Roofing’s Next Generation: Atlas Roofing Spotlights Victor Smolyanov 

Dad’s College Plans Flop When Victor Smolyanov Dreams Of Roofing

By Amy Connolly, Atlas Asphalt Life Writer.

When Victor Smolyanov climbed onto his first roof at age 13, he was hooked. His dad, Vladimir, was a roofer and put Victor to work for the day to encourage him to take school more seriously and pursue a college degree. Boy, did that backfire.

“I loved every minute of it,” the 29-year-old said. “I love working with my hands.”

Today, Victor Smolyanov owns Victors Roofing in Canton, MI, focusing on residential roofing, gutters and attic insulation with more than 50 employees. He hopes to grow the business into new markets in Michigan in the coming years and begin installing siding and windows. He has achieved the Gold level in the Atlas Pro™ Plus program.

Victor credits his work ethic to his father, who moved their family of six from Ukraine in 1996 to be closer to relatives living in Michigan. Victor was only 9 and didn’t speak English.

Not long after they settled in to their new country, Vladimir got a job as a roofer.  Years later, Vladimir would bring his son to the job site to encourage him to go to college.

Victor is gratified when he sees happy customers at the end of every job and is proud of the perks Victors Roofing offers. That includes a leak-free guarantee covering workmanship defects for a minimum of 12 years.

In the past three years, the company has nearly doubled its revenue, in part due to Victor’s competitive nature. He likens roofing to a sport because it challenges him to be his best.

“I’m a believer in do what you do and do it to the best of your ability,” he said. “I always like to challenge myself and roofing provides that.”

There are two factors that Victor uses as indicators for success: “happy team members and happy clients.”

“If I see those 2 things, we are in good shape,” he said.

Editor’s note: This profile first appeared on the Atlas Roofing Asphalt Life blog and more profiles can be viewed here.