By Evelyn Witterholt, RCS Reporter. 

Don’t miss this special episode of Coffee Conversations where we discuss the growth of the roofing industry with Gen Z leaders! 

Season 3, Episode 9 of Coffee Conversations, sponsored by General Coatings, welcomes Gen Z members and future leaders of the roofing industry. Join RCS Producer Megan Ellsworth as she discusses the growing industry with future Gen Z leaders Rohan Gupta, Ayushi Raj Dua and Declan Fay. 

Rohan Gupta from Huntington Beach, California is currently attending the University of Southern California in the Chemical Engineering program. He has a long history with the roofing industry as he was introduced to it at a very young age. “I was introduced to roofing about 10 years ago when our family business Polycoat purchased General Coatings,” he said. “I do plan to work in the family business after I graduate.” 

Ayushi Raj Dua from New Delhi, India is studying for her master’s degree in construction science and management at Clemson University. She worked as an architect for two years but recently decided to change her career path. Right now, she’s taking a roofing course at Clemson and has found it to be very eye-opening. 

She states that the roofing industry is “attracting people from different backgrounds,” and that roofing companies “can definitely give people of our generation a good opportunity to go out and get to be in the real world and understand how it really works.” 

Declan Fay is also studying construction science and management at Clemson University, but he also participates in numerous extracurricular activities. The student from Westchester, New York told us all about his involvement in the Roofing Alliance’s student competition. He will be competing at this year’s International Roofing Expo! “I’m looking forward to talking with people at IRE next week,” Declan told us. 

Declan also expressed interest in a career in the roofing industry. He said, “Through the Clemson roofing courses, I’ve been exposed to a lot of different routes in the roofing industry. Whether it’s estimating or with contractors or manufacturers, I’m still really interested in all of those and construction in general.” 

All of them emphasized how they want good work-life balance and freedom to express themselves in their future careers. We can’t wait to see what these future Gen Z leaders do next! 

Read, Listen or Watch the entire Coffee Conversations to learn more about the Gen Z perspective of the roofing industry!

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of an live interview with Colubia Roofing and Sheet Metal. You can read the transcript below or listen to the podcast. 

Megan Ellsworth:
Hello, and welcome back to another Roofer of the Month episode. I am so excited to be here with the people, founders, amazing executive committee of Columbia Roofing. Why don't you guys go ahead and introduce yourselves. I'm really excited. I haven't met two of you. I know Kendall well. So hello, welcome.

Kendall Ekerson:
I'm Kendall Ekerson. I'm the Director of Marketing here. I've been here a total of about 17 years. I did the math the other day, and so it took a few years off, but I'm back and excited to be here. Thank you.

Mark Carpenter:
I'm Mark Carpenter. I'm the founder and CEO of Columbia Roofing and Sheet Metal. Started at 25 years out of the basement. Through some career moves and industry experience, started Columbia Roofing with a different value proposition, and we've been in the northwest. And about 10 years ago, we bought Long Beach Roofing in Long Beach, California. I had a relationship with them for a long time. So we have an office here in Tualatin, Oregon, in the Portland area, and in the Puget Sound in Kent, Washington.

Megan Ellsworth:
Very cool.

Chris Ekerson:
And my name is Chris Ekerson. I'm our General Manager, and I've been here for the majority of the 25 years. I started in 2002, really not knowing anything about the industry, and kind of worked my way up. I worked in our sheet metal division for a real long time and worked my way up through the ranks, and here I am working alongside these guys.

Megan Ellsworth:
Fabulous. Well, thank you for being here. I so appreciate chatting with you all and getting to know more about your company. So to start out, what type of services do you offer at Columbia? So I know sheet metal, roofing. Want to give us kind of just your elevator pitch?

Chris Ekerson:
Yeah, sure. So we're a commercial roofing contractor. We don't do much in the residential area, unless it's more specialty. But our focus in the area is really on commercial and industrial roofing, and that can be many different kinds, from flat roofing, restorations. We'll tear off and replace roofs. We maintain roofs. We do a lot of work in industrial settings as well. We have a lot of clients in the steel mill industry and things like that. The things that are maybe a little bit tougher to approach, we find a lot of enjoyment in that type of work as well.

Chris Ekerson:
We have a big focus in service. That's something that I think maybe differentiates us a little bit, is we have a very driven service department that can provide 24 hour leak repair service for our clients. We do roof cleanings and maintenance. We have what's called our Columbia Roof Advantage, which is a program that provides those annual or biannual cleaning services that are tailored to a specific customer's property.
We also specialize in seismic work. As we know, especially in the northwest and the Portland area, there's a lot of old historic buildings that are requiring seismic upgrades, so we do a lot of those services as well, in conjunction with our roofing.
We've played around. Mark can probably tell a little bit more on the history. We've done some stuff with green roofing in the past as well. But really, I'd say our core piece is commercial roofing and reroofing and service and maintenance.
As far as products, we do a lot of single plys which are the TPOs, PVCs, EPMs, those kinds of things. We do some modified roofing. We do a lot of shingle and things like that. We work with senior care facilities. We have a whole bunch of different vertical markets that we work with. But yeah, that's just kind of a round about of where we kind of fit in the marketplace. I don't know, Mark, if you could add anything to that.

Megan Ellsworth:
That's awesome.

Mark Carpenter:
Well, we look at different opportunities certainly, and sheet metal has been one of them. The vertical markets have been very good to us, and we're very specific on who we target and how we target them, what is the value proposition. But the service has been our core relationship builder, and we've done it for a very long time, about 25 years actually, and we know what we're doing. It's about the cost of building ownership and interruptions, what's the value of your roof you're taking off.

Megan Ellsworth:
Yeah, yeah. That's great. Yes, all about service. That's so cool that you guys have a 24 hour leak protection. Is that what you said? That's really fabulous. I love that.

Mark Carpenter:
Right. [crosstalk 00:05:11].

Megan Ellsworth:
So this next question is my personal favorite. Oh, go ahead.

Mark Carpenter:
One thing we did do Chris touched on is, we started Columbia Green Technologies. That's been 12 years, 10, 12 years ago, when we developed the AVRS green roof system with trays and the full program. We got three patents on it, and eventually sold it off too. We got distribution, we got installations around the United States. We eventually sold it off, and it's still in business today, I mean Columbia Green Technologies.

Megan Ellsworth:
Wow. That's amazing. You said that was around 10 or 12 years ago?

Mark Carpenter:
Yeah, we sold it maybe five or six years ago, seven years ago.

Kendall Ekerson:
More like 10. It's been 10.

Mark Carpenter:
Yeah, it's been a while.

Kendall Ekerson:
Yeah.

Megan Ellsworth:
That's awesome.

Mark Carpenter:
It's seven.

Megan Ellsworth:
Wow.

Mark Carpenter:
That's kind of cool, so I gather when I talk to you.

Megan Ellsworth:
Well, that actually is a really great segue. So what is something that your company celebrates? That could be green technology or recycling, or maybe you actually celebrate a certain holiday, like go all out for it for your employees, or you celebrate. What do you guys celebrate? Do you celebrate your employees? What do you find joy in with work?

Kendall Ekerson:
I kind of made a few notes about them. It's an association actually that we're pretty big in, and you guys actually helped write a story about, is we support the Alzheimer's Association. A piece of our story is, Mark is my father, Chris is my husband. We all work here, we all work together. A family business, yay and nay some days, but it's in our family. Mark's dad, my grandfather, passed with Alzheimer's. Chris's grandmother, Nancy, she had a form of dementia when she passed a few years ago, and so it impacts us.
And then I had mentioned I took a few years off, and I actually went and I worked for them, and I saw a different side, and one thing that we have all realized is that, not only does it affect our family, but it can affect any of our employees' families at any time and they might need resources or they might need support, and so it's something that we've just continued. About 8 years, maybe even 10 years, we have supported the Alzheimer's Association. And so, that's something that we do here.
When it comes to walk day in Portland, we turn purple and do that. This year should be fun because it's actually going to be at the Oregon Zoo.

