Latest / RoofersCoffeeShop / Growth Grounded in Values
Transcript
- Adam Cabrera: Welcome to Roofing Road Trips, the podcast that takes you on a thrilling journey across the world of roofing. From fascinating interviews with roofing experts to on-the-road adventures, we'll uncover the stories, innovations, and challenges that shape the rooftops over our heads. So fasten your seat belts and join us as we embark on this exciting roofing road trip. Hello and welcome to another episode of Roofing Road Trips from Roofers Coffee Shop. My name is Karen Edwards, and today's conversation, we're going to be talking about growth grounded in values. And joining me for the conversation is Lauren Marsh, president and co-founder of Ridgeline Construction. And she's also one of the finalists from the 2026 QXO. Female Roofing Professional of the Year. Lauren, welcome to Roofing Road Trips. Thank you. I'm glad to be here. Yeah. So ⁓ introduce yourself. Tell us a little bit about your background and what you do. Okay. Well, like you said, my name is Lauren Marsh and I'm the CEO and president of Bridgeline Construction, ⁓ which is a woman-owned roofing company that specializes in roofing and exteriors. ⁓ my husband and I own it together. And ⁓ our children actually are now joining our business, which has been really fun. so, you know, I got into construction when I was sixteen years old and ⁓ you know, I was required to get a job, you know, we all start driving and ⁓ you know, the construction has been a huge part of my life since then. and what started as learning the business and working in the industry eventually turned into ⁓ building a company of our own. So ⁓ today Ridgeline has grown into a much larger organization and ⁓ but what I'm most proud of is not necessarily size, it's the people that we've developed and our re reputation and the fact that our kids are interested in ⁓ being a part of it as well. So That's exciting because so often, you know, the kids are like, ⁓ I grew up around this. I don't want anything to do with it. I do have one child that feels that way, but but I have two that are very interested in in ⁓ so our daughter is working with us now, but ⁓ Yeah, I have one child that's like absolutely not. So you never know which side they're gonna, you know, which side it's gonna appeal. So So where is your business located? What are your service areas? ⁓ so we are based in the Huntsville, Alabama area. So we service ⁓ North Alabama. ⁓ we also have an office in Pensacola that services the Florida panhandle as well as South Alabama in the Mobile area. Wow. ⁓ So, you know, I always say what what drew you to roofing. You said you started at in at age sixteen in construction. ⁓ did you end up eventually working at a roofing company? No. ⁓ so I didn't really necessarily, you know, set out to ⁓ start a roofing company. I always joke that ⁓ growing up I danced. So I was a dancer and I thought that I would own a deeds studio. So ⁓ the plumb line, I guess though, of entrepreneurship has always been there. But this definitely looks much different than ⁓ you know, what I thought that I would be doing as a business owner. But ⁓ you know, I think that ⁓ construction is real. So that's one, you know, really cool thing about it. You can start with a problem, ⁓ or a set of plans, materials. ⁓ and at the end of the day, you can actually see your accomplishment. You can it's tangible, you can see it. ⁓ and briefing in particular ⁓ became there was just a gap in our marketplace. ⁓ we had some really bad tornadoes come through our area. ⁓ back in twenty eleven and ⁓ we just saw the need for good roofing companies. ⁓ in our community, ⁓ people we knew got taken advantage of and we saw these roofing companies coming from all over the place and it just felt like a gap ⁓ in the marketplace. And ⁓ you know, it it's a fascinating thing too because roofing in particular, it protects everything underneath it. And so ⁓ if the roof fails, everything else becomes vulnerable. So ⁓ that's kind of what attracted us to roofing. It was just a need in the marketplace and seeing people get taken care of, you know, or get taken advantage of in our community and that was just heartbreaking. So, ⁓ you know, we believe that ⁓ a roof may be what we install, but what we really are installing hopefully is trust and building trust with our community. Yeah. And you certainly have done that. ⁓ twenty twelve, that's fourteen years now. You guys are coming up on on the big fifteen, which is really exciting. Very exciting. You know, I joke and tongue in cheek say, you know, we were doing roofing before it was cool to do roofing. ⁓ Right. You know, it's it's been a long journey, but ⁓ definitely a really special one. So So I you know, I love that you say you you really founded the the company because you saw the gap, you saw members of the community being taken advantage of and you wanted to help. And you know, you mentioned you're most proud of the team that you've built. And so those values are evident in this conversation that you're doing this because you care and you care about the community. So can you talk a little bit about your involvement in the community? Yeah, so that's something that we really take a lot of pride in and we take very seriously. ⁓ you know, my thought process is is, you know, if I I can hold my head up high in my community and be involved in my community because hopefully my company's done a really good job and vice versa. Getting back is very important. But I also think it's about establishing that we're here to stay. ⁓ you know, we want to be able to hold our heads high when we see our peers and when we ⁓ get out in the