Roofing For All – Celebrating Pride Month in the Roofing Industry

By Anna Lockhart.  

Special guests discussed the ways in which the roofing industry has embraced the LGBTQIA+ community and the path forward for an even more inclusive future in the workplace during this Pride Month Coffee Conversations.  

RoofersCoffeeShop® and Tremco WTI started off Pride Month with a special episode of Coffee Conversations to celebrate with members of the roofing industry who identify as LGBTQIA+. This third-annual Pride celebration episode, hosted by Heidi J. Ellsworth, featured guests Spencer Jacobs of Ruff Roofers, Jennifer Grove of TORI Construction, Maureen Greeves of Tremco and Megan Ellsworth from RoofersCoffeeShop. During the conversation, guests highlighted their individual experiences in the industry and the importance of expanding conversations about diversity and inclusion within the roofing industry.  

This episode opened with a discussion of the history of Pride Month and the pivotal role the 1969 Stonewall riots, Marsha P. Johnson and the Christopher Street Liberation Day march in 1970 had in solidifying the month of June as a significant time to reflect on the importance of celebrating pride for the LGBTQIA+ community. Realizing how the United States has progressed since 1969, guests of the podcasts shared their experiences from over the years and how they continue to strive for a more inclusive future even in the face of recent regressive legislation and cultural shifts.  

Diversity should be celebrated and encouraged, as a diverse group of individuals can bring new ideas and more open-minded solutions to a situation. Diversity brings together different personalities and emotional intelligence and creates higher levels of creativity and overall success in a company. Making an effort to make all identities welcome can make a world of a difference. Jennifer Grove, owner of TORI Construction, emphasized that, at TORI Construction, there’s a seat at the table for everyone.  

“We're pretty close to the only LGBT certified business within the roofing industry in our area right now. So, for us, taking that step that was getting out of our comfort zone and choosing our path of hiring that we want to engage the community, we want to make it full circle. We want to be open to everybody... Our workforce is, it is diverse,” said Jennifer. “We're a little bit of everything, we really do within our workforce and in our office. And everybody brings a different piece of the puzzle to the table. And as long as you fit into that dynamic of, ‘we are all pieces of a bigger puzzle,’ you have a place with us. We're not picky. As long as you can fit in that little jigsaw that we do, we'll make it work for you.” 

Spencer emphasized the point that companies in the industry don’t have to go to great lengths to make their environments more inclusive, either. It’s all about kindness and basic decency and empathy for fellow peers. “I don't need a company to change their logo to a rainbow. I like to see it. It's not helping anybody unless you're backing it up. Right? So, when I come in and I'm talking to people, it should just be a normal conversation... We're here to get the job done. We're here to build an awesome product. At the end of the day then you can crack a beer open and talk about our personal lives and have a great time after that.” 

Spencer continued, “So, we're looking for that full circle experience. But yeah, so just looking to have a great open opportunity. And I'll say within the industry itself even, I'm going all over the place. I've been to California, Texas, a couple other different states, Virginia and I met all these different roofers. Everyone's been super accepting. No one's questioning me or going into anything about it. So, it's just normal. You just want to be treated like a normal person because at the end of the day, it is normal.” 

Having an open mind, empathy and support for your team in their identities and diversity can go a long way in creating a safe and cooperative environment in the workspace for LGBTQIA+ individuals. In the end, embracing one another's differences and celebrating that diversity is key to a brighter future in the roofing industry for all! 

Listen to the full podcast episode to hear the inspiring guest stories and how to make a difference this Pride Month!