When a disaster damages a home, contractors such as Best Choice Roofing (BCR) are there to help homeowners in their time of need. Best Choice Roofing has become one of the fastest-growing residential roofing companies due to its dedication to excellent service and adherence to honesty and ethical practices.
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With over 19,000 projects complete thus far, the contracting company is proud of its quick growth and expansion.
Company President Wayne Holloway launched the company in 2009 to assist homeowners in addressing roof damage from storms. Headquartered in the Nashville suburb of Hendersonville, the company has grown from Holloway working out of a home office to a regional company operating in six states throughout the Southeastern and Midwestern United States – and plans in the works for further expansion. Best Choice Roofing now has offices in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.
Holloway feels that a passion for helping people has helped the company grow so quickly. “It’s the way we treat our people and how we instill excitement in them,” he explains. “It’s more than just getting into the game of sales to make money. Having a passion for the roofing industry and helping homeowners is our philosophy and is passed top-down from our leadership team.”
Another element underpinning BCR’s rapid growth is its principle of being honest with the customer. “Our staff have to interact with adjusters, engineers, and insurance carriers,” Holloway explains. “I require our staff to be honest, open, and ethical during the process; there is no tolerance for shortcuts. I also believe in treating customers fairly because I want to be treated fairly, so I make sure my staff members treat homeowners with respect. I have an open-door policy regarding customer issues. There is no need to go through the corporate ladder here; if a customer has an issue, they can tell me their concerns and I’ll do what I can to address them.”
With a background in sales, Holloway quickly grew BCR with his experience in the field. “You can’t wait for customer to come to you, because you’ll stagnate,” he says. “I didn’t sit back and wait for a phone to ring. I educated my customers and grew my clientele.”
BCR offers an array of installation services for clients who use their services. The company performs work that is approved by the customer’s insurance company for the exact dollar amount awarded. BCR’s staff are available to answer customer questions, meet with adjusters, and help customers understand insurance jargon that may be unfamiliar to them. The insurance claims process can be very overwhelming for customers, particularly after a major disaster, and that can add to the stress of dealing with home repairs.
“Most people don’t understand insurance issues and lingo associated with the industry,” Holloway says. “They just want their property restored, so we educate homeowners as much as possible.”
Due to the complex nature of insurance claims and repairs, Holloway is adamant about training company staff. “We train our employees about damage assessment and evaluation, how to interact with adjusters, homeowners, and the insurance company. We want BCR staff to have an understanding that they’re making a difference by helping homeowners with their needs; making them feel good makes us feel good. We preach that excitement is contagious – potential customers believe in us because it’s palpable.”
The excitement of belonging to a fast growing company certainly lends to this air of enthusiasm. Not only was the company ranked as one of the top 100 roofing contractors in the country in 2012, but the company is now the seventh-largest roofing company based on residential revenue, as cited in Roofing Contractor Magazine. “That’s a huge accomplishment for us,” says Holloway, “especially considering that we started just seven years ago.”
With approximately 140 different roofing jobs throughout the week, Best Choice Roofing stays consistently busy. “We install about 140 different jobs a week. 99 percent go without a hitch… Most customers are satisfied and recommend us and that helps us build our company without much advertising and marketing. I’m proud of what we do,” shares Holloway.
In 2014, BCR became certified by Owens Corning as a “Top of the House” Contractor, meaning that the company understands the importance of a complete system of products. In this field, that includes shingles, ventilation, and attic insulation, as well as an understanding of how these elements help ensure high performance and energy-efficiency on the new roofs BCR installs on homes. A “Top of the House” contractor also understands the role insulation plays in reducing the carbon footprint of a house, helping to extend the life of a roof and increasing home comfort. The certification also means that BCR knows how to properly estimate and install Owens Corning’s fiberglass insulation.
The relationship between BCR and Owens Corning also involves a lifetime installation warranty on the laminated shingles BCR installs for customers.
BCR also uses SureNail Technology on its installations. This design features “a tough, woven engineered reinforcing fabric in the nailing area that promotes easy, fast and consistent nail gun fastening,” says Owens Corning’s website. SureNail also has a triple layer of reinforcement, which results in better fastener holding power. The roofs are then bonded with a high-quality sealant which grips tightly to the engineered fabric nailing strip onto the shingles and wide adhesive bands, keeping shingle levels laminated together. SureNail also provides exceptional wind resistance. Compared to other nail roofing methods, SureNail requires 33 percent fewer nails for maximum warranty protection, which can mean fewer deck penetrations in the event of another disaster.
Holloway says that customer service and the company’s use of high-quality roofing materials has led to positive recognition for his team from customers, as well as accreditation from the Better Business Bureau. “Also, an independent third-party company called Guildquality that surveys customers reports positive remarks from our customers,” he shares.
The company’s success doesn’t mean, however, that it’s been without its challenges. Holloway says increasing regulations and legislation in the insurance claims process have affected how BCR can conduct business with homeowners in some states. “Deductibles are increasing all over and insurance policy coverage is changing, which makes it more challenging for contractors because insurance companies are covering themselves from roofing claims,” he explains.
Due to these regulations, there are certain activities, in certain areas, in which BCR is no longer able to assist homeowners. “We still must remain ethical and do things the right way,” states Holloway. “We keep our customers informed about policies and rules; for example, in most states, we cannot assist homeowners with deductibles to help offset costs. We have lost jobs because we cannot do that.”
Overall, Holloway says that these new regulations passed by state legislatures have helped push out unethical companies while companies that adhere to their principles and standards still survive. “We can look a homeowner in the eye and say that we cannot do it because it’s not ethical, and is not the law.”
The company has plans for expansion and growth in the future. With a strong presence throughout the Southeast and Midwest, Holloway is looking to expand more in current markets and additional states in the future. “Our goal is to become one of the largest residential contractors in the country,” he says. “In 2015, we are looking to expand into states like Virginia, Florida, and Ohio. Our focus on customer service has set a precedent for others in the industry and with the right ethics and core values, it’s only a matter of time before we expand.”
Since its inception in 2009, Best Choice Roofing has become one of the fastest growing roofing companies, and Mr. Holloway feels that its dedication to honesty and integrity will keep the company growing and successful for a long time.
“Best Choice Roofing is rapidly growing and it’s attributed to treating customers with respect and holding on to our core values. We take care of our customers and people and interact with them… we focus on everyone as a team. We are out in the field on a daily basis and our number one priority is committing ourselves to making this possible.”