community. And so that's become something that is ⁓ very important with us. We are very involved in our chamber and, you know, just trying to get out there and help the business community and ⁓ we also have a partnership with a local organization that ⁓ helps foster kids and ⁓ that's something that we newly launched and has just been very rewarding. ⁓ and and something that we just really take a lot of pride in, ⁓ making sure that we are very invested in our community and showing ⁓ you know, our peers in our community that ⁓ that we're here to stay and our reputation means something to us. Yeah, yeah. It's so You know, the the roofing industry in general is a pretty generous and giving industry. And you know, the the more businesses like yours that we have that get involved, that do the right thing, you know, that that raises the the professionalism of our entire industry as a whole. Yes. And that is one of my major goals is, you know, see the roofing as a whole, be a more professional and, you know, just elevate that paradigm, ⁓ you know, overall. Definitely. So well we mentioned at the beginning you were a finalist in the QXO female roofing professional of the year competition. What does that mean for you? ⁓ well, you know, it it represents a lot of things for me. It means a lot. because recognition like this is not just recognition for one per person, but rather it is recognition of our entire team. ⁓ there are people in our organization that show up every day to do the hard work. you know, our estimators, production team, project managers, superintendents, crews, ⁓ you know, office staff and our leadership. ⁓ so when Bridgeline is recognized, I really see that as recognition ⁓ for all of those people, ⁓ not just me. ⁓ and personally it's meaningful because I've spent, you know, my entire adult life pretty much in this industry and it ⁓ traditionally has not been ⁓ an industry where a lot of women have taken ⁓ leadership positions. ⁓ so to be recognized alongside some of the best people in the industry is something that I'm really incredibly proud of. but also I see it as a responsibility. Recognition raises the standard and it makes me want to continue improving, not just for Ridgeline, but for the industry as a whole. So ⁓ really thankful to QXO for giving us that platform and that opportunity to Raise awareness, which is really what it does, raise awareness for women in this industry and women that may be interested in joining our industry. Yeah. So let's talk about what what some of those challenges, but also some of those opportunities are for women in the industry. Yeah. So I think that it's important for women ⁓ to well, let me backtrack because you know, I think that sometimes just because women have traditionally not been in roofing, we kind of feel out of place. But I think that that's true for anybody entering something new, you know, even a kid fresh out of college. ⁓ you know, it's it's always it's the unknown and it can and it can feel scary. ⁓ but I think it's a great opportunity for women to ⁓ look more into this industry, ⁓ even though there are challenges. So I think the biggest challenge that women have is and we feel like we need to prove ourselves. And we feel like we need to do that sometimes before we're given the opportunity. And sometimes sometimes that may be true and sometimes that may not be true. But I think it that it is a thought pattern that we have as women ⁓ entering into something that's not traditionally been ⁓ you know, somewhere where women have thrived. ⁓ but I do believe that that is changing. I think the construction industry as a whole is changing. I think the roofing industry as a whole is changing. ⁓ and I think that there's an enormous opportunity for women because this industry needs talented people. ⁓ we have workforce shortages, ⁓ and we simply can't afford to overlook half of the population. ⁓ so women bring a lot to the industry, I think. Leadership, organization, communication, attention to detail, which I think is a really important one, ⁓ and relationship building and those matter enormously in construction. but I don't think that women necessarily need to enter ⁓ the construction industry trying to be men. ⁓ we don't have to change who we are to succeed in the industry. ⁓ my advice is always learn the business, know your numbers, understand the field, be competent, work hard and don't apologize for being in the room. ⁓ you don't have to prove that you're a woman who can do construction. You just have to prove that you're good at construction. It doesn't matter. If you're a woman or not. ⁓ man, that was so spot on. I love what you just said there. Yeah, that's fantastic. ⁓ so let's talk a little bit about the growth of your company. Cause ⁓ you know, coming up on year 15, you've expanded service areas, you've grown. How have your values helped you in that growth journey? Yeah, so ⁓ integrity is number one. And I would say that for both my husband and I. ⁓ we really pride ourselves on integrity. ⁓ and our values are built into the word ridge. ⁓ so it's something that we talk about with our team all the time, which is resourcefulness and being irreplaceable, ⁓ integrity and safety and quality. We deliver more than we promise. We get ahead of a problem before it becomes a bigger problem and we embrace change and we execute. ⁓ but values only matter ⁓ if they show up when it's inconvenient, right? Like that's that's what we've gotta cling to is that ⁓ it's real easy when everything's convenient, but but we want those values to show up when it's inconvenient. So ⁓ it's easy to have integrity when everything is going well, but the real test is if a