Megan Ellsworth:
Fun.

Kendall Ekerson:
And then trying to get all the employees together and all the kids. So, that's something we try to celebrate here actually, is working with that organization.
Well, there's many organizations too that we do work with. We like to give back to our community. And then something else this year that we've put a big emphasis on is celebrating safety, and actually this was Mark's brainchild, is we've created a safety program called, "I Have Your Back," and we're doing a big push on social media this month, calling it, "Safety September."
And yeah, we created this program called, "I Have Your Back," and we've always been real safe. We have people show up to our job sites and our ladders are tied off, our guys are tied off, or just different things. All the check boxes are done, but we kept having these little things pop up and we couldn't figure out why. So we tried to take it a step further of like, "Well, we need to have each other's backs. Maybe there's something that we don't always see ourselves. So how can we do this?"
And so if anybody's on our social media, you'll see there's like seven steps that we put in and just little things that people can do for themselves and do for others to just help each other have each other's backs. So that's a big thing that we're celebrating around here.

Megan Ellsworth:
I love that. That's amazing. That's great. And I love the slogans. That's fabulous.

Kendall Ekerson:
We're going to have some fun swag that comes out, and again, a piece of it giving back to the employees, that's a familiar thing. With school going back, we just did backpacks for employees' kids. We've done that for a while.

Kendall Ekerson:
We really try to give back where we can.

Mark Carpenter:
We try to fill them up with their school supplies and hand them to the families, whatever, how many kids they have. We do a lot of shopping. We didn't this year, but we gave a gift certificate plus the backpack.

Megan Ellsworth:
That's awesome. That's great. Wow. You guys are just hitting it out of the ballpark.

Mark Carpenter:
Yeah. We've worked at it too.

Megan Ellsworth:
Yeah. So you kind of talked about your service program before. I'm interested to know, how do you define superior customer service?

Mark Carpenter:
There's a lot of aspects to it. It's certainly showing up, doing what you're supposed to do, but it's also setting expectations and trying to work with the client and saying what we can and can't do and being truthful with people. The Columbia Roof Advantage is a trademarked process what we have, and we look at it. It's a value proposition. It's about money, how much risk do you want, how much do risk do you want us to take on your building.
If it's an empty building that has no value, there's a different proposition than if they're still operating from underneath or a high-tech clean room, and there's different levels and costs involved. And we work with the owners or the responsible parties to understand what we can do and what their expectations are.

Megan Ellsworth:
Well, that's great.

Mark Carpenter:
Then you can show up and do what you tell them you'll do. But it's all in the technical piece of really understanding what they've got there in the assembly and knowing how it performs.

Megan Ellsworth:
Right, right. Great answer. Thank you. So last, or second to last question, why should building owners work with Columbia Roofing and Sheet Metal?

Chris Ekerson:
Well, I'll start by kind of echoing what Mark said. You've got to do what you say you're going to do, and it really is about that value proposition. We don't sell out of the box roofing. We don't try to sell everybody the same thing. We really start by understanding what their needs are.
When we develop a relationship with a client and we initiate that work, our process is, I think, a little bit different and little bit more robust than what some other people are doing, and a lot of that is just based around communication. We want to have a true partnership with that client, not just sort of what we'd call a one and done. We don't want to just do the job and get paid and move on to the next one. We really want there to be an ongoing relationship and partnership toward them to where that customer knows that we have their back and we're going to take care of them.
When we start a project with a customer, we always let them know what the expectations are. We let them know, "Here's all the things that you can expect. Here's all the things that we should discuss." One of the things we do on our job walks is, we look inside their facility. We understand what's going on with their process, with their manufacturing, and how our process might affect theirs, and we really try to kind of think outside the box.
The other thing that we do is, when we start a project, we communicate daily with the customer. We'll set a schedule, we'll send them out daily updates with photos, all this stuff, and communicate, or communicate with the customer, almost to the point of not trying to annoy people, but we really want them to be informed on what's going on, and that just goes back to doing what you say you're going to do.
And then if there are problems, there's always issues that come up. There's never a perfect job, if you will.

Mark Carpenter:
It's roofing.

Megan Ellsworth:
Yeah.

Chris Ekerson:
It's a chaotic industry. And we work a lot in the reroofing, so we're working on existing buildings that could have problems. So when a problem arises, it's how you navigate these problems, how you communicate on them, and how you work to solve those problems. And that's, I think, something that really sets us apart, is we really work hard. We focus everything around that relationship and that partnership with our client. It is about protecting their building and their asset, but we want to take care of the customer just as much and have a lasting relationship with them.
And then we will also follow up with, "Okay. We've installed our product," for example, "How can we continue to maintain it? How can we continue to make your life easy and make this a lasting product for the relationship?"

Megan Ellsworth:
Brilliant. Yeah.

Chris Ekerson:
Going back to setting expectations, one thing I always ask the client when I first meet them, "Well, what are you going to do with your building?" And they look at me like, "You're the roofing contractor. What's it to you?"
Well, we try and set expectations. If you're going to demo this building in two years versus put a chip manufacturing plant in it, there's a different technology and a different price point and different levels of risk that we try and ascertain from the company, from the ownership, or the controlling partner, and make sure that we match what their real needs are.
A lot of people don't think about that. They just think, "Well, I don't want it to leak. I don't want to pay any money," to, "It can't leak," or, "We're going to shrink the building next year."

Megan Ellsworth:
Right. Brilliant. Yeah, over-communication, expectations. Yeah.

Mark Carpenter:
Chris looked at a building last year and they didn't want to roof it last year. This year, they sent us a note, said, "Can you go look at it?" And oh, by the way, half the roof collapsed it was so rotted last year.

Megan Ellsworth:
Oh my gosh.

Mark Carpenter:
So they lost the roof. Should have done it last year.

Megan Ellsworth:
Wow. Geez.

Mark Carpenter:
Whoops. Didn't even think about leaving it. Whoops.

Megan Ellsworth:
Oh yeah. Oopsies. Oh well, better luck the next time, I suppose. Well, we here at Roofers Coffee Shop are very delighted to have Columbia Roofing and Sheet Metal as the September Roofer of the Month. So thank you so much for chatting with me today. I just wanted to open the floor for any last words. And a really big congratulations. We love you guys. You're doing a great job, and we appreciate all your hard work.

Mark Carpenter:
Yeah.

Kendall Ekerson:
Well, I have to say that the statement echos back to you guys because we've appreciated the partnership with Roofers Coffee Shop, and the support, and I mean, you guys have just been great supporters of the industry, in general, so thank you.

Megan Ellsworth:
Thank you.

Mark Carpenter:
Yeah, thank you. Thank you for having us on and letting us be a part of this.

By Colin Sheehan, RCS Reporter. 

Learn more about how the company supports their team with solid training, first-rate tools, professionalism, loyalty and rewards for a job well done. 

North American Roofing is made up of impeccable core values that supports a team of talented professionals, which is why they are the RoofersCoffeeShop® R-Club Roofer of the Month. RCS, podcast producer, Megan Ellsworth sat down with Brunno Batista, a newly hired coatings director at North American Roofing, to learn more about this great company. Listen to their conversation that celebrates the achievements of North American Roofing and how they are enhancing the industry. 

Brunno grew up in a roofing family, his grandfather starting as a roofer in Italy before leaving for Brazil when World War II began in Europe. He started a waterproofing company in Brazil, where Bruno’s father worked until moving to New Jersey in 1970. Once in America, Bruno’s father opened a roofing company, introducing Bruno to what would be his future career.  

“Every time spring break or summer or in the weekend or even the holidays I would help my dad,” said Bruno. “So that’s when I started roofing.”  

Bruno started at North American Roofing only five months ago. The company itself has been established since 1979 with a primary focus on commercial roofing. “We install EPDM, PVC, you name it,” said Bruno. “We install all type since [the] 1970s. It's a big name in our industry, North American Roofing.” 

