Ken Kelly has always used technology to improve his business, but he’s a roofer first. Despite retiring from the industry last year, he’s maintained that mindset in his latest venture consulting other roofing contractors on the path to business prosperity. 

“The whole focus of what I’m trying to do now is really help people and give back to contractors at whatever stage their business is in,” he recently told RC. 

The 2015 Microsoft Visionary Award winner and 2019 Residential Roofing Contractor of the Year will deliver a fast-hitting presentation where he’ll share best practices on how to get the most out of your roofing software stack. Kelly will break down his top 40 tips for automating your roofing business to get the most out of the software you are already paying for. And he’s ready to do it with time efficiency in mind.

“Get ready to take notes because this session is full of action items you can immediately implement,” Kelly said. “Having the right technology is critical in today's roofing industry. The last thing we want to do is pick the wrong software platform or not get the value out of the one we are using.”

Kelly's deep dive includes building a tech stack that works together, the importance of security, working with developers, agile improvements, nailing user adoption, designing for mobile, workflow automation, building in accountability, being omni-channel, holding your team accountable, automated reporting, flash reports, silent management, how to autopilot collections, and so much more.

As an added bonus, he’ll explain his interactions with tech pioneer and Tesla founder Elon Musk, and applying some of his key rules of innovation: Challenge the regulation; delete unnecessary parts; optimize; accelerate; and automate.

WHAT YOU WILL GET:

• Insight on how to turn technology into a silent manager
• Actionable strategies to automate business functions that save money and time
• Best practices on how to get the most out of your software stack 
• Perspectives on the right technology to fit your company’s needs

Kelly will also lead a session Thursday morning on another area he’s passionate about: selling your roofing company. 

Having lived through it, he and Nick Sabino, president of Deer Park Roofing in Ohio, will off their unique perspectives and share stories about what it was like to sell roofing companies they spent their lives building into successful enterprises. 

Their hope is to equip roofing contractors with the knowledge and strategies needed to successfully take their business to market, especially while the surge in private equity cash is underway.

“Someday you too will exit your business,” Kelly said. “This session will be full of firsthand experiences that will help guide you through the process of preparing for sale, driving up valuation, navigating due diligence, and how to deal with life after sale.”

Kelly stepped away from Florida-based Kelly Roofing in 2023 after 30 years running the family business. 

Sabino, the former chairman of the National Roofing Contractors Association, founded his business in 1996 and grew it into a leading residential and commercial roofing juggernaut in the Midwest. Deer Park was acquired by Roofing Corp. of America in 2022.  

Kelly said selling your company can and should create generational wealth, if done right. He cautions, however, that contractors looking for a payday need to consider the entire picture when selling to private equity. 

“There’s a lot of games played by private equity, and it’s my job to preserve the roofing contractor’s value,” he explained. “I want to help companies position themselves for a sale, but then preserve that value and not let private equity take advantage.” 

 WHAT YOU WILL GET:

• Steps to maximize your roofing company’s valuation
• Understanding the purchase agreement
• Navigating earnouts and due diligence
• Learning from recent transactions and real-life experiences
• Gain perspectives on life after the sale.