Armando Landeros has had one job in his life: roofing. Since he graduated from high school, he has worked at Commercial Roofers Inc., Las Vegas, building a 26-year career. Starting as an apprentice and working his way up to superintendent, Landeros is a truly dedicated worker.
“Armando bleeds Commercial Roofers blue,” says John McGeary, vice president and COO at Commercial Roofers. “He is always ready, willing and able to learn and teach. Armando is someone we can count on.”
His co-workers at Commercial Roofers also appreciate his positive energy.
“Armando brings a genuine joy to his work that is contagious,” says Lindsay Jacobs, vice president at Commercial Roofers. “His steady optimism sets the tone for those around him. Even in the most stressful moments, he remains positive, encouraging and focused on moving the team forward.”
During NRCA’s 139th Annual Convention and the 2026 International Roofing Expo® in Las Vegas in January, the Roofing Alliance’s MVP Task Force presented Landeros with the Best of the Best Award, an extension of the Roofing Alliance’s Most Valuable Player Awards. The MVP Awards program celebrates workers who are outstanding employees within their companies and recognizes them for their excellent performance outside the workplace. OMG® Roofing Products Inc., Agawam, Mass., and Professional Roofing co-sponsor the honor.
“Armando represents the kind of character that makes this industry stronger,” says Reed Gooding, CEO of GSM Roofing in Ephrata, Pa., and MVP Task Force chairman. “He takes pride in doing quality work and leading by example on the job site, but what really stands out is how he gives back outside of work. Whether it’s mentoring young people entering the trades, supporting charitable causes or helping others in the roofing community, Armando shows that being a professional in this industry also means showing up for the people around you.”
Fixing to succeed
Landeros was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, and spent part of his childhood in Tijuana, Mexico. When he was 8 years old, he, his parents and his two brothers moved to California to pursue the American Dream.
Landeros remembers going to the park to play soccer. His younger brother, Nibardo, also remembers Landeros liking hands-on tasks as a kid.
“He was always so into fixing things,” Nibardo says. “If he could fix it, he wanted to fix it now instead of later.”
His desire to do hands-on work helped Landeros gravitate toward the roofing industry. When he was a teenager, his family moved from California to Las Vegas. After Landeros graduated from high school, his uncle, who worked for Commercial Roofers, encouraged Landeros to apply for a job there.
Landeros was hired as an apprentice at Commercial Roofers in December 2000, starting what would be a lifelong career in roofing.
A go-getter
Charlee Sadahiro, a superintendent at Commercial Roofers, trained Landeros.
“He was pretty young,” Sadahiro says. “He didn’t realize how much common sense he had or how strong he was. But he took everything in and analyzed it and made it his.”
Superintendent Johnny Quintero has worked at Commercial Roofers about as long as Landeros and remembers Landeros’ first days at the company.
“He was a little shy,” Quintero says. “He was young and smart—a hard worker and a fast learner.”
Landeros says he was a “go-getter,” stating: “If I put my mind to something, I’ll do it. I enjoyed what I did, doing my roofing thing.”
Landeros became a journeyman in 2004 and was promoted to foreman in 2008. He became a superintendent in 2023 and now oversees multiple project teams.
As a superintendent, Landeros gets to the office around 4 a.m. After working on paperwork and attending project meetings, he spends most of his time in the field, visiting job sites.
“I’ll walk the job site, talk to the general contractor and see whether the crew needs help,” Landeros says. “I try to visit at least two jobs per day. There is always something that pops up.”
Daylight hours can be challenging in the Las Vegas heat, so crews try to start work as early as possible.
“During the summer, we start at 5 a.m. and work until 1 p.m., but around 11 a.m. is when it starts getting hot and you really can’t touch anything,” Landeros says. “If you leave a piece of steel in the heat and need to move it later, you can’t touch it. You will feel the heat through your gloves.”
But even in extreme heat, Landeros’ leadership keeps projects on track and crew members engaged.
“Armando’s presence is unmistakable,” Jacobs says. “He leads with quiet authority and earns the respect of every field team member through his reliability, integrity and remarkable ability to inspire while always wearing a smile.”
Nibardo, who works at Commercial Roofers on one of Landeros’ crews, says his brother can be tough but takes care of his crew members.
“He likes to say, ‘If you do it right the first time, you don’t have to do it again,’” Nibardo says. “He communicates with us and makes sure we get what we need for our work.”
Fernando Lozada, a foreman at Commercial Roofers, says Landeros is always there to help.
“I am learning all the time, and he has helped me a lot,” Lozada says. “He is always available. Whenever we have a question and he doesn’t know the answer, he will try to find it.”
Meredith Livermore, production manager for Commercial Roofers, says Landeros has built an excellent rapport with the crews.
