COVER FEATURE

Victoria and Marcos Sierra sought to bring professionalism and high-quality work to the roofing market in Blytheville, Ark. by forming their own roofing company in 2017. Photos courtesy of Sierra Group Roofing & Solar

Marcos Sierra could fit right in in just about any corporate boardroom in the Western Hemisphere. Polished and fluent in English and Spanish, he appears at ease, whether sitting around the table with C-Suite executives from multi-national shingle manufacturers or huddled around a crew of roof installers ready to work.

Sierra's versatility has served him well as president of Sierra Group Roofing & Solar, the roofing enterprise he and his wife, Victoria, started in Blytheville, Ark., just west of the Mississippi River and Tennessee border. The community boasts a population of about 40,000 people but has a burgeoning economy fueled largely by manufacturing jobs, healthcare workers and retail establishments. From the company’s beginning, the Sierras saw it as their mission to keep them all dry and protected from the elements, even at great financial risk.

“Our initial investment was $17,000 of personal savings, which eroded very quickly,” Marcos recalled. “But this allowed us to learn harsh lessons that allowed us to make necessary changes to our procedures and systems.”

Marcos started in the roofing industry, driven by a passion for construction and a strong work ethic. He was originally in property management, where meeting and dealing with various types of professional contractors was a daily chore. He knew what he liked and what he didn’t like about how contractors treated customers, how companies treated contractors, and what it took to get jobs done. Over time, he also developed expertise in the field, which, combined with his entrepreneurial drive, led him to think big.

Seeing the gap in professionalism, communication, and overall execution among roofing contractors in the marketplace, he decided to conduct market research and strategize the company’s launch in 2017.

Victoria started her professional career in the healthcare industry. While far away from the roofing world, her expertise in long-term patient care — honed during the COVID-19 pandemic — helped improve several aspects of the company when she joined the office in 2021 to lead operations. For instance, her experience in multi-faceted procedures, finance audits and care plans helped her excel when she made the career change and joined Sierra Group. It also helped the family business succeed and later expand into real estate investment.

The couple started the company in the back of their 400-square-foot garage and moved into its first 11,000-square-foot office, shared by nine employees, in 2019. By 2022, the company moved again to a 35,000-square-foot warehouse, where skilled employees now fabricate roofing and siding products along with gutter systems. The company currently employs 33 people, who helped generate roughly $8.3 million in revenue last year, Marcos said.

Sierra Group Roofing was recognized by the Better Business Bureau with its Torch Award for Ethics. Photo: BBB Arkansas/Facebook

Structured Culture

The Sierras structure their company into four main divisions: management, which includes accounting and operations; commercial roofing; residential roofing; and metal sales and fabrication.

They foster a positive work environment by emphasizing teamwork while also highlighting outstanding performance through individual recognition. The company also offers competitive benefits such as health insurance, paid time off, and professional development opportunities.

Ongoing training is provided for all employees, covering technical skills, safety protocols, and customer service.

“The company believes in continuous improvement to maintain high standards in all aspects of the business,” Victoria said.

This starts with clear standard operating procedures and an onboarding process for all new employees to understand the company's vision and mission: Sierra Group Roofing fabricates and installs the best products to shelter its growing market.

Over the years, they’ve developed a comprehensive safety program that strictly adheres to OSHA standards and requires regular safety audits.

With workforce consistency an issue industry-wide, the Sierras also got creative about employee retention. Due to their real estate investments, they offer employees a rental housing credit to stay in apartments they own as long as they remain employed by the company.

The results were more positive than expected.

“This has shown them a willingness on our end to invest in them long-term,” Marcos said. “With this creative approach our turnover has almost disappeared, and our recruitment process has become easier to manage.”

Another strategy to attract and keep workers — particularly younger ones — is to remain technology-driven. Crews are beginning to use thermal infrared drones and 3-D pictograph measurements on job sites. The office uses artificial intelligence-infused customer relations management software and automates multiple processes, including preparing estimates, to boost efficiency.

Marcos Sierra began his roofing career in property management, giving him a deep understanding of the industry he used to form Sierra Group Roofing.

Big Picture Roofing

While adopting technology creates a “speed kills” customer-service mentality, the Sierras said they don’t lose focus on building strong relationships with customers, suppliers, and community partners.

The company is still built on maintaining high workmanship standards and doing the right thing. A few years ago, crews installed a skylight for a local library board that created ongoing issues after the warranty expired. Sierra said he extended the warranty, made the necessary repairs, and even refunded the full cost of the skylight to the library board.

“Our ethical approach not only resolved the situation but also led to many more opportunities for our business,” he said.

That long-term approach also applies to their marketing strategy, where staying adaptable in a changing business climate is crucial.

Sierra Group Roofing employs a mix of digital marketing strategies, including social media campaigns, targeted ads, and SEO. The strategy also includes traditional marketing methods like direct mail and community engagement, which allow door-to-door appointment setters to get leads, Victoria said.

Once they’ve got the job, Marcos said quality workmanship is ensured through rigorous quality control procedures, from the selection of materials to the final inspection of completed projects. The team is trained to uphold the highest standards in every job.

They also don’t lose focus of the bigger picture of what they do.

“Our top commercial client exports over 5 million bales of cotton,” Marcos explained. “We oversee maintaining all the square miles of roofing in proper shape to keep such commodities than runs part of our (national) economy flowing. In any given time, we can have personnel in four states to keep a product dry that affects economies in different countries.”

Sierra is also committed to educating and uplifting Latino contractors around the country. As a GAF Master Elite contractor, he’s an ambassador for the company and presented in Spanish at multiple GAF Latinos in Roofing events nationwide.

“It’s an important opportunity,” he said of the nationwide momentum building around Latino roofers. “The manufacturers are pouring resources into this effort, and everybody [who is] Spanish-speaking can benefit [from] having education and having somewhere to go to get together and be able to exchange ideas as well.”