Social Media Influencer with 5.5M Followers Buys Ill. Roofing Company

New owner says the company has a great legacy, great employees and a strong base of customers

Social media influencer Brandon Schlichter (pictured), who has more than 5 million followers, purchased H.C. Anderson Roofing Co. in Rockford, Ill. (Photo courtesy of Kevin Haas/Rock River Current) — Social media influencer Brandon Schlichter (above), who has more than 5 million followers, purchased H.C. Anderson Roofing Co. in Rockford, Ill. He is documenting the company’s progress to millions of followers on YouTube and TikTok.
— Photo courtesy of Kevin Haas/Rock River Current

Entrepreneur and social media influencer Brandon Schlichter recently acquired H.C. Anderson Roofing in Rockton, Ill., as part of his growing portfolio of businesses.

Despite initial doubts fueled by disparaging portrayals of the Rockford area, Schlichter was impressed by the region’s potential and the roofing company’s solid reputation built over 26 years despite the negative press he had read about.

“[I] drive down the waterfront area of Rockford; I’m like, I’m in a different world than where this video is,” he told the River Rock Current, a local news outlet that first reported the story. “Yeah, I see some rundown buildings; Yeah, I see some stuff that needs to be fixed, but I also see huge investment.”

The business's founders are staying on as consultants during the transition, while Schlichter and his business partner work to preserve the company’s culture and expand operations. Under the TikTok star’s leadership, H.C. Anderson Roofing has tackled major local projects, including $1.2 million roof rebuilds at Conklin and Lahtrop elementary schools and work on the Lafayette Hotel’s renovation.

Through his large social media following — 1.9 million YouTube subscribers and 3.6 million TikTok followers — Schlichter chronicles a behind-the-scenes look at running a roofing business. He uses his platform to highlight industry challenges and opportunities and celebrate his team's contributions.

To read the complete story, click HERE.

This abstract has been written with the permission of Rock River Current online news. To read the complete story, click on the link above. Used with permission by Kevin Hass.

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Bryan Gottlieb is the online editor at Engineering News-Record (ENR).

Gottlieb is a five-time Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism award winner with more than a decade of experience covering business, construction, and community issues. He has worked at Adweek, managed a community newsroom in Santa Monica, Calif., and reported on finance, law, and real estate for the San Diego Daily Transcript. He later served as editor-in-chief of the Detroit Metro Times and was managing editor at Roofing Contractor, where he helped shape national industry coverage.

Gottlieb covers breaking news, large-scale infrastructure projects, new products and business.