Soon after its founding, North American Roofing became a second home to a group of talented, tight-knit installers, project managers, salespeople, technicians and managers. North American also makes it a point to celebrate their employees through recognizing an outstanding worker every month on their website.   

“Right now, I'm celebrating me and my friend Lee, he's also with me at the coatings division and that's what I'm celebrating right now, that we now have a coating division,” said Bruno. “A new division that is focused primarily in coatings, restoration, instead of putting all that roof in the landfill, now we have a chance to restore the roof." 

North American Roofing’s success can also be boiled down to their superior customer service. Bruno suggests that the key to business, especially in the roofing and construction industry, is building and maintaining positive relationships with customers. More so, adding that personal touch to every interaction with a customer, along with a job well done, is the best way to ensure the customer will remember and come back to the company time and time again. 

“If you maintain a relationship and be loyal to whoever you are [with], you're going to be very successful in what you do,” said Bruno. “I talk a lot, but at the same time I like to listen too, because it's important for you to listen to the customer, because they'll tell you what problems they have. And you, just by listening to them, [will] be able to find a solution.”  

Listen to the entire conversation to learn more about North American Roofing and why they are July’s R-Club Roofer of the Month.

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of an live interview with Brunno Batista from North American Roofing. You can read the interview below or listen to the podcast. 

Speaker 1:
Hi, welcome to the RoofersCoffeeShop, R-Club roofer of the month podcast. This is where we highlight a contractor in our R-Club each month to celebrate their greatness in the roofing industry. Listen to hear more about a great contractor.

Megan Ellsworth:
Hello, my name's Megan and I am with RoofersCoffeeShop. Today we're doing a roofer of the month interview with Brunno Batista from North American Roofing and I am so happy to be chatting with you. Hello.

Brunno Batista:
Hi, how you doing. Yes, my name is Brunno Batista. Also known by Brunno No BS. That's what people call me on social media. But it is what it is.

Megan Ellsworth:
I love that.

Brunno Batista:
It's just because I'm truly honest with what I do and what I say, and sometimes it have people loving or people hate me, but by the end of the day I can care less. I do what I do best with making fun out of my job and be happy what I do. I love roofing, and it's in my blood. It's part of who I am. So I'm good with that.

Megan Ellsworth:
I love it. That is a great way to live.

Brunno Batista:
Absolutely.

Megan Ellsworth:
Let's start out by having you just tell us a little bit about North American Roofing and how you got into roofing. Tell us about your start.

Brunno Batista:
A little bit older, you know. My grandfather was a roofer back in Italy. He used to do slate work. All handcraft made it. And World War II started to he decide to go to Brazil. And when he went to Brazil, you know to skip the World War II and my father was actually first generation of my family from my father's side that were born in Brazil. So my grandfather moved from Italy to Brazil and he's starting like a waterproofing company. So at that time, all they do was waterproofing. Building envelope from the top of the building all the way to driveway pavement.
In Brazil, which is a third world country, when you go on roofs in Brazil, especially in a commercial roofing there's no such thing at least at that time back in the days there was no such thing as a membrane. When you go on the deck, which is concrete, that's the roof. So my father, that's what he used to do waterproofing, because the slate work you don't see that. It's predominant in Europe, not in Brazil, like third world countries like Brazil.
So it was very happy in what he was doing, but he had opportunity to move to New Jersey in 1970s and he opened a roofing company. Therefore, they were union. He opened the company with one of his cousins. The company was very successful and it was a commercial roofing company. A local union Newark, New Jersey, I believe it was 04, the union. It was a very successful roofing company, hot mop and torch. That's what they used to do all day long.
But then in the end of the 80s my grandfather was very sick. He had stage four cancer, so he called my father to take over the business. So my father moved in 1993, I moved in 1994 and that's when I start roofing. You know when it was summer school, which don't get me wrong I used to love to go out and play with my friends and go out with my buddies and all that. But I also I loved money. So I was the only kid that had money. So every time spring break or summer or in the weekend or even the holidays I would help my dad. So that's when I start roofing.
But then I hate it. There was one point that I did not like it. I end up getting a scholarship and I moved to Florida. Moved to Florida, went to college and I completely left the roofing industry and I was working for a banking company. I was working for Morgan Stanley. I was underwriter, but I hate my job. It was nine to five, and I couldn't stand that type of job.
And I had a buddy of mine, he was my neighbor, next to me. We were like a half mile away from each other. Probably even less than that, and he used to work, actually he still works for Tremco, which is a [inaudible 00:04:31] manufacturer. It's been there for almost 20 years. And he told me, "Brunno, why don't you come and work for us." So I came back, I start working for a big manufacturer from the roofing contractor side. I start working for a big manufacturer, and from there I learn coatings, I became an expert in coatings because that's my specialty. But I learned all types of systems too as well. But I wasn't very happy. Company's very great, but I didn't grow much in the ladder, I was kind of stuck on the ladder. So I decide to take up different opportunities.
So moving forward, I end up working for North American Roofing, I be with North American Roofing now for about four months. I'm fairly new with the company. Not new in the industry, I've been doing roofing since I was 14, so I'm 43 now, so you can say 27, 20 years old. 20 years doing this.
North American Roofing is a commercial roofing company. They were being established company doing roofing since 1979. It's a 47 plus year old company. With primary focus in commercial, that's all we do. And our main focus is on TPO single plies in general. But we install EPDM, PVC, you name it. We install all type since 1970s. It's a big name in our industry, North American Roofing, you know.

Megan Ellsworth:
Yeah. Yeah, that's super cool. So you predominately are commercial roofing, and you said you mostly work with singly ply, would you say that's your specialty there at North American?

Brunno Batista:
Believe it or not I got hired to working for, they start to integrate a coatings division, because coating, which I've been preaching for several years now, coating's going to be the new future of industry. Especially now with the shortage of raw materials. People try to save more money. They thought that as another option to offer to our customers, because we have customers nationwide. We have license in 50 states, we have a billion squares installed all over the nation. We are 581 and DB rating, which is the highest possible you can get on the commercial side. So we've been roofing like I say for a long time, and as a smart company they decide, hey wait a minute, we want a piece of that cake too. And coating is the new go-to. Let's do this, and technology change too. If you look back, everyone used to do built up systems, and the torch, and don't get me wrong those roofs last forever, but the reality is they are very expensive, it's a lot of risk, hazards, risk of fire, and I say it's an old dinosaur, you know?

Megan Ellsworth:
Right.

Brunno Batista:
Because we've been doing it for the last 40, 50 years, but technology change. There are things that you probably know better than me now because you younger than me. Same thing with my kids. There's things that my kids sometimes I have to ask, "Hey, what is this?" Because I don't understand. But I'm always trying to keep it up with technology, so North American Roofing by hiring young talents, people with the expertise like myself. So I think that's the way to go. But my specialty working in the roofing industry is coatings, restorations. So that's my specialty.

Megan Ellsworth:
I love that. You're getting a piece of that pie, a piece of that cake.

Brunno Batista:
Oh yeah, absolutely. Yeah.

Megan Ellsworth:
So what is something that North American Roofing celebrates? And that can be an actual weird holiday that you guys celebrate, or more specifically maybe something that you like to celebrate your employees or your employees families or whatnot. What do you guys like to cherish?

Brunno Batista:
Well, we do have an internal employee of the month, which-

Megan Ellsworth:
Oh cool.

Brunno Batista:
We have an incredible woman, her name is Tiffany, she created this segment, it's internal, which we recognize every month in new employees, employees that became a star in our industry, at least with our company. So it's incredible to next thing you know you look in the email, I mean on the website of the company and you see your picture there. So it's very funny, and then they talk a little bit about themselves. So it's good. But we really celebrate, right now I'm celebrating me and my friend Lee, he's also [inaudible 00:09:37] with me at the coatings division and that's what I'm celebrating right now, that we now have a coating division. Because North American Roofing they didn't have a coating's division, and now we have that. So there's something to celebrate, a new division that is focused primary in coatings, restoration, instead of put all that roof in the landfill that will last years and years and hundred and hundred years, now we have a chance to restore the roof. So that's I think one of the good things to celebrate, you know?

