Keeping families safe and dry in every season

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn how roofing contractors can and do spread holiday cheer year-round in their communities through cause marketing.  

In this new episode of Roofing Road Trips®, Heidi J. Ellsworth sat down with her longtime friend and industry leader Charles Antis. Charles is the founder of Antis Roofing and Waterproofing which is over 35-years old now! In that time, they have developed a company culture that focuses on what he called “fearless giving.” He and his team believe that balancing operating as a business and doing good in their community is key to success and have the track record to back it up. This all started 15 years ago when they were first asked to donate a Habitat for Humanity roof. 

Looking ahead at their hundredth donation in 2025, Charles still remembers that first story. He shared, “When I showed up to work, I had a lump in my throat. The home looked really disheveled, and when I knocked on the door, a woman answered the door with this frown, and I smelled a wave of mildew. And I felt a tug of my hand and looked down. This little girl looked like her mom, but she was like six years old.” He recalled that she led him through their crowded living room and crooked hallway to show off her new My Little Pony poster. Her mother also followed them into the room and Charles remembers the look on her face clearly, saying, “She looked at me and I saw that same frown. And now it meant something to me. Her frown said she thought I was going to say, ‘I'm sorry, ma'am, I'm not going to be able to do anything.’ And to me that was like, oh my God.” And that was when Charles knew he had to help.  

When he got to the roof, he realized this wasn’t a simple patch, it needed to be an entire replacement. He shared, “That was the moment things got real. I had to let go of a lot. I got materials, had to get volunteers and even her oldest brother helped. I think he was 16.” And they got that family a new roof. Looking back, Charles laughs a little, because it wasn’t the best roof they’ve ever put on from a looks perspective, but it was everything for that family. 

The professional, marketing term for this kind of project is “cause marketing.” This might sound a little cold, but it is just references what is already happening across the industry. It might not be making news headlines or going viral on social media, but roofing contractors and professionals often are the next ones out after first responders when storms or disasters hit their communities. And even more than that, they are there day-in and day-out for their communities. Charles explained, “I guarantee you in every roofing company there's a roofing professional that has done a free patch job for a family in need and has done it more on his own time, even maybe not even told his boss.” 

Read the transcript or Listen to the episode to learn more about Charles, Antis Roofing and how roofers can give back through cause marketing.