mistake happens or a problem comes up or a project isn't profitable or when a customer is unhappy. we want to be the company that tells the truth and fixes the problem and takes responsibility. And at the end of the day, your reputation is built one decision at a time. ⁓ you can make money and rebuild a roof. But you can't easily rebuild a reputation and that's something that we really harp on with our team and ourselves daily. Yeah. Wow. That's I love, I love that you built it into your name and you know, base the those values around that. Can you talk a little bit about the opportunities for growth and leadership that you provide for your team in your company? Yeah. So ⁓ that is something that's also very important to us. We really want to give people ownership rather than just giving them tasks. We want them to have that ownership mindset because we really think that that's where integr integrity is built. there's a big difference between telling someone what to do and teaching them how to think. And so that's what we really ⁓ focus on. We I want the people at Ridge Line to understand not just their job ⁓ but know how their job affects the entire company. ⁓ you know, for example, someone in production, they need to understand how scheduling affects labor and how labor affects profitability and how that affects ⁓ our company and ultimately our customers, right? So ⁓ we also try to promote from within whenever we can and we give people opportunities ⁓ before they necessarily feel completely ready sometimes. And you know, we we have seen great success with that, but there's also times that it doesn't always work out how you envision, and that's okay too. you still have to keep given those opportunities. ⁓ because sometimes leadership is it's not necessarily discovered by looking for people who already have all the answers. You know, it's something that we have to develop constantly ⁓ by giving people the responsibility and allowing them to grow in that responsibility. And so my job as a leader isn't just to make sh make myself indispensable, but it's to make the people around me and other people capable. ⁓ I like that. Yeah. Not just make yourself indispensable, but make the people around you capable. Yes. Yeah. I love it. Yeah. ⁓ so let's talk a little bit about ⁓ the future. You know, what are your goals and priorities for ridgeline construction? Where do you s where do you see yourself headed? Yeah, so our goal is always growth. ⁓ we do not rest on our laurels. ⁓ and and we tell our team all the time, you'll never you will never see a day where Terry or I come into the office and say, Well, we've done enough, you know, let's just, you know, keep it right, you know, status quo. ⁓ that's never that's never gonna be ⁓ how we operate. So our goal is always to continue growing ridgeline, but ⁓ I don't we don't necessarily want to grow for the sake of growth. We want to build a company that can still scale without you ⁓ losing the culture and the reputation that got us here. ⁓ so you know, we're always looking at expanding our capabilities, ⁓ developing our people. ⁓ creating more career opportunities and continuing to become more sophisticated operationally. ⁓ and long term, we really want Ridgeline to be recognized as one of the greatest ⁓ construction companies in the country. ⁓ not just because of our revenue, but hopefully because of how we operate and our reputation. ⁓ and personally I want to have an impact beyond Ridgeline. I want to have an impact on women that are wanting to enter the construction industry and I want them to see that as an opportunity. ⁓ I want young people to understand that you don't necessarily need to have a traditional four year path ⁓ to build an incredible career. you know, the it there's many paths that you can have ⁓ a career like this. And I want ⁓ and what I really hope is is that we can leave this industry better than what we found it. ⁓ you know, as having children that are interested in this industry and interested in our company and trying to build a legacy there. ⁓ you know, that's another huge goal for us is is building something that continue on ⁓ to the next generation. ⁓ so our goal isn't necessarily just to build a bigger company. It's always to build a better company. Yeah. And that that's a tough thing to do. You know, I don't know if you have any tips or advice on how do you balance that growth with the culture, you know, without growing too fast and that that's tough. Yeah, you know, ⁓ a lot of our growth has happened organically and ⁓ it's it's come from opportunity. And so we've been able to say yes where we can. And there's been times that we've had to say no. and that's okay too. even if you're having to say no to something, it doesn't mean that you're saying no to growth. It may just mean no right now. I need to, you know, maybe get additional certifications or licensing or, you know, maybe I need to build up my capital a little bit more. ⁓ there's multiple reasons but but that no doesn't necessarily mean like never. ⁓ you know, it it just means that I've gotta figure out the correct pathway to get to this growth. And so that's ⁓ always been something that I've try to share with people because growth can seem like let's just say yes to everything. ⁓ or growth can seem like, ⁓ well this is a good market, so we just need to expand there. And that's not necessarily ⁓ a good idea, you know, it's it you have to take growth, you to really look at ⁓ you know, what are our processes? how can we tighten those up so that when we are ready to grow, ⁓ our processes can support that growth and we have the infrastructure in place and the framework in place to support that growth. ⁓ so that, you know, that's always my goal when it comes to growth and those are my tips when it comes to ⁓ people trying to scale and grow their businesses. No might mean not yet, right? Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. We we see no as an opportunity just as much as we see a yes. So Yeah. I love it. I love your interest in ⁓ the next generation as well. And and do you speak to students? Are you involved in any way with that? Yes. ⁓ our chain our local chamber actually just started a CEO program ⁓ that I've been able to be involved in. ⁓ So that's been great. We also are partners in education is another one of our community outreaches. ⁓ so we oftentimes get to go to career days and ⁓ talk to kids about the construction industry. And so ⁓ that is very rewarding and you just never know ⁓ who you might touch and you know, who you might have an effect on that that could, you know, help them build a career later on in in their life, you know, sparking some interest that may not have been there before. So ⁓ it's very rewarding and ⁓ my son just went to college and so I'm trying to think of ways, you know, how can I get to college kids now? You know, I've been able to to touch some that are younger and high school age kids. ⁓ and so I'm I'm looking at opportunities to expand ⁓ there as well and say I haven't figured it out yet, but it is something that is on my radar that I really do want to get to that ⁓ next age group, the ones that might be about to enter the workforce. So Right. Yeah. Because I mean roofing, you know, just like any industry has a multitude of of roles available, right? They they need accounting skills. They need marketing skills. They need those business management skills as well. Right. That's exactly right. You know, all of those things are very important. And you know, just like I tell my kids, everybody has a role to play. ⁓ you know, everybody has an important part to play when it comes to running a business. Because yes, it may be a roofing business, but like you say, it is a business and there are certain things that every business really needs to operate appropriately. So one hundred percent. Yeah. Wow. ⁓ so okay, for someone listening today who's a contractor, ⁓ what's one action that they could take maybe to to strengthen their business or support their community or help move the industry forward? I love that you said, you know, maybe leave it a little better ⁓ than it was before we got here. Yeah. So I think that ⁓ as business owners, ⁓ we probably are pretty honest with ourselves, but you know, the day-to-day, you know, hustle and bustle can, you know, water things down. So I think it's always important to get brutally honest about your business. ⁓ look at your numbers, look at the people around you, look at your processes, ⁓ look at the customers and ask yourself where's their problem that I'm tolerating just because I'm too busy to fix it. You know, find your constraints and then go about fixing them one by one. ⁓ you Can't necessarily completely reinvent your company tomorrow. ⁓ but you can find the biggest problems and start there ⁓ and just try to be one percent better every day. ultimately a great construction company isn't necessarily built by one great owner. It's built by a great team and strong relationships and a reputation that people trust. ⁓ so we really all want to focus on building better companies ⁓ through that, you know, just harsh reality and being brutally honest with yourself about, you know, what am I doing well? What am I doing not so well? ⁓ and and how can I mitigate that? You know, do I need to make a hire because maybe I don't have that skill set? Or, ⁓ you know, it could be a multitude of things, but you've got to be brutally honest with yourself as as a business owner. And I think as far as elevating, ⁓ you know, across the board, you know, I think that we have to in the reefing industry, just make sure that we're not doing anything from a tactical perspective that, you know, can just be seen as too aggressive or too you know, we've gotta have, you know, we gotta push ourselves, but, you know, I think sometimes traditionally the reaping industry has been seen as maybe a little aggressive. And I think that focusing more on integrity versus, you know, trying to get that next cell, you know, obviously that's important, you know, for businesses, but, you know, how can you build integrity al along the way. ⁓ you know, and and I think that building a company is a lot like building a roof. ⁓ what people see on the outside ⁓ is only possible because of everything underneath it. And so, you know, how can you really shore up what's underneath it and give it that strong foundation? Wow. Great advice, Lauren. This was a great conversation. Thank you for being here. Thank you for sharing. Thank you so much for the invitation. I'm really, really honored to be here today and ⁓ thank you for sharing a little bit about Ridgeline and our story. Yes, and congrats to you on be being a finalist for the twenty twenty six QXO Female Roofing Professional of the Year. And and I love that you said it's a testament to the people that you have in your company. Yes. Well, thank you so much. All right. Thanks everybody for listening out there. be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform because we want to see you on a future episode of Roofing Road Trips. We'll see you next time. Yeah. If you've enjoyed the ride, don't forget to hit that subscribe button and join us on every roofing adventure. Make sure to visit rooferscoffeeshop.com to learn more. Thanks for tuning in and we'll catch you on the next roofing road trip.