Megan Ellsworth:
I couldn't agree more. That's great. I love employee of the month as well. That's just so fun and something to look forward to for everybody every month being like, "Ooh, is it going to be me?" Or maybe it's your friend or whatever. But that's really cool that you guys started the coating's division and you do the employee of the month. I think that's really special. How do you define superior customer service?

Brunno Batista:
For me, superior customer service, the most important thing is listen to your customer and relationship is the key. Like what we're doing right now. What we're doing right now is social media, it's you and the others hundreds and hundreds of miles away, which is fine, but nothing is better than that personal touch. Feeling, shaking hands. And I still believe in that. I still believe relationships are the key, to listen to them and provide a solution. And that's what we believe in. I think North American Roofing too as well.

Megan Ellsworth:
Yeah, that's fabulous.

Brunno Batista:
If you maintain a relationship, and be loyal to whoever you are, you're going to be very successful in what you do. I tend to listen to people. Yeah, I speak a lot, I talk a lot, but at the same time I like to listen too, because it's important for you to listen to the customer, because they'll tell you what problem they have. And you just by listen to them, you'll be able to find a solution. Whatever solution will be, whether it's tearing off, put a new roof or a restoration with coatings. That will be the perfect thing is always maintain a good relationship and be very on time, be cordial, followup with your customer with leads, whatever you have to maintain that relationship. They want the single best top commercial roofing solution for service, we roof nationwide. We have a license in 50 states, we've been doing this for 47 plus years. So we are one of the top dogs when it comes to the roofing commercial side. Everyone knows North American Roofing. And even the name says North American Roofing, it's fantastic. Their stock here is a resource for our customers to extend the life of their current system and plan for upcoming projects.

Megan Ellsworth:
Cool.

Brunno Batista:
Because here's the thing, if you don't do preventative maintenance, I don't care how much the manufacturer give the warranty, if you don't maintain the roof realistically it will last probably eight years. Why? Because weathering is one of the main factors. My state is brutal. The rain, sun, sun, rain, so it create a lot of you got to remember you have pounding water sitting on your roof. All the water does not evaporate, next thing you know it creates the sun hits that the water is going to create almost like a magnify glass that will eat the membrane, so we need the coatings and you're done. That roof is going to be gone, and I see many case that people who bill the owners, they don't notice until it's too late. It's like the old saying, out of sight, out of mind.

Megan Ellsworth:
Right.

Brunno Batista:
So it's not leaking, it's good, and then six, even years later it start leaking and they give you a call, "Hey, I got a 15 year warranty let me check your roof." The next thing you know, you go on the roof, the roof is a jungle. There's trees come out of the drains, and you're like, "What the?" People from other trades dropped two screws and you see a mess on that roof, and sometimes when you let it go, it's too late there's not much you can do. So that's the reason us having the preventative maintenance program called StarCare. That's just something very good for our customers to preserve and restore the roof, you know?

Megan Ellsworth:
Yeah, that's brilliant. And you're also educating the building owner, and helping them stay on top of their roof maintenance, as well as continuing the relationship with your customers. That's great. Anything you'd like to say about being roofer of the month?

Brunno Batista:
I don't believe in competition. And don't get me wrong, I think it's very nice you had competitors, because if you don't have competitors, you can never improve yourself, because you always want to do better than the other person. I believe that the competition has to be a healthy one. The ones that everyone respect each other. So that's what I believe. I believe there's no competition, but at the same time because I'm not here to compete with anybody because this roofing industry is so big. But that's the reason when I bring people, when I interview people, sometimes I interview people from other companies they are competitors. But I don't see that as my competitor, I see that as someone that work in the same industry that I work. So that's what I like to do. And North American Roofing, they not upset with that. I guess they're very happy. And I'm very happy now they believe in coatings.
It's hard sometimes to change a company that has been doing single plies for over 40 something years, 30 years on the single ply industry. But little by little, because we have a great people in our company, but little by little I'm convincing everyone coating is the new solution, coating is the new solution. Restoration fully applied system is the new solution for the roofing industry. And finally they listen to me.

Megan Ellsworth:
Yay, yes. I love it. Well, we at RoofersCoffeeShop are super honored to celebrate you, Brunno, as well as North American Roofing as the July roofer of the month. So we're so happy to have you and this was a great conversation. So thank you for your time.

Brunno Batista:
All right, so let me do a little bit of dance, right?

Megan Ellsworth:
Yeah.

Brunno Batista:
Go Brunno.

Megan Ellsworth:
Go Brunno. Perfect.

Brunno Batista:
All right, so nice talking to you.

Speaker 1:
For more, go to RoofersCoffeeShop.com and become an R-Club Member. If you're a contractor in the roofing industry, we want to hear from you. Join our forums and connect with other contractors near you.

By Colin Sheehan, RCS Reporter. 

Jason Stock shares the 90-year history of Central Roofing and the attributes that have made their company a known presence in the industry.  

Jason Stock of Central Roofing Company sat down with Megan Ellsworth, RoofersCoffeeShop® podcast producer and multimedia manager, to discuss what makes Central Roofing a stand-out company. Central Roofing Company is a nationally certified, woman-owned and operated private corporation based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Established in 1929, Central Roofing has more than 200 union employees and focuses primarily on commercial roofing projects, exteriors service and metal wall panels.  

Central started right as the depression of 1930 began and has lived through many historical and economic challenges since their inception. Now, Central Roofing adds a global pandemic to that list of endured challenges and always comes out as a stronger, better company because of it. 

Jason Stock is the vice president and CFO of Central Roofing Company. He describes the company as a group of passionate individuals always looking forward to the future. 

“How do we get better, how do we get bigger? What's new and exciting in our industry?” said Jason, “[We] always face challenges head-on. We have a phenomenal team here. It's been a real honor to be a part of this group of people.” 

Central Roofing performs mainly large-scale commercial roofing projects. They also have the largest service division in their city of Minneapolis.  

"[I’m] very proud of our service department. They just work wonders and try to make sure everybody can stay dry and weather that storm,” said Jason. “We [try to] get another year or two out of someone's roof instead of having to replace it now, especially with all the material shortages we're all dealing with.” 

The family owned company also has a large presence in the community, putting on large events for employees including a big company picnic at the Valley Fair and a large Christmas party where Central Roofing participates in a large Toys for Tots drive. Central Roofing also donates to a slew of amazing organizations like Make-A-Wish, Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans, The Gathering Place and supports autism awareness. 

“We are very big at the community giving. We do a lot of stuff with the vets. We do a lot of stuff with the autism community. I have two children who are on the spectrum, so its near and dear to my own heart,” said Jason. “And it's always been like that; how do we give back? Anytime someone has a charity that's close to their heart, we always make sure we give and support it." 

Listen to the full interview to learn more about Central Roofing and why they are the R-Club June Roofer of the Month.

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of an live interview with Rebecca Welsh, Regional Business Manager for Weather Proofing Technologies, WTI, in the south Atlantic region of the country. You can read the interview below or listen to the podcast. 

Speaker 1:
Welcome to Roofing Road Trips with Heidi. Explore the roofing industry through the eyes of a longterm professional within the trade. Listen for insights, interviews, and exciting news in the roofing industry today.

Megan Ellsworth:
Hello. My name is Megan Ellsworth, taking over Roofing Road Trips here at rooferscoffeeshop.com. And today, I have Rebecca Welsh, Regional Business Manager for Weather Proofing Technologies, WTI, in the south Atlantic region of the country. And I'm so excited to be chatting with you, Rebecca. Hello.

Rebecca Welsh:
Hello. Thank you.

Megan Ellsworth:
To start out, why don't you tell us a little bit about how you got into the roofing industry. I hear your stepfather had a roofing company. Maybe just give us a little background on you.

