By Emma Peterson.
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!
Learn more about Simply Affordable Roofing in their Coffee Shop Directory or visit www.keepitsimpleroofing.com.
About Emma
Emma Peterson is a writer at The Coffee Shops and AskARoofer™. Raised in the dreary and fantastical Pacific Northwest, she graduated in 2024 from Pacific University in Oregon with a degree in creative writing and minors in graphic design and Chinese language. Between overthinking everything a little bit, including this bio, she enjoys watching movies with friends, attending concerts and trying to cook new recipes.
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