Starting over

If you had a chance to start over in your profession, what would you do differently? Would you still choose roofing? Would your company be more diverse? Would you have taken more risks?

These are a few questions Professional Roofing asked some NRCA contractor members. The contractors provided a wide range of responses and some surprising revelations. Following are responses from Bill Bubenzer, president of Henry C. Smither Roofing Co. Inc., Indianapolis; Ed Gallos, president of Master Roofing Ltd., Winnipeg, Manitoba; Rob McNamara, president of F.J.A. Christiansen Roofing Co. Inc., a Tecta America company, Milwaukee; Lisa Sprick, vice president of Sprick Roofing Co. Inc., Corvallis, Ore.; and Bill Taylor, president and chief executive officer of D.C. Taylor Co., Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Bill Bubenzer

During my junior year of college, I decided to pursue a career in aviation and interviewed with the owners of a small regional commuter airline. I wanted to be an airline captain "when I grew up."

Just before my college graduation, my father mentioned my uncle was going to leave our roofing company to form his own company, and there would be an opening in the family business if I wanted to "come in." I was concerned about the timing. If I wasn't a captain by the age of 25, I wasn't sure I would get far in aviation. So my father and I made an agreement: If either of us wanted me "out" in three years, I would leave the company and pursue my aviation career.

Well, that was in 1984. For many reasons, I am glad I chose roofing instead of aviation. I still fly on a regular basis. I had several great years working with my father until his untimely death from a malignant brain tumor at age 61. I am the third generation of my family to lead our company. The roofing industry has been good to our family, as well as to our employees and their families. It is challenging but also rewarding. I still hear wonderful stories about my grandfather and my father from many in the roofing industry.

Incidentally, the airline I interviewed with back in the '80s was bought out by a major airline and has been in and out of bankruptcy since. Several of my airline friends have experienced pay and benefit cuts, and one friend, who was one of the top three pilots in his company with more than 18,000 flight hours, recently was let go when the airline he worked for went out of business.

Yes, I still would choose roofing.

We also are a union shop (roofing and sheet metal). In business school, I had been taught unions were "bad." Reality reshaped that perception. For our company, the unions have been a positive experience. Our unions are moving from the old school of labor versus management to a partnering of labor and management. It has served our company well to have access to organized, trained, qualified and dedicated roofing professionals.

I remember discussions between my grandfather and my father about diversifying and approaching other business opportunities. At one point, our company had branched out into spray polyurethane foam, aerial infrared moisture surveys and co-owning a roofing distributorship. However, we have been most successful "dancing with the one what brung us"—roofing and sheet metal. I think there is a lot to be said for staying focused on what we do best.

If starting over, I would continue to focus significantly on safety, training and education. All three are critical to the success of a roofing contractor.

I know business "experts" say a company should not operate under the mentality of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," but pursuing quality installations and taking care of our employees worked for Henry C. Smither Roofing in 1868, and it works for us today.

Ed Gallos

I hadn't really contemplated the prospect of a "do-over," but if I could, what would I do differently?

Logically, the first question to be asked is "Would I still choose roofing?" Actually, roofing chose me (in the form of my father, who, with limited English and business skills, wanted to start a roofing company). That was in 1973, and I did not intend to stick around long. I was, in my mind, going to be a lawyer. Almost 33 years later, I still am in the business that has been owned completely by me and my wife since 1995. But roofing has provided for a comfortable and enjoyable lifestyle for my family and me. And I'm really glad I'm not a lawyer.

So then the question becomes "What would I do differently?" For me, this question is an exercise in micromanaging the past because besides one significant issue involving the takeover of the business, I think our company and my personal growth within the roofing industry have evolved as well as they possibly could. I would be lying if I said I had no regrets about specific jobs we did or decisions we made, including poorly selecting customers, missing something on a job and not matching personnel to a job. I feel that in the grand scheme of things, they were relatively small mistakes that were more instructive than destructive.

The question of what I would do differently allows me to reflect on some things we did that contributed to our success during the years. The smartest decision I made was to get involved with our provincial and national roofing associations as soon as our company was eligible for membership in 1975. The important part was to actively become involved instead of simply joining these organizations. I benefited from a steep learning curve because of my involvement. It was amazing how much I learned about the technical and business aspects of roofing in a relatively short period of time. Our subsequent membership in NRCA simply enhanced those experiences. In addition, my wife and I have made many wonderful friends from around the world.

The second smartest decision I made was to embrace technology as soon as I could. It has allowed us to operate with a smaller staff during the years.

So I'm quite content to not be starting over, but I know I'll be taking the lessons of the past with me as we face many future challenges.

Rob McNamara

Although there are many business decisions I'd like to have back (be careful who you pay in advance!), I can't say there is anything in particular that needs to be done differently. I'd rather think of it as a constant work in progress, and that we make decisions without looking back. However, as risk takers, we definitely will learn from our mistakes—good and bad.

Geographic opportunities always are in the back of my mind. One thing I've found intriguing about the roofing business is the constant nature of change during the past decades. If our past is any indication, it makes you wonder what is around the corner.

It's amazing the number of projects we roofing contractors have missed out on during the years! On the "shouldn't have done" list, I'd have to recall a project involving a psychotic developer who seemed to have no purpose in life other than to battle and fight with his subcontractors, including me. It was a "never again" relationship, and fortunately, there never has been an "again." Funny how other people I've run into since have shared war stories involving this same person, who they have sworn off, as well. I guess this just emphasizes it is people who make projects successful or unsuccessful.

I would focus more on education as it relates to all areas of our industry. Another thing that has fascinated me about this industry is the complexity of information and expertise in many areas. Viewed from the outside, most assume roofing is a simple business of shingles and nails or felts and hot tar. However, viewed from the inside, roofing (and construction in general) is anything but simple. No matter how much you know there always is more to learn. So education has to be the key because it is the difference between success and failure for any given project for which we put ourselves on the line.