“He started at the company with some of these guys,” Livermore says. “They were all apprentices, and he moved from apprentice to journeyman to foreman to superintendent, so a lot of the guys respect him. He also was involved in the union, so he was at meetings with them and was their sergeant-at-arms. The guys listen to him and are not afraid to ask him for help when they need it.”
Landeros says he wants to help remove obstacles for his crew members.
“I have had struggles in the past, and I don’t want our guys to struggle like I did,” he says. “If nobody is helping you out, it’s hard.”
Taking the time
Landeros believes the most important thing he can teach his crews is how to work safely.
“When I started working in roofing, it was calmer,” Landeros says. “But now, it’s often ‘hurry and get it done,’ which is how accidents happen. But if you manage right and make sure your guys are safe, you can successfully finish a project.”
Landeros says there are some parts of safety that crew members do not always understand.
“There’s the wrong way and the right way,” he says. “For example, when cleaning out a spray polyurethane foam gun, you need to make sure valves are off and you’re wearing safety glasses and gloves. If you get that stuff on your hands, it’s not easy to get it off. But some guys would rather have it on their hands than wear gloves.”
With crews that often speak Spanish, language sometimes can be a barrier when it comes to safety. Landeros conducts harness checks at monthly meetings and teaches safety classes, so he helps translate and ensures Spanish-speaking workers understand.
“I teach at safety fairs, and there is always a guy who doesn’t understand because there is nobody to explain it in Spanish,” Landeros says. “You must take the time to teach them in Spanish, too. Some guys don’t raise their hands to ask you to explain it in Spanish. I say it in English and then translate it to Spanish so they understand better. Then, there are no hiccups down the line with a guy saying, ‘Nobody explained it to me.’”
An iconic project
Safety was crucial when Landeros worked on one of his favorite projects, the Sphere in Las Vegas.
The 875,000-square-foot building is 366 feet high and 516 feet wide. The steel geodesic dome reportedly weighs 13,000 tons and was built using large cranes to assemble steel parts and a 170-ton compression ring.
Commercial Roofers’ part of the project involved installing 5 inches of SPF and covering the foam with a coating, and Landeros was the projects’s lead foam and coatings applicator.
“The hardest part for us was we had to be tied- off on ropes and spray at the same time,” Landeros says. “I fell a couple of times because the foam is slippery before it sets, so using proper safety equipment was important.”
Landeros says the experience was truly unique.
“When it rained, the water coming down from the top was like a waterfall,” he says. “It was crazy—there was so much water. We also sometimes had to work at night because the iron workers were working on the top half during the day and we couldn’t have them working above us.”
Landeros later was able to go back to the Sphere and check on the finished project.
“We visited recently just to walk around and see how it was,” Landeros says. “It still looks good. The Sphere stands out as one of the most iconic projects I have worked on.”
His steady optimism sets the tone for those around him. Even in the most stressful moments, he remains positive, encouraging and focused on moving the team forward.
Always growing
New experiences and challenges are part of what Landeros likes most about his job.
“It’s always a learning experience,” he says. “I learn how to better help my guys and ensure we get the job done in a safe manner. I like to challenge myself.”
As Landeros has moved up in his career, he has learned how to work with customers.
“Armando used to be the one who would stand in the back and hide, but now he’s more comfortable with talking to people and is better with customers,” Livermore says.
Landeros believes communicating and providing information to customers is key.
“I email and call them to let them know how the job is going,” Landeros says. “Providing the information they want is one of the main things that keeps customers happy.”
As Landeros grows in his role, Livermore sees him becoming more comfortable.
“He’s only been a superintendent for a few years now, so I can see him staying in it for a while,” Livermore says. “He likes being in the field, out there with the guys.”
Landeros also is busy outside of work, helping Commercial Roofers distribute turkeys for Thanksgiving, installing roofs for volunteer building projects and helping his church.
In his free time, he likes to work on his cars and spend time with his family. Landeros lives with his girlfriend, Delia, and his children, Leo, 3; Elizabeth, 23; and Daniel, 26. His son, Anthony, 22, lives separately.
“He is a family man first, and I admire and respect him for having his life priorities in order,” McGeary says.
Just outstanding
Livermore says Landeros’ dedication at home and at his job is part of what makes him the best of the best.
“He’s a hardworking family man,” she says. “He cares about his job. He’s detailed and takes the time. He studies and is not afraid to ask questions. He makes sure people know he is there to support them. He’s just outstanding.”
Jacobs says Landeros can seem intimidating at first, but there is a lot more below the surface.
“The moment you speak with him, you quickly discover the depth of his character,” she says. “He is a thoughtful, grounded leader and a genuinely great human being.”
KRISTA BERNS
Director of communications
NRCA
