Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | November 16, 2026 | Worcester Business Journal 17 "at was the biggest challenge, and I jumped on it right away. You have to equip the guys. It is everything we do. We don't do 'safety.' I say we are doing it all … 'safely.'" And his "doing it safely" track re- cord rings true with 45 employees in Shirley and a dozen more at another roofing operation he is running, Sky- line Roofing in Manchester, that he bought seven years ago. Back surgery en, in 2014, La Stella fell off a roof, injuring his back and was unable to work for 17 weeks. Following sur- gery, he now walks with a cane. "It hasn't affected my energy," he said. "I have a very positive outlook. I told my guys, 'e bad news is, I can't kick a** anymore. e good news is, I can still chew it. e new theme of my safe- ty program is, 'Don't walk this way.'" Selling NorthStar Aer 34 years as founder, La Stella said he plans to sell the company to long-time employee and minority partner, Ryan Dill, who started at NorthStar in 2011 as project manager and is now president. "John has been a wonderful mentor since I first joined NorthStar," Dill said. "He brings an incredible depth of knowledge and experience to the roofing industry. John built this com- pany on a foundation of quality work- manship and a strong reputation." Dill said La Stella's background in accounting played an important role in NorthStar's success. "Beyond his professional accom- plishments, John is an incredibly gen- erous person who always has a smile on his face," Dill added. "He is truly a pleasure to work with and learn from." NorthStar Vice President Todd Rotti has worked with La Stella for more than 30 years on hundreds of various-sized projects ranging from simple ones to complex multi-mil- lion-dollar projects. "roughout the years, the thing about John that has stood out to me the most is his commitment to invest resources into the company and the employees," Rotti said. "He is con- stantly investing in quality equipment, and most importantly, people with the long-term future of the company at the forefront. "His philosophy has always been that, without a solid team of people to get the work done, that you will not survive in this business and it has certainly proved true as we have many long-term employees who have greatly (added) to our success over the years. Without them, none of what we have accomplished as a company would be possible and he has nev- er lost sight of that throughout his career." La Stella still credits his experience in the Navy for teaching him the im- portance of logistics, redundancy and succession planning. "Logistics has been my focus," La Stella said. "It boils down to: What you need, where you need it, when you need it." La Stella said he plans to hang onto Skyline. He also still owns his former resi- dence on 88-acres in Sterling that he purchased in 2008, renovating the old farmhouse on the property that he now rents to a sawmill owner, where La Stella still produces honey, apples and firewood. He has also rented out the Sterling property, a former campground for RVs, for "do-it yourself " weddings for 10 years hosting about 17 to 22 wed- dings a year, specializing in catering to LARPers (live-action role players). "ey tell you to diversify — I have a complete mess," he joked. Put Your Savings in Formation. centralfcu.com 4.45 15-Month Certificate % APR* *APY = Annual Percentage Yield. APY is accurate as of 10/5/2026. Minimum balance to earn APY is $500. Fees may affect earnings. Penalty may be imposed for early withdrawal. Federally insured by NCUA. A great rate. A straightforward term. A smart way to put your savings to work for you. Open Yours Today F O C U S John M. La Stella Age: 72 Military branch: U.S. Navy Rank: Lieutenant junior grade Business: NorthStar Construction Services Corp. Business title: Founder and president Business location: Shirley NOTABLE VETERANS IN BUSINESS

• Cover