From family legacy to industry leaders: Get the business support you need

By Dani Sheehan. 

See how this dynamic duo expanded the family business and elevated their roofing company by mastering the NRCA’s Future Executives Institute program. 

For Kendall and Chris Ekerson, owning a roofing company came naturally. They both grew up in the roofing industry and met working for Kendall’s father. About two years ago, they made the decision with a friend of Chris’s to start Simply Affordable Roofing (SA Roofing). As the name implies, they wanted a roofing company that was as simple as possible for their customers, and they hoped to change the way the industry operates by building trust and transparency in their operations. They’ve been successful in a short amount of time and have plans to continue to grow.  

Recognizing how challenging owning a business is, they’ve looked to the industry for support along the way. We recently caught up with them to discuss the National Roofing Contractors Association’s (NRCA) Future Executives Institute (FEI) program. It’s a three-year program hosted at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. Participants meet in person twice a year, once in Chicago and once during the International Roofing Expo (IRE), supplementing with virtual work throughout the year. At the end of the program, you finish with the equivalent to a master's degree in business specific to the roofing industry. Kendall graduated back in 2017 and Chris will graduate this coming February. 

Kendall shares that this program was the brainchild of Lisa Sprick of Sprick Roofing, Corvallis, Oregon, and others who noticed that a lot of contractors have kids who are thrust into the family business. Kendall explains, “You’ve got parents who are trying to run a business and maybe they figured it out themselves along the way. [The FEI program] is a great piece if you’re trying to take over a business or trying to advance in your business. You learn things that might take 10 to 15 years to learn on the job and being in different roles of the company, which not everybody gets to wear all the different hats.” 

Chris has 38 participants in his class and says that one of the biggest lessons he’s learned in his career is the power of networking. He shares, “There’s power in having a group of like-minded people you can call on. That you can rely on. You can ask questions and can talk to. We’re all in different markets so we don’t compete but continue to learn from one another.” From a business perspective, they’ve gained clout and credibility even though they are a small and new company to the industry because the program has given them a well-rounded experience for a deeper understanding of all aspects of the business. 

Between the education gained in various areas of the industry, the networking with other motivated industry professionals and access to resources from the NRCA, the Ekersons highly recommend this program to others. Chris shares, “I would say for anybody that is looking to move up in your company, start a company, become an owner, whatever that looks like, it’s a great program, but understand that you get out of it what you put into it.”  

If you aren’t already a member of the NRCA, consider joining today to learn more about the FEI program and to gain access to countless industry resources, education and professional development.