’m only going to help them if I know what the hell I’m doing.”

And that’s exactly what she did. Although Mary didn’t start out in the waterproofing industry, once she was brought in, she took it upon herself to immerse herself in every aspect of the business. She says, “Now I have eight OSHA certifications. I go out, I work on the jobs and the guys are like, ‘What are you doing? You’re the boss.’ And I tell them, ‘I’m never going to ask you to do something I’m not going to do.’ “

Embracing Change, Expanding Markets

Mary has also overseen LJS’ market expansion. Beyond its New Jersey/New York roots, LJS now has an office in Maryland, which covers the Maryland, D.C., and Northern Virginia territory. The firm is currently working on a job stabilizing soil for DC Water, a wastewater treatment plant. Mary says, “I have a crew down there doing ground penetration radar (GPR). We’re able to go in and scan the location that we’re going to work in, so we can then see the actual voids and attack it the best way.” She adds, “We recently purchased a new geoprobe, which is how we get into the earth. We have a whole geotech trailer.”

Hand-in-hand with LJS’ focus on having the most up-to-date certifications and technology is its embrace of the green movement, specifically to produce products aimed at reducing the carbon footprint inherent to concrete production. A website, TheGreenConcreteMovement.com is in the works.

Mary’s vision for the future of LJS Waterproofing knows no bounds. And if the past is any indication of where things are headed, her team and customers alike are in great hands.