Meet the Team - Hadley Chimney Torrance

Meet the Torrance Team Behind Hadley Chimney Torrance

Hadley Chimney Torrance runs on a small, tight crew that’s been climbing South Bay roofs long enough to know which chimneys the salt air treats worst. We’re sweep techs, repair specialists, and office staff who live in the same Torrance neighborhoods we serve, which means the names on this page are the actual people you’ll see at your door. What unites us is simple: we show up on time, we document everything with photos, and we don’t recommend work your chimney doesn’t need. Cory Mitchell has owned and run this crew since 2003, and the standards haven’t slipped since.

Call (424) 358-3187

Our People

Cory Mitchell, Owner & Senior Technician

Cory founded Hadley Chimney in 2003 after spending his early twenties apprenticing under two old-school masons who wouldn’t let him touch a tuckpointing trowel until he could explain why the mortar was failing in the first place. Twenty-plus years later, he still runs most of the Torrance inspection calls himself. His specialty is diagnosing hidden firebox damage and stage-two creosote the kind of glazed, flaky tar buildup that brushes alone won’t remove. Cory’s the one who decided every job gets before-and-after photos, mostly because he got tired of homeowners having to take a contractor’s word for it. On weekends he’s usually fishing off Redondo Beach pier or losing a battle with his avocado tree.

Marcus D., Lead Chimney Sweep Technician

Marcus joined the crew in 2016 and handles the bulk of our routine sweeps and Level 1 inspections across Torrance, Redondo Beach, and the Hollywood Riviera. He’s the guy who can tell you exactly which type of creosote (the flammable tar residue from wood smoke) you’re dealing with and whether it’s something a brush handles or something that needs chemical treatment. Marcus is certified in dryer vent exhaust cleaning as well, which pairs naturally with chimney work since both rely on the same airflow principles. He keeps the truck stocked with Copperfield brushes and rods and has strong opinions about which one works best on Spanish-tile roof access. Ask him about his sourdough starter and you’ll add ten minutes to the appointment.

Elena R., Chimney Repair Specialist & Flashing Lead

Elena has been with Hadley since 2019 and owns most of our leak-related repair calls. Her expertise is flashing the metal seal where the chimney meets the roof, which is the number one source of water intrusion in Torrance homes and she’s our go-to for HeatShield ceramic resurfacing when a flue has degraded but doesn’t yet need a full liner replacement. Elena came up through a masonry background, so she’s equally comfortable repointing chimney crowns as she is installing a DuraFlex liner system through a tight offset flue. She’s the one who pushed for photo documentation of every repair in progress, not just finished work, so homeowners can see exactly what was behind the brick before it got sealed up. Elena lives in Lomita and runs trail races in the Palos Verdes hills when she’s not on a roof.

Priya S., Service Coordinator

Priya is the voice you’ll likely hear first when you call us at (424) 358-3187. She’s been answering Hadley phones since 2021 and knows the Torrance service area like a dispatcher: she can tell you whether your street is an easy ladder setup or if the tech should bring the roof harness. Priya schedules every appointment with a tracked arrival window, not a four-hour guess, and makes sure you get your written price before anyone picks up a brush. She also handles the digital invoicing and photo reports that go out after every visit. Before Hadley, she managed scheduling for a home services company in Long Beach, which means very little about chimney chaos surprises her. Off the clock, she’s teaching her two kids to bodyboard down at Torrance Beach.

One Standard, Every Job

Every tech on this page works under The Relay Standard, which is the operating baseline we follow as part of the Relay Home Co. family. What that means in plain terms: background-checked, uniformed techs who arrive in a tracked window. A written price before work starts, every single time. Before-and-after photo documentation on every job, not just the big ones. And the 365-Day Done Right Promise behind every repair we make: if it’s not done right, we come back and make it right, backed by a written guarantee and a free second visit if the repair fails. Cory’s rule is that anyone on site should be able to explain what they’re doing and why, using real terms and then translating them, until the homeowner actually understands it. That’s not a training manual bullet point. It’s how the crew in Torrance has always worked.

Written by Cory Mitchell, Owner at Hadley Chimney Torrance, serving Torrance and the surrounding South Bay since 2003.