I'm not sure whether I "chose" roofing in the first place, but I feel lucky to have been given the chance to go all in. Without any long-term plans, desires or discussions, I was given the opportunity to move from my private legal practice to the family business. In my previous life, I enjoyed a varied legal practice, great clients (mostly) and great partners. The variety of projects and great roofing "partners" at every level in our business are what I love about the roofing industry. Although our company was a client of my law firm at the time (my dad, Don, was doing a little more long-term planning than I realized), we never discussed my entry into the roofing industry until a day on the golf course when he popped the question. I shot the worst round ever, but it led me to an enjoyable roofing career. Although I definitely would choose roofing again, I'd do it outside of a game of golf.

Lisa Sprick

Several days ago, when asked the question, "If you were starting over, what would you do differently?" I gleefully responded, "Sure, I can answer that, no problem." I must have been having a good day because as I sit here the night before deadline, I realize the "no problem" portion has become the problem. Should I be honest? Could I be honest? Well, for those of you who know me, a glass of wine (OK, two) sure helps me open up, so here goes ...

"Would I still choose roofing?" The answer is unequivocally "yes." Why wouldn't I relive the past 16 years of bliss? The day in and day out of carting the wheelbarrows full of money to the bank? Who would give that up?

I hope you're chuckling because we all have friends and/or family members who truly believe that's how contractors' days are spent. But we in this industry know differently. There are some days of wondering why we got up that morning and others of feeling great accomplishment. The optimism that I can feel more positive than negative in the next given day is what drives me. The little engine that could!

I'm well aware the ups and downs of a roofing contractor are not much different than those of any other business owner. None of us are immune to government regulations, employee problems or nightmare customers. And it's really not all bad. I once was reminded of this by Stephen Phillips, a partner with the law firm Hendrick, Phillips, Salzman & Flatt, Atlanta, after one of his contract seminars. I held my head, asking "Why do I continue to do this?" To which he succinctly replied, "Because Lisa, this industry has been very good to you. Do not forget that." And he was right. It also helped that I secretly added " ... you whiner" to the last part of his sentence, reminding me to quit feeling sorry for myself. Personally, I love the construction industry, which I never would have dreamed myself a part of. It's just good people, great variety and filled with endless challenges. And the day I feel I've got it all figured out is my cue to get out.

I only would have done a few things differently, but they are big things that came to light for me during the past few years. One I would have done—and will do again—is implement more strategic planning. I've always been great at envisioning and follow-through, but I've put that talent aside during our company's "planned growth period" and gotten mucked up in the minutiae of day-to-day tasks. Because I haven't allowed myself to see the forest for the trees, I've been underutilized and demotivated—all self-inflicted because I'm the boss, right? (Or one of the bosses, anyway.)

Which leads me to the other change I'd make: Clearly defining the lines of responsibility between partners. I can say fuzzy lines of authority (especially during times of growth) usually lead to fuzzily running a strong company. The hurdles become taller; the race becomes tighter; and the fun is drained from the game while the finger-pointing ensues. This has been a great lesson—and one that's been a defining moment with our 54-year-old company. No matter how old and seasoned, learning to better navigate the ever-churning waters of a business in this industry never wanes. Anxiety for some; excitement for others. And for those in between, there's always wine!

Bill Taylor

I chose to quit school before I graduated from college. It was a bad decision because I later lacked business decision-making skills that would have helped me. It was a good decision because I learned a great deal about how to run and operate a roofing business from the ground up. And, by the way, I loved my job and couldn't wait to go to work every day—it still is that way 30 years later. If I could do it all again, I'd develop a career path that involved learning business and trade skills in an orderly fashion.

After about seven years in the business, I took an accounting course at night. I gained an important understanding of the relationships between cash flow, profit and a balance sheet. Since then, I've generally been a balance sheet-oriented business owner.

I'm a risk taker and have not been a great saver until recently. If I could start over, I'd have started saving a lot more 20 years earlier.

If I could do it again, I'd teach our project managers how to allocate indirect costs based on standardized indirect costs and expenses rather than actual.

I enrolled as a pre-engineering student after high school; I sometimes wish I had the engineering knowledge I missed as a result of quitting college.

I wish I had learned more advanced project management and honed my project-management skills so I could have organized our business differently to handle large projects 20 years ago.

I wish I had learned more about law. I've paid dearly for agreeing to contract terms that favored the other party.

I wish I understood more about history and the way our culture developed.

We have a computerized brake, which I should have bought five years sooner. We used a slitter for a long time; I wish I'd purchased a shear 10 years sooner.

We are working on several career-development issues. If I could turn back the clock, I would have improved the long-term employment situation within our business 10 years ago so roofing workers with long-term experience could continue working for our company after their physical capabilities had taken them out of the roofing trade.

I wish I had become actively involved in NRCA 20 years ago. These past five years have been a tremendous learning experience for me.

I wish I had taken the tests necessary for a general contractor's license instead of just the roofing contractor specialties in Florida and California.

I wish I was a certified welder so I could install permanent fall-protection equipment (which sometimes alters a building's structure).

I wish I had gotten my MBA in 1978 instead of 1993.

I wish I had bought a house in Naples, Fla., in 2002.

I wish I had kept up my pilot's license and kept my twin-engine airplane in 1984.

I wish I had not bought those option contracts in 2000.

A common bond

Although the participating roofing contractors offer a variety of responses, they all have one thing in common—they enjoy working in the roofing industry. Mistakes have been made, and regrets have been revealed. But they all are mindful of the past, happy with the present and optimistic about the future of their companies and the roofing industry.

Krista Reisdorf is managing editor of Professional Roofing magazine.