Rebecca Welsh:
Sure. So in high school, yes, my stepdad had his own roofing company and of course, like all kids, you start off and work in some kind of fast food job, right, and my stepdad offered to take me on for help and he needed some help and he offered me twice what I was making at fast food. So I'm like, sure, I'll try it.
So, and I stuck with it. It was fun. It was very unique. We were always on some different kind of job. And most of what we did back then was commercial. We did a little bit of residential, but 99% of what we did was commercial roofing.
So it was just, I don't know, it was fun and different and we got to be outside and I was always learning things and I'm like a sponge. I love to learn new things. And my older brother, growing up with him, he was in the construction industry as well. So he kind of brought me up as a tomboy anyway and taught me how to use some tools and things. So it wasn't completely foreign to me, to go help my stepdad. But it just ended up working really well and he appreciated having good help. So I stayed with it and that was pretty much how I got started.

Megan Ellsworth:
I love it. That's awesome. Yeah. I feel like having outside jobs is so underrated as a young person.

Rebecca Welsh:
Right?

Megan Ellsworth:
I love being outside.

Rebecca Welsh:
Yeah.

Megan Ellsworth:
Way better than being cooped up or staring at a screen.

Rebecca Welsh:
Yeah. And flipping burgers, which, Hey, we all have to do those jobs, but it was different. And the money, I had lots of money, as opposed to my friends are working those minimum wage jobs, which was like $2.35 or something when I started.

Megan Ellsworth:
Wow. Yeah.

Rebecca Welsh:
Yeah. He paid me $5.00 an hour. So I thought I was king of the road, man.

Megan Ellsworth:
Rolling in it. Well, how has the roofing industry shaped or even changed your life since you started that job?

Rebecca Welsh:
Nobody starts off saying, when people ask them, what do you want to do when you grow up? Oh, I want to be a roofer. Nobody ever says that. Right?

Megan Ellsworth:
Right Yeah.

Rebecca Welsh:
Unless your family is actually in that industry and then that might be a natural response. But the kids in school when it's career day and they're like, "I want to be a policeman or a doctor or a firefighter and an astronaut." Yeah. Nobody says I want to be a roofer. In fact, very few people say I want to be in the trades period. And they haven't for a long time.
So, it was just something. I didn't plan on doing that. I always wanted to be like an artist or something when I was a kid. But I realized, Hey, I can do the job. I can make money at it. Eventually, I actually went to school to be an architect because I thought, well, I kind of like this building stuff, but I also liked to draw. So maybe I can be an architect. And, yeah. That wasn't for me.
So I actually finished a degree in construction management and went to school to finish that, got a master's in business, went to work for a general contractor for about 10 years in the commercial side. So I was not only exposed roofing, but the whole building right from the ground up. So, which actually helped me in the roofing industry, because you need to learn how a building goes together. Not just what's on top. Right? If you're going to assess leaks or help people fix problems in their building, anytime they get a leak, they're going to call the roofer. Right?

Megan Ellsworth:
Right.

Rebecca Welsh:
Maybe it's the window. Maybe it's the wall. Maybe it's something else. Maybe it's your HVAC. So having that whole building construction knowledge really helped.
So I worked very hard in my career. I stayed home for a while when I had young children, but then I went back to work full time and the construction industry just brought me so many different opportunities that I never knew were out there. And being a female in the construction industry has a different take on it as well. You kind of have to earn your way. People don't take you seriously, necessarily, when you're a girl in this industry. So, that's been quite the learning curve.
But at the end of the day, it's provided a very good career for me. I've been back in just roofing industry for the past couple of years now, because I left the general contracting world and went back to roofing and brought my management experience with me, which kind of definitely helps in the position that I'm in now.

Megan Ellsworth:
For sure.

Rebecca Welsh:
So as a single mom, raising two children, it provided an absolutely wonderful career. It also showed them that there's so many different opportunities out there that maybe they didn't think of or that, Hey, women can do this. My daughter is very much about women can do stuff because she got a good example growing up at home. So I don't know. It's been pretty cool. And it's been a fun, interesting ride, for sure.

Megan Ellsworth:
I love that. Yeah, that's great. I mean, that leads even perfectly into the next question, which is why should women work in the field and maybe touch on why specifically young women should go into roofing or construction and kind of topple those stereotypes that were definitely in place and maybe are starting to die out now, of, "Oh, do you actually know what you're doing? Or "You got that, sweetie?"

Rebecca Welsh:
Right. Yeah. You still hear a lot of condescending things sometimes. And some of it varies with the part of the country that you're in too.

Megan Ellsworth:
Right. For sure.

Rebecca Welsh:
First off, we have a lack of construction labor force, period. Right? Where we know as an industry, we've been fighting this, we're going to continue to fight this labor shortage, that we kind of self created, because we forgot to tell people that working in the trades was cool. Right? In fact, I just saw an advertisement come from my local community college and it said, "We have opportunities in the gold collar field." And I'm like, what, what is that?

Megan Ellsworth:
What is that?

Rebecca Welsh:
So we used to be white collar and blue collar, right? And this country was separated into two divisions. People who went to work in a suit every day and people who went to work in their jeans and boots, right, and got their hands dirty. And those two different career paths were ... Some people looked down on the career path that you took to work with your hands and boots. And it was just ... It didn't have the same, I guess, respect in some circles.
Now, I think the tables have turned and okay, maybe you have a job that you work in management, but if you come home and your sink breaks, who are you going to call if you don't know how to fix it. Right?

Megan Ellsworth:
Right.

Rebecca Welsh:
You need those people. You need us. We're very important. And robots can't replace us. Robots can't replace people in the field doing trade work.

Megan Ellsworth:
Precisely.

Rebecca Welsh:
We are becoming more and more the sought after workforce and labor force. The wages are improving it. The wages have come up. The benefits have come up. All the opportunities that companies are offering now to recruit people into the trades, apprenticeships and trainings and bonuses and all of these things.
So it's just fighting that labor shortage to begin with and then knocking off that stereotype of, oh, well, okay, but it's still only men that can come in the field. Not true. Right.

Megan Ellsworth:
Yeah.

Rebecca Welsh:
Females generally tend to be more detail oriented and that's just a natural thing. Right. They tend to pay more attention to detail and have a little more patience. Not all, but most. And a lot of times that's what's required in our field today is that level of detail and patience.
So yes, it is still hard work for entry-level positions. You still have to get out there no matter what you're doing and any kind of trade, especially roofing. You're going to be on a roof. You're going to get dirty.
But it's also not the work that we used to do either. We used to work very unsafe in our industry.

Megan Ellsworth:
Right.

Rebecca Welsh:
All of those things have changed. We have all these safety procedures in place now. We don't want you to work super hard and break your back. We want you to work smart. So we'll buy you the equipment and the tools and rent lifts and cranes and everything else to make your job ergonomically easier. And I think that's been some of the mystique about women can't do this because we're not strong enough. Right. We're not built for that. Not true.

Megan Ellsworth:
Not true.

Rebecca Welsh:
Because no employer wants to harm their employee with any sort of back-breaking super physical labor anymore because that leads to job injuries. And nobody wants that. So, a lot of those things that used to be true or not true in our industry anymore, especially in the roofing industry.
And what we do at WTI specifically is not the same as most production roofing companies where we're kind of more of the maintenance end. So it's not near as hard labor. Right? So even with all the improvements that we have, production roofing can still consist of some pretty hard labor. That doesn't mean that women can't or shouldn't go into that.
But what we do at WTI is even less stringent. You still have to climb ladders. You still have to carry buckets and you still have to get down on your knees. And so, it's actually kind of a good thing because it keeps you in shape while you're at work. Right?

Megan Ellsworth:
Yeah. That's amazing. I love that. Yeah.

Rebecca Welsh:
You get paid to work out. Right?

Megan Ellsworth:
Right. No more gym memberships.

Rebecca Welsh:
When I worked in the field all those years and now it's like management and I sit behind a desk, I'm like, Ooh, now I got to go to the gym.

Megan Ellsworth:
Yeah. I know. That's how I've been feeling during this COVID time too.

