Second- and third-generation family members of Ondorff & Spaid. Photos courtesy of Ondorff & Spaid.

Scott Riopelle is no stranger to challenges in roofing and in life, and what sets him apart — to some extent — is his willingness to talk about them. The founder and former CEO of Interstate Roofing in Colorado recently made the difficult decision to partner with private equity and begin the new challenge of growing a residential roofing platform with national reach.

He and One Solutions CEO Sean Ricks are on a new mission to amass talented people across the roofing spectrum and recently sat down with RC to explain the strategy and process to building a national powerhouse in the residential roofing space.

One Solutions is a collection of successful roofing companies with origins out West that used the reach of Interstate to mark a footprint across the Midwest. Roofing contractors in Florida, Illinois and the Carolinas are now in the fold on a quest to become the largest residential reroofing contractor in America.

They’ve targeted successful companies with dynamic leaders who have worked together and, at times, competed with each other over the years. Riopelle said that familiarity was part of the draw to joining One Solutions.

“We’re kind of like bringing the gang back together,” he said. “We’ve all worked together and have been friends so getting us all on the same platform has been easy.”

A few factors set the team working at One Solutions apart from other multi-company initiatives fueled by private equity cash flowing into the roofing industry. First, the One Solutions team still believes in knocking on doors for jobs, despite all their other means to reach prospects and customers digitally. The group of contractors and Ricks also have seamless communication and are aligned on long-term goals. Chief among them is stacking the companies with versatile talent.

“We’ve got great leadership, great talent within our organization and we’re trying to bring in as much talent as we can as we expand our organization into new markets,” said Ricks.

He believes having Riopelle on board helps, not only because of his track record as a roofing contractor but his ability to build culture in-house.

This next step of Riopelle’s journey is unknown, but that’s also part of his evolution from nightclub bouncer and ex-con to Top 100 contractor and industry innovator. He’s not afraid of what’s around the corner, and once he believes he’s doing the right thing for the business, there’s not much to deter him. Joining up with One Solutions was one way he saw to improve others who worked hard for him for years.

“I didn’t want to do it on my own anymore,” he explained. “I realized that if I really wanted to grow and really wanted to change people’s lives, to go to that next level, I needed an equity partner. Someone with a roadmap.”

Watch the full conversation above.

RC: What are some of the values the family instilled in the company?

Valerie Spaid Williams (VSW): Our core values center around our people and the customer experience. Since the company’s founding, long-term employment has been an important value to us. We try to provide stable and reliable employment. We treat our employees like family and build relationships to ensure employees feel like an important part of our lives and the business.

Building strong customer relationships is another cornerstone of our company. We are committed to our customers, consistently asking for their feedback to improve and better serve their needs. Just as we prioritize our employees, we are equally committed to ensuring our customers can easily reach us and receive a high level of service.

High-quality workmanship is also important to us. We are deeply committed to our workmanship and want every employee to feel proud of the work they do. Reviewing our portfolio of completed projects over the years, the attention to detail and quality workmanship that defines our company is clear. I believe our high level of repeat customers is a testament to that.

“High-quality workmanship is also important to us. We are deeply committed to our workmanship and want every employee to feel proud of the work they do,” said Valerie Spaid Williams.

Theresa and Rick Stover, the founder’s daughter and son-in-law, purchased the firm from her father in 2008.