Guardian Roofing Named as One of the Top Washington State Middle Market Companies

Owner Collin Hathaway leads company to record growth, honored by Puget Sound Business Journal.

The Midmarket Fast 50 scores have been released, and Guardian Roofing, one of the most trusted professional roofing contractors in the Seattle market, earned a place on its well-esteemed list. 

Middle-market companies are an economic powerhouse in the Puget Sound region, and the Middle Market Fast 50 List is the Puget Sound Business Journal’s annual heat index for that category. A small group of executives, including Guardian’s owner investor Collin Hathaway, have also been honored by The Puget Sound Business Journal, for their leadership roles within the middle market.

“To be recognized by the Puget Sound Business Journal, the trusted leader in covering business news and updates for the region, is quite the honor and not to be taken lightly,” said Hathaway. “Guardian’s continued growth can absolutely be attributed to our collective commitment to the people serve within the community while remaining loyal and fair to our internal team year after year as we scale up. Take care of your team, take care of your customer and the money will inevitably work itself out.”  

Founded in 2005 by Matt and Lori Swanson, Guardian Roofing operates with the motto that every client is a client for life. In December 2016, Collin Hathaway stepped into the company as an ownership investor and helped lead the company to record growth. 

When asked about what small businesses who want to scale up to the middle market can learn from his experience, Hathaway said, “In most businesses, the two most important elements of scaling are (a) the end goal and (b) the people. Evaluating and improving talent, especially as you consider new roles, is hard but it’s also the fastest way to change your growth trajectory. It’s also been important for us to hire folks who’ve seen what good or big looks like, so they can help us learn faster and avoid some of the common issues associated with growth.”

The Washinton State Middle Market companies are ranked by Midmarket Fast 50. The middle market-weighted score considers the percent change in revenue between 2020 and 2022 and the actual value difference in revenue during the same time period. This score is meant to mitigate the difference between revenue growth at smaller companies and larger companies within the middle market.

The Harvard Business Review said if the middle market were a country, it would be the fifth-largest economy in the world. HBR called the sector “stressed but resilient” coming out of the pandemic, compared with smaller and larger businesses.

“Needless to say, we are so optimistic about the business growth we have experienced and look forward to continuing the trend into 2024,” says Lori Swanson, Founder and CEO of Guardian Roofing.

About Guardian Roofing, LLC

Guardian Roofing, LLC is an award-winning professional roofing contractor in the Seattle market, serving homeowners since 2005 in the counties of King, Pierce, Snohomish, Kitsap and Thurston. Founders Lori and Matt Swanson have more than 60 years of combined roofing experience and employ a team of more than 100 skilled and professionally certified craftsmen who assist customers with their roof, gutter, attic, masonry, and skylight needs. Recognized in 2022 as one of the fastest-growing private companies by the Puget Sound Business Journal, Guardian is rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau and has been named a top 100 Roofing Contractor in the U.S. by Roofing Contractors Magazine. For more information, visit www.GuardianHome.com.