Rebecca Welsh:
Right. We all have. And I, again, I think there is still some attitudes that women shouldn't be in these fields. But honestly, people, we got to get over that because they're good paying jobs. As a single mother, I can attest to the fact that this was a great paying job for me. And for many single parents, single moms especially, they might not have the educational opportunities. Right? And they may be limited to some entry level jobs. And roofing is a great entry level job. If you can find help with childcare and things like that. And if you're willing to stick it out and learn the field for a few years, then there are so many other avenues that you can move on to, especially where we are. Gosh, you can go on inspection teams, you can go on quality control. You can go on to so many other advancements. But you do need to spend a couple of years learning and kind of, I guess, paying your dues, but you got to learn.
There are so many other career paths you can move on to and eventually, provide a very good living for your family. So again, I just like to see more women in general come to the fields, just because we are, and for roofing, I need that detail oriented personnel because what we do is kind of art. You know?

Megan Ellsworth:
Yeah. No, it totally is.

Rebecca Welsh:
Yeah. We work with a lot of coating, so it's a lot of painting like material and we have to be slow and methodical and detailed to make it look good because owners want to see that, wow, that looks fantastic. Right. And if we pay attention to the details, then I know the rest of it's going to be fine. So, sometimes guys just like to get in a hurry and want to get things done. And Ooh, look what I did. Look at everything I did, which is great, we need that too. But the girls are like, well, I'll just stay over here and make this look pretty for you.

Megan Ellsworth:
Yeah.

Rebecca Welsh:
So, and I don't mean to generalize or be sexist in any way. Hopefully nobody construes that wrong.

Megan Ellsworth:
No, you're all good.

Rebecca Welsh:
It's just the basic human temperament. Right?

Megan Ellsworth:
Yeah.

Rebecca Welsh:
So I don't care if you're man or woman or whatever, as long as you are willing to listen and learn and have a great open mind and pay attention and have a great attitude, really. Have a positive attitude, man. We can so provide you a great career for you and your family. And yeah, it's just a good place to work. So.

Megan Ellsworth:
That's great. How are you guys at WTI recruiting women or are you specific, like how are you recruiting for the field? And on top of that, what are you finding is bringing more women into the industry, if you're finding that at all?

Rebecca Welsh:
Yeah, see. So that's been a complete challenge just because that's kind of been a focus of mine since I've been here. That has complete challenge that honestly, I have not solved that puzzle yet. We have a national organization of women in roofing. We have local chapters. We have women business owners and I've talked to them. We don't have a good solution yet. Part of it, I think, is just the mystique that women shouldn't go into those kinds of fields. And I don't think we've broken that mystique yet. And it's really just the one-on-one conversations with people to try to change that.

Rebecca Welsh:
I am fortunate enough. I have like almost 50 employees and I have one female technician.

Megan Ellsworth:
That's awesome.

Rebecca Welsh:
She is a single mom and she was kind of in a position where she didn't have necessarily a whole lot of other skillset. But she's very smart, hardworking. And so she has found out she loves it. And we're like, cool. Now go tell all your friends and people who are like you.

Megan Ellsworth:
Yeah.

Rebecca Welsh:
So we've been talking with corporate and locally about, okay, how do we reach out to women? You know? And the way our company is set up is because we are so ... We don't have like one big shop that we work out of, right? We're all over the United States and kind of independent. So it's been a little bit more of a challenge for us to try to figure out how to target audiences specifically, but we are working on some of those ideas. And some of the things that we're talking about is getting into trade schools, high schools, with trade programs, places that already have those programs.

Megan Ellsworth:
Yeah.

Rebecca Welsh:
But again, even the ones that have those programs, the number of women is a lot smaller compared to the number of men and still very traditional.

Megan Ellsworth:
Right.

Rebecca Welsh:
But we're trying to work on some of those opportunities to get into those trade schools and catch those kids who are interested and young and eager and are ready to go out and work and recruit them that way, kind of a grassroots effort. Because I just don't know of any successful national campaign that we have outside of somebody like [inaudible 00:19:02], of him glorifying the trades, right. We need more of those people out there glorifying the trades.

Megan Ellsworth:
Yeah. Yes.

Rebecca Welsh:
He's done a great job and I'd love to see more of that. So I don't have the answer. I just know it's a one-on-one conversation and story, but our company is committed to it and we're just trying a bunch of different things and seeing what works.

Megan Ellsworth:
Yeah. Throwing spaghetti and seeing what sticks.

Rebecca Welsh:
Yeah. Throw it on the wall and see if it sticks. Right?

Megan Ellsworth:
Yeah.

Rebecca Welsh:
I don't have the answer and I don't know that anybody does have the answer to that labor question right now.

Megan Ellsworth:
Right. Yeah. And you kind of touched on this, but what is one perception of the roofing industry that you think needs to change? Is that the, kind of like you said, the mystique that it isn't a trade for women? Or what are you thinking on that?

Rebecca Welsh:
Roofing, in general, when you compare roofing, like my interpretation of the 30 some odd years I've been in it. Roofing in general always seems to be like the lesser trade that people would want to go into. If they're considering a trade, they'll be, oh, I want to be a carpenter or an electrician or maybe a plumber. They think about those things, but very rarely where again, even if they're considering the trades, will they go, well, I want to be a roofer. Right?
Because again, it just has this mystique about it, that it's, and mystique is probably the wrong word because that's like elevating. I think we've been pushed aside and considered maybe not the cream of the crop when it comes to the labor force and that is so completely untrue for people that are inside the industry and know. Sure, we have individual cases, but there are so many intelligent people, even within the 50 employees that I have, there's so many intelligent, hardworking, problem solving, loyal, family oriented, just wonderful, wonderful people. Right?

Megan Ellsworth:
Yeah.

Rebecca Welsh:
I think people still have a misperception about what roofers are. So I think somewhere along the way, we need to glorify a roofing as, Hey man, it's a really cool career.

Megan Ellsworth:
It is.

Rebecca Welsh:
And it pays more than you working at the bank. So it's fun, because I have a relationship with my banker across the street. Home projects or whatever. And I talked to her and she goes, "You do what? You make what?" Well, yeah. Work hard. And she's like, "Man, I'm in the wrong business. I should have been in the roofing industry." "Yep."

Megan Ellsworth:
Yep.

Rebecca Welsh:
Well, I think there's that mystique, that we're just not the most respected people, that we don't make enough money in this career, that we don't, we're not people you want to bring home to your mother. You know?

Megan Ellsworth:
Right.

Rebecca Welsh:
And it's not true. And more of that has to change. And again, elevate the trades in general, elevate roofing, especially. And then I think we'll have a lot more success attracting people in it and attracting females to this industry and just having role models. Tremco/WTI is huge. We have so many women in our upper corporate offices.

Megan Ellsworth:
You do.

Rebecca Welsh:
It's like, wow. And these are not just like people in research or the sales part. I mean, these women have been there, done it, they know everything. They can do everything. They're huge role models for us and anybody starting off.

Megan Ellsworth:
That's great.

Rebecca Welsh:
It's like, yeah. Don't think that there's any sort of glass ceiling at this company because you're female. It is not true. They very much are here and wonderful examples all day long. So.

Megan Ellsworth:
Ah, yeah, that is so true. You guys really do have some great VIP or VP and employees there.

Rebecca Welsh:
Oh, yeah. This company supports that way more so than any other company, especially in roofing, that I've seen. So there is not this, because I've worked for other roofing companies and there's still been a good old boy network. And at the top, it was all good old boys. Unless you were in accounting or something, it's all good old boys.

Megan Ellsworth:
Right.

Rebecca Welsh:
And Tremco WTI is absolutely not that company. And that was one of the things, when I interviewed with them, I was really impressed with. I'm like, okay, cool.

Megan Ellsworth:
Yeah.

Rebecca Welsh:
I like it here.

Megan Ellsworth:
Well, this is our last question, but what advice would you give women of any age that are wanting to get into the roofing industry?

