Jon and Ben Cross
Humble beginnings may be the best way to describe what has become a nearly four decade-old, family-run business with up to twenty dedicated employees. D.J. Cross started with just two employees: Dan and Jayne Cross.
Early on, Dan and Jayne saw the need for ongoing safety education. As the business expanded services over the years to include complicated commercial chimney projects and air duct cleaning, Dan and Jayne invested in certification training for their technicians. D.J. Cross is proud to have employees, who are certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America, F.I.R.E. Fireplace Investigation Research and Education, the National Fireplace Institute and the National Air Duct Cleaners Association. D.J. Cross was also one of the first businesses to become a member of the National Chimney Sweep Guild.
The next generation of D.J. Cross is already in place: Dan and Jayne’s sons, Jon and Ben. They are both graduates of Malvern Preparatory School and Temple University. Ben served as President of the College Council at Temple’s Fox School of Business, where he majored in Economics. Jon, who majored in American Studies, started learning the trade during summers as a teenager. Ben followed in his brother’s footsteps, and they joined the D.J. Cross crew full-time after college.
Ben serves on the Board of Directors for the Association for Preservation Technology (Philadelphia/Delaware Valley Chapter). Jon serves on the Technical Advisory Committee for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA 211), and he is on the Board of Directors for the Mid-Atlantic Hearth, Patio & Barbeque Association.
They are accompanied by a team of hard-working and talented technicians, including one of the longest-serving members of the extended Cross family. Ted Demopoulos, Director of Field Operations, has been with D.J. Cross for thirty years. He knows everything about chimneys – and fishing. When he’s not restoring your hearth, Ted makes custom fishing lures: a true craftsman both on and off the job.
