After Danny McLaughlin became the president and CEO of Scro's Roofing Company in 2011, he looked for new ways to scale the business—and he was successful in doing so. "It was on my heart for a long time to be successful but not to stop at success," says McLaughlin. "I wanted to teach others how we got here."
Now, he's giving back to the roofing industry by providing mentorship to fellow roofers.
Securing a Strong Foundation
When Scro's Roofing started in 1996, Hurricane Fran had just caused massive destruction across the Carolinas.
"A lot of storm chasers were taking advantage, charging $1,500 to tarp a house," says McLaughin. "Our hearts were to help the community. By tarping roofs for $300, we made a name for ourselves—in the Raleigh community and with real estate agents—as honest and trustworthy."
That values-driven approach to business has been the foundation of the company since day one. With decades of roofing experience under his belt, McLaughlin coaches other contractors by volunteering his time and knowledge to help others strengthen their roofing businesses.
The Secrets to Success
McLaughlin shares his secrets to success openly, on two conditions: pay it forward and don't take advantage of anyone or their kindness.
With the "one person helps the next" approach, McLaughlin is fostering a growing network of contractors who implement positive change in the industry. And that's the kind of change that he would like to see more of: addressing the stigma around contractors so that consumers feel comfortable hiring them for their roofing projects.
McLaughlin's informal mentorship network began as a result of his local, in-person bible study with 12 of his biggest competitors. After bible study, the group would talk about roofing and share tips for improvement. As he began sharing educational videos on his Facebook and YouTube channels, people began to reach out to him via social media.
"Soon, roofing companies from across the country were contacting me," he says. "Now, I meet with contractors from all over, and they ask questions about how to navigate problems in their company or how to set up their CRM. I teach them how to delegate. I show them what we did."
Lifting the Industry
One success story comes from a roofing company operating in an area neighboring Scro's home base of Raleigh, North Carolina.
"In 1.5 years, we've taken this owner and his company from being GAF-certified with a gross revenue of $1 million to being GAF Master Elite certified with a gross revenue of $3 million," says McLaughlin.
GAF also provides resources to support Scro's Roofing success. He credits his faith, regional director Noreen Spuhler, and GAF for the success of his company.
"Noreen encouraged us to get into insurance work when I first took over at Scro's. I expressed concern, but she said, 'Don't worry about out-of-state storm chasers. I can teach you how to do insurance work, and you'll be unstoppable.'" Now, insurance work makes up 80% of Scro's business, and McLaughlin freely teaches other contractors how to get started in insurance like he did.
When he meets contractors who are just beginning their business, McLaughlin encourages them to focus on people first. Putting people first requires recognizing that there's room for competition.
Making a Path for Better Business
It's never too late to turn around a faltering business or off-track practices.
By sharing his real-life work experiences, McLaughlin hopes to help new or struggling business owners shape their companies and their employees.
"I don't have to change the world, but if I can shift one perspective, that matters," he says. "I want to do everything I can to pour truthful and great information out so that others might run their companies in a similar fashion."
In addition to the charity work the company provides to the greater Raleigh community, McLaughlin currently dedicates 20–25 hours per week to speaking with contractors one on one and creating educational videos for Facebook and the Scro's Roofing Company YouTube channel. His goal in coaching other contractors free of charge and building an informal mentorship network is to carry forward a message of honesty and doing right.
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