Rebecca Welsh:
It's here. It's open. You just really should find someone or do some research online about companies. Find somebody who's in the business, a friend of a friend of a friend, and just talk to them and see what their day in day out life is like. Maybe it's for you. Maybe it's not. But if you're willing to give anything an opportunity, the opportunities are here. It's just making that connection.
And I know things have been so hard the past year and a half with all the COVID things, keeping everybody apart. So, hopefully things will kind of get back to a little bit of normal and we'll get back out of the communication and the visiting with one another again and spreading those stories of this opportunity is out there. Talk to your daughters, talk to your nieces, talk to your nephews, talk to these kids who are coming out of school and maybe college isn't a good fit for them. Come try us for a while. If you don't like it, great. But try it. If nothing else, you'll learn a good skill and know how to maybe fix a roof on your house, if nothing else. Right.

Megan Ellsworth:
Yeah. Precisely.

Rebecca Welsh:
So, yeah, I think it's just a matter of that, getting out and talking to someone, about what's out there. And not being okay with status quo, that that's it. Not being okay with status quo. Challenge that status quo every day.

Megan Ellsworth:
I love that. I love that. Challenge of status quo. Yes. Well, thank you so much, Rebecca. This has been amazing. You really had some words of wisdom there for everybody, so I can't wait for everyone to hear it.

Rebecca Welsh:
Okay. Well, cool. Thank you, Megan.

Megan Ellsworth:
Thank you so much. And for everyone listening, you can find more at rooferscoffeeshop.com. We are also on Spotify, Amazon, Google, all the places that you like to listen to podcasts. Thank you, Rebecca. This has been Roofing Road Trips and my name is Megan Ellsworth. See you next time.

Rebecca Welsh:
Thank you.

Speaker 1:
Make sure to subscribe to our channel and leave a review. Thanks for listening. This has been Roofing Road Trips with Heidi from the rooferscoffeeshop.com.

By Colin Sheehan, RCS Reporter. 

From selling skincare products to major roofing systems, Samantha shares her unique story and invites others to pursue a career in the roofing industry.  

On Season 3, Episode 24 of RoofersCoffeeShop® original podcast series, Roofing Road Trips, RCS multi-media manager, Megan Ellsworth, is joined by Samantha Schock of Tecta America. The two discuss Samantha’s introduction into roofing, the role of National Women in Roofing (NWiR) in recruiting people into the industry and why women shouldn’t be afraid to make a career in the construction trades. Listen to this episode for a fresh perspective on the industry from the next generation of the workforce.   

Samantha was born and raised in New York before moving to California. She grew up in the music industry, her mother was the publicist for big names like Toby Keith and Willie Nelson, and her dad was Billy Joel’s manager.  

“I'd go backstage and I would have the headphones on. It was really cool. I had a very exciting childhood, definitely different than roofing,” said Samantha. 

While the music industry and the roofing industry may look like opposites on the outside, they do have similarities, especially when it comes to marketing and sales. 

"My dad was a natural born sales person,” said Samantha. “And I consider myself to have that gift to gab.”  

Samantha was selected to work for Tecta America after starting her career in aesthetics selling skincare products. Now she sells major roofing systems, TPOs, single ply, modified bitumen and much more. Samantha sees her career switch as life changing and is grateful to be invited into the roofing industry where she found a job she’s passionate about and friendships that will last a lifetime. 

“I was working a dead-end job, and I think we've all been there where you're just nine to five, not really doing what you love, going home, pulling your hair out at the end of the day,” said Samantha. “I started putting my resume on LinkedIn and Andy Carr, who's the national cooperative purchasing manager for Tecta, hand selected my resume from LinkedIn. He knew I had no roofing experience whatsoever, but he just saw something that he felt would click.” 

After starting at Tecta, Samantha heard about National Women in Roofing and began “sneaking” into their meetings.  

“I remember the first meeting I went to and I got one of those pink hard hats. I still have it to this day,” said Samantha. “It was just such an amazing experience, and I was like, ‘I have to be a part of this community. I have to be able to contribute and learn from these women.’” 

Now Samantha is part of NWiR’s national recruitment committee and shares her unique entrance into roofing to help others make the first steps towards a lifelong and rewarding career in the industry.  

"I'm such a girly girl, by the way,” said Samantha. “That's important [to share because] anyone can get on a roof. It's just getting into that right industry. I mean, I was in aesthetics before, and this has completely changed my life.”  

Listen to the entire podcast to learn more about how Samantha is spreading the word about the amazing careers people can have in the roofing industry. 

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of an live interview with Jennifer Stone and Renae Bales, the co-chairs of National Women in Roofing. You can read the interview below or listen to the podcast. 

Megan Ellsworth:
Hi, welcome to the Roofers Coffee Shop, R-Club Roofer of the Month podcast. This is where we highlight a contractor in our R-Club each month to celebrate their greatness in the roofing industry. Listen, to hear more about a great contractor.
Hi everybody. My name's Megan Ellsworth here at rooferscoffeeshop.com and I am back again with a Roofer of the Month podcast. So glad to announce that the June Roofers Coffee Shop R-Club Roofer of the Month is Central Roofing. And here I have Jason Stock to tell us a little bit more about Central and for us to congratulate them. Hi, Jason.

Jason Stock:
Hi. Hi Megan. Thanks for the invite. And Central's really honored for the award, so we're kind of excited about that.

Megan Ellsworth:
Yeah, I'm so glad. So why don't we start out with having you just introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about Central?

Jason Stock:
Well, I'm Jason Stock, I'm the vice president and CFO of Central Roofing Company here in Minneapolis. Central is a 90-plus year-old company starting in 1929 so it's been around a long time. We always kind of take honor with that, but we also kind of go the last 90 years have been great, we're looking forward to the next 90. So, always looking forward to that future. How do we get better, how do we get bigger. What's new and exciting in our industry. We always like to be a part of that stuff.
We've had an interesting history, obviously. If you just think about it, in 1929, started in the depression era. We've gone through world wars. Obviously the pandemic that we're just currently in and hopefully almost to the end of. So no, it's always face challenges head-on. We have a phenomenal team here. It's been a real honor to be kind of a part of this group of people.

Megan Ellsworth:
Wow! That's awesome. I had no idea that you guys have been around for that long. That is so cool.

Jason Stock:
No, it's always exciting when you're like, wow, it's been around longer than I've been alive. It's longer... Let's see, 90 years and I'm only 40, so it's totally crushing me. I barely even know anybody who's 90.

Megan Ellsworth:
Yeah. I don't think I know anybody. Wow. Well, that's really cool, and very impressive. And yeah, like you said, the company has seen things, between world wars and a pandemic and the depression, so you guys have really stuck it out.

Jason Stock:
Yep, yep. There's also been a lot of positive things over that past 90 years too. We don't always want to look at those negative items.

Megan Ellsworth:
Right. Well, what type of services does your company provide? What's your specialty, residential, commercial?

Jason Stock:
We are pretty-much 95% commercial roofing. We do a little bit of residential but it's pretty minor. Mostly like townhouses and that large scale thing. Fortunately, we're kind of equipped for that large project. Semi-trucks, cranes and Potains and all of those things. So if I showed up to someone's driveway with all of those things everybody would be really nervous. But we do actually have the largest service company in the city. 18 trucks go out every day with a two-man service team to fix everything from a leaky dog house to putting in new HVAC equipment. So, very proud of our service department. They just work wonders and try to make sure everybody can stay dry and weather that storm. A lot of times they can help, can we get another year or two out of someone's roof instead of having to replace it now, especially with all the material shortages we're all dealing with. So we're trying to get that. How do we work with our clients to get a couple more years out of it.

Megan Ellsworth:
Mm. That is brilliant. Yeah. How have those material shortages made you guys adapt with that service aspect?

