Leading the industry for 30 years

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn about Simply Affordable Roofing’s history in the industry and how they are continuing to develop their skills and business.  

In a live interview from the International Roofing Expo 2024, Karen Edwards caught up with Chris Ekerson, Brandon Smith, Kendall Ekerson and Nalani Smith from R-Club member Simply Affordable Roofing. Nalani works on the backend of the business in website design while Kendall focuses on marketing and accounting. Leading the company are president and vice-president respectively, Chris and Brandon.  

These four, who happen to be two married couples, have 30 years of combined industry experience and started SA Roofing with the goal of building a business based on the basics. This focus on their customers and building the best experience for them has led them down various paths. Brandon explained, “We are very much friendly to unique problems and unique challenges and, we say that a lot to our clients. You know, if you have a problem that nobody else can solve, we, we would like to look at it.” In one case, this connected Simply Affordable with the U.S. Forest Service and brought the Oregon-based company out to a part of Alaska only accessible by boat. 

But even with over 30 years of work, they’re not slowing down! At this past IRE, Chris graduated from the NRCA Future Executives Institute (FEI). This is a leadership development program that helps enrollees manage thriving roofing businesses. Chris explained, “The biggest takeaway for me has just been the people that I've gotten to meet and the networks that have been formed through that.” In this program, Chris and Kendall took courses and classes through the Kellogg School of Business in Chicago to keep learning and adapting as the industry shifts. They’re also the first married couple to have graduated from the FEI program! Chris called it a “truly great experience that nothing else can replace.”  

Watch the full interview to learn more about Simply Affordable Roofing and their work!