Building on Trust

American Roofing Company
Written by Robert Hoshowsky

American Roofing Company LLC is ranked as one of the top one hundred roofing contractors by Roofing Contractor – the official publication of The International Roofing Expo. The company is based in Summerville in Chattooga County, Georgia and has locations in the town of Trion and the city of Atlanta. Its highly-skilled staff of 126 provides a range of quality services in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Indiana, Kentucky and Nevada.
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Privately-owned and family-run, the award-winning business continues to earn the trust of repeat clients and new ones alike. In the last year alone, the company’s revenue increased from $18 million to $22 million, and – with new clients coming on board daily – this shows no sign of slowing down. American Roofing is experiencing rapid growth and emerging as the largest residential installer in the South.

“Our primary business is servicing new construction tract builders,” says Division Manager William Benefield. “It makes our volume large. Our retail side is very busy as well, which helps too.”

Its trained employees can handle all types of roofing projects. Both residential and commercial clients can take advantage of services and quality materials including asphalt shingles, asphalt roofs, composition shingles, tile roofs, metal roofs, flat roofs, roof coating, PVC, single ply roofing and other options.

Benefield, who holds a degree in landscape management, states that the company was created as a landscaping firm in 2005. The enterprise then expanded into a business that was more recession-proof. For the business and Benefield – whose family has always been involved in the construction industry – roofing was a natural extension of the business.

As a family-owned company, much of American Roofing’s success comes from its dedicated staff. Benefield’s wife Nikki, who has a background in landscape architecture, serves as the inside production manager, while Benefield’s mother CPA Sandra Weaver acts as company accountant. Other family members in the business include Benefield’s brother Michael (insurance division manager), cousin John Ford (retail sales manager) and cousin Tony Starkey (outside production manager).

Other great staff are like family to the company. “Purchasing labor and materials at the best rates is the key, all the while weeding out the bad apples,” says Benefield. “It takes years to find great people to work with and know who not to, but after you get through that hump, it’s a matter of continuing to bring folk into the mix.”

American Roofing handles approximately fifty percent of work itself, with the remaining fifty in the hands of trusted subcontractors. It sources asphalt shingles, corrugated metal and other products from reliable suppliers and has its own field manufacturing capabilities for such items as gutters and flashings.

From its base in Trion, the company is centrally located to service several major cities and keep its overhead costs low. Its skilled team can handle any type of roofing project, and the company aims to balance the needs of all customers and their budgets.

Products like asphalt shingles – the most often installed system in the world – are highly functional, come in a range of colors, are aesthetically pleasing and create great roofs for a reasonable price. Corrugated metal roofs provide durable residential systems when combined with paint systems from leading U.S. manufacturers Valspar and Kynar, which remain durable for years. And for customers with higher budgets, there are standing seam metal roofs, which are not only long-lasting but known for a striking, dynamic look created by continuous panels running from roof ridges to eaves.

Roofing materials such as treated cedar and slate are long-lasting and provide a certain traditional, timeless look not achieved in asphalt or metal. Other products naturally lend themselves to large areas on commercial projects. These include TPO, a cost-effective and durable roofing membrane made from ethylene propylene rubber that is ideal for low-slope roof applications. Another is PVC, which has been on the market for years. PVC is puncture and ultraviolet light-resistant and offers resistance to chemicals, oils, acids and more.

To create a fully-finished project, American Roofing also provides quality, seamless gutters at reasonable prices, along with energy-efficient windows manufactured solely for the company by Slocomb of New Jersey. These windows represent the best product on the market and are not sold directly to the public but can only be purchased along with the company’s installation services.

The American Roofing Company prides itself on quality and service, and since the company can handle related products, this saves homeowners the time and effort of having to do it themselves. “Our claim to fame is our communication with our customers,” states Benefield. “We are not the cheapest company around and don’t want to be. We perform premium quality work with the best service in the industry.”

Over the years, the American Roofing Company has taken on projects of all sizes, including Gateway project on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs, Georgia. This recently completed massive project includes a 122,000-square-foot, multi-use retail, dining and living space, with a 20,000 square foot office component and 630 apartment units.

“Gateway was a monumental undertaking,” says Benefield. “As one of the largest residential projects to date in the South, it covered twenty-one acres. That’s a lot of roofs.”

The company recently participated in the roofing of the FedEx terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, seven miles (11 kilometres) south of Atlanta’s central business district. It has, since 1998, been the world’s busiest airport by passenger traffic.

The company also works with The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation and uses its many years of experience to repair the roofs of old buildings. This presents a number of challenges. “We really take a lot of pride in our Southern history and architecture, so much so that on historic structures, we provide these projects at our cost,” says Benefield. “Many of these structures are in such bad shape; the owners cannot afford the massive undertaking to pay retail for their repairs. That’s where we come in.”

The company is promoted through a number of means: primarily online marketing, newspapers, phone books, billboards and grassroots advertising. It also seeks new talent through a variety of ways including trade shows and career forums to try to attract new trade-oriented candidates.

Its short-terms goals include building a new facility, presently in the planning stages, which will see the construction of a 10,000-square-foot construction office space and a 20,000-square-foot warehouse. The new space will allow the business to stay current.

While continuing to grow and be successful, the American Roofing Company remains humble and appreciative of its many residential and commercial customers. “We are so thankful for all the business that has been given to us to get us where we are today,” says Benefield. “Without our clients we are nothing!”

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