Jason Stock:
From the service thing, it's just that obviously we want to keep everybody dry, keep the water on the outside. But it's been a struggle. Obviously everybody's trying to deal with that same issue. All of a sudden we were going strong and then, oh, no one has any material. But it's kind of like, oh, okay, that's quite the swing. We were fortunate. We always carry a pretty hefty inventory compared to most people. So we've actually been able to kind of keep going and working through this bits but, watching all those pieces have always been an important one. Our team has definitely worked really hard and diligent just to kind of to stay out in front of it, keep our clients informed. Nobody likes giving that, oh, by the way, we're not coming next week. We don't have anything to roof with. Some clients have been okay with it. Some have not. So like I said, the service team has been able to kind of like, okay, where are the troubled areas? Let's get through this bump together.

Megan Ellsworth:
Right. Brilliant.

Jason Stock:
Otherwise, the other thing we really surprisingly do a lot is historical work.

Megan Ellsworth:
Oh, cool!

Jason Stock:
We love those old buildings, the ones from the 1800s that were old even when Central started. It's always kind of an exciting one because you start digging into these things and what you find in building techniques and practices from way back then to today's standards are so different.

Megan Ellsworth:
I'm sure.

Jason Stock:
But we always like that project that we feel no one else can do it, that's the project for us.

Megan Ellsworth:
Oh, I love that. That's a nice little slogan. What's something special that your company celebrates, whether it's restoration on old buildings, or actually celebrating a holiday with your team? Or just celebrating small achievements from team members. What do you guys really cherish over at Central?

Jason Stock:
We've always felt, obviously Central's a family-owned company and we always feel like we're pretty blessed to be a part of this organization, so we always want to make sure that we celebrate those events that happen in everybody's lives. We always have the big company picnic out at Valley Fair. We have a Christmas party where Santa comes and all the kids that see him. We do the big Toys for Tots drives for Christmas, where everybody comes to the holiday party, they bring toys and trailers of toys go off for the Toys for Tots.

Megan Ellsworth:
That's awesome.

Jason Stock:
We are very big at the community giving. We do a lot of stuff with the vets. We do a lot of stuff with the autism community. I have two children who are on the spectrum, so kind of close, near and dear to my own heart. We've done the Fraser House with Pulling Together. It's just always been that, how do we give back? Anytime someone has a charity that's close to their heart, we always make sure we give and give support to it. So we do a lot of Make-A-Wish. There's another one that's similar to that. We have scleroderma and all of the programs that touch everybody's lives.
I'm always amazed in this industry, how closely-knit of a family that organizations become. One of our workers, his little daughter came down with leukemia and everybody was so supportive from giving, helping fund it, to making sure everyone stays together. So if one person gets hurt, they really come together to promote each other and it's just such a unique experience to see the teamwork and the family atmosphere that's developed here and hopefully in other places, that everybody wants to be able to give back to that community. We always feel like we're a part of the community, so we've got to make sure we're always trying to be a positive influence in it also.

Megan Ellsworth:
Wow! Wow, you guys are really keeping busy over there. That's wonderful. It's so important to stay a part of the community and to give back as much as you can. So thank you for all you guys do.

Jason Stock:
Oh, no. Like I said, it's always our pleasure. I actually started doing the... I'm on the board of Fraser. I joined two years ago. And Diane, the CEO there, she always said that everybody gets a bigger pleasure in life giving than receiving. And it's one of those things you really actually start to feel, that when you start to go out of these ways, and how you can change people's lives or make them better and be a part of that. Everybody kind of feels like, oh, we're just this roofing company. It's like, no, you can be so much more than that. And that's what I think we try to bring to our, our whole team brings that piece in, is that, yeah, we do roofing, but we also want to do so much more. And that's always like a nice plus, because like I said, you get the team involvement. And I know more of our worker's wive's and children's names than half the workers. Don't tell them. Just because, like I said, everyone comes together. I love going to the Valley Fair and seeing all the smiling faces and those things, so it's always a blessing that we've grown to the size to be able to do those kinds of fun things.

Megan Ellsworth:
Yeah. That's great. Well, I'm interested in this next question. How do you guys define superior customer service?

Jason Stock:
Wow. That's kind of a tough one.

Megan Ellsworth:
Yeah. A heavy hitter.

Jason Stock:
Let's see. Obviously, we can use the same saying. We've always wanted that under-promise, over-deliver. We always set a goal that we want to make sure we're meeting or exceeding your expectations on everything. We've come into projects that, we want to make sure that one, we have the rule it always has to get done. No matter what happens, when you start a project you have to get it done. And a lot of organizations I've seen kind of sometimes struggle. It's like everybody can get to that 90% mark really quick. And I know even we've struggled with that last 10 now and then. It's like, no, no, just what does it take to get it done? Because that's what the customer really want. They want to go, "Oh, and I don't want the puddle coming in my ceiling anymore. And I don't want to see your trucks out in front of my building anymore."
So, making sure that you're taking care of everybody from their paperwork, documentation, that list keeps getting bigger and bigger every year. And ultimately just being able to get it done in a nice, clean, organized fashion. At the end of the day, the roofing trade is a professional workmanship trades industry. We want to make sure we're always acting like professionals and getting the job done.

Megan Ellsworth:
Yeah, precisely. You couldn't have said it better. So why should homeowners or building owners work with Central?

Jason Stock:
A good reason to work with Central is like I said, when you have that complex project that's not the normal, we're able to get it done. We have the expertise from... We have Mike Mehring in the sales, and Lloyd and Warren who've all been doing this for so long that, if they haven't seen it and you surprise them, then I'm really shocked. But we're able to work with inside of people's budgets, make sure they get what they want. So it's kind of like when it's price-driven, what can we do budget friendly for someone to get it done and make it last a little longer? How can we take that unique project that takes our true craftsmanship from our metal workers doing the hand soldering, the forming and all that stuff, how do we get into that? Doing the project no one's touched in a hundred years. Taking the tile off, putting it back and making sure it looks historically accurate. You choose us because you have something different and that's a concern and we're going to take that to heart.
When I started my roofing industry it was in the residential sector, and I was always told make sure to protect every bush and flower as if it was your own, or in my case as if it was my mother's. And I knew never step on them. So, finding out what's important to that customer, to find out what's the biggest issue you're going to find and how can we make it better for you to get through this process. Because I always say, I'm like, residential or commercial, in the commercial sector, everybody's still working in their buildings when you're on them. And I always say, if you're doing someone's house, ask them to go away. It's the loudest experience. I don't know if you've ever been through a reroof on your house, but it's loud.
So, find out what are the important things. What can you do to make that project go easier for them. Trying to stay budget conscious. And like I said, in this case, material shortages, we've been building up our inventory for a couple of months now just because we kind of thought something like this would come. We're actually sitting and our crews are still working and we've talked to some other people in our local area and they're like, "Yeah, we can't get anything." And our trucks have stopped coming in as frequently as everybody else's but we still have quite a bit sitting in our warehouse to make sure that we keep going.

Megan Ellsworth:
That's awesome.

Jason Stock:
I always wanted to make sure to get their project done, and at the end of the day everybody wants that. No one wants it to drag on forever.

Megan Ellsworth:
Yeah. Precisely. Well, you guys have something very special over there at Central Roofing, so congrats on being Roofer of the Month.

Jason Stock:
Oh, thank you.

Megan Ellsworth:
Yeah. Thank you so much for everything that you guys do. You are a pillar of excellence, truly, so we appreciate you.

Jason Stock:
That's like the nicest thing people can say to me.

Megan Ellsworth:
Yay! It's true. And we're so happy to give you Roofer of the Month, and hopefully we'll see you at the coffee break.

Jason Stock:
I will do my best. Thank you.

Megan Ellsworth:
Thank you so much, Jason. Any last words?

Jason Stock:
Nope. Everybody stay safe out there. Obviously safety is key for everything so we want to make sure that... We all do a very hard job in this industry and we want to make sure everybody goes home at night to see their families and do what they're supposed to do. So, stay safe.

Megan Ellsworth:
Awesome. Thank you so much. Have a great day.

Jason Stock:
Thanks, Megan.

Megan Ellsworth:
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