Investing in long-term solutions and clients

By Emma Peterson. 

From longer-lasting products to building strong client relationships, taking the extra time is well worth it. 

In Season 6, Episode 9 of Roofing Road Trips®, Heidi J. Ellsworth sat down with Rudy Gutierrez, the president and CEO of Shell Roofing Solutions in California. This company services all over the state, with a focus on unique jobs and scenarios, such as food processing, cold storage and aerospace. Through their work with these specialty jobs, they’ve learned the importance of long lifespans and warranties, both for them and their clients. 

Rudy describes the key to his process as selling performance. The core of his strategy is the product’s lifespan and selling to your customer the importance of investing up front in longer-lasting products, like USG Securock® Brand Roof Boards. Rudy explained, “You can get a product that will perform for 10 years, maybe 15 years max, or you can get more long-term products with long-term warranties and really sell the value of a one investment versus two investments over a period of a life cycle.” This is why Rudy and Shell Roofing don’t offer a system that’s not expected to last less than two decades.  

This means they are very specific about the manufacturers they partner with. The first step is determining what the requirements of the project are, especially when they are unique projects like what Shell Roofing takes on. Rudy gave an example, “We did a surgery wing at a hospital where there's a lot of traffic underneath. It's sensitive to noise. So, we selected the manufacturer that would support the specification to install a roofing system that reduced the noise level, reduced any type of odor.” 

The key to being able to make this decision? Building a strong relationship with the client. Rudy elaborated, “Meeting with the owner ahead of time, paying attention, taking your time and writing the right proposal for that building are key.”  

Read the transcript or Listen to the podcast to learn more about how investing in long-term solutions can help you succeed!