Thank you to Carl Dierschow, Small Fish Business Coach, for an exceptional interview!
When inspiration lights you up, the impact can be unstoppable.
I had the chance recently to speak with Gary Nickell, founder of Scott’s Roofing in Colorado. They do commercial and residential roofing work, so not exactly what you might consider a leading edge, fancy industry.
And I have to admit it’s an industry without a great reputation. We can have some severe hailstorms around here, so every year we have numerous people contact us about assessing hail damage – even when there hasn’t been a storm. Many of those people aren’t based here, and may just disappear with your deposit.
Unfortunately, many home maintenance services have this kind of reputation.
Gary and his company strive to be the “good guys” in Colorado, treating customers with clarity, honesty, and respect.
But that’s not the real story here. Because anyone could say they’re doing that, and some honestly are.
The real story is the teeth and commitment they’ve put behind their promises to employees, customers, and the community.
Many readers here are familiar with the B Corporation Certification, developed by B Lab. This organization has made a huge fundamental impact in the way companies put their good intentions into practice.
Well, the team at Scott’s Roofing worked hard to achieve their B Corp Certification at the end of 2020.
It wasn’t an easy journey. Gary started with a strong desire to reduce material waste and lead a motivated company, but his initial foray into the process showed a large number of areas which needed attention.
That’s When the Hard Work Began.
Little by little, they started tackling the list, always driving towards “what helps our community.” The process made them a stronger company, with a powerful vision and motivated workforce.
Gary knew that they had reached a turning point when the effort changed from being “Gary’s thing” to “our thing.” There was a shift of ownership and contribution. They deliberately aligned themselves with a manufacturer that upcycles tires and plastic bottles, thus keeping waste out of our oceans and landfills.
I asked Gary about the business results he sees from this effort. Of course, he has to pay close attention to revenue and EBITDA and so on. That’s what makes Scott’s Roofing financially sustainable.
But there are a lot more factors which actually motivate them day to day. It starts with the number of bottles they’ve recycled and energy saved.
There are a number of factors around how they treat their employees, partners and customers. It’s easy to say great words, and another to be able to measure it and demonstrate your approach to achieve a tough certification.
And this company is very much about community, giving financial support, contributing to projects, and engaging the civic structure of the cities they’re in.
I asked Gary about what’s next on the horizon for them. As you’d expect, they’re not sitting back on their accomplishments. Their next step is to change the abysmal reputation of their industry.
By showing communities a different path to success, they seek to show that roofing is a powerful force for good. In what they use, how they do the work, how they relate to customers, and how they contribute to health and prosperity.
