The call felt surreal. Matt Saeger, longtime general manager at GreatWay Roofing, could hardly believe that Rod Menzel, company founder and the visionary force behind the California-based roofing company’s success, was fighting for his life after a fluke accident.

Menzel was much more than a boss. He was his brother-in-law, mentor, and best friend.

While still processing the gravity of what he just heard — and fighting the overwhelming emotion it brought on like cascading waves — Saeger rushed to the hospital. The news was grim. Menzel, 56, a lifelong athlete, marathon runner and health enthusiast, sustained a severe head injury and wasn’t likely to recover.

Though he’s in the family by virtue of his older sister, Michelle, who married Menzel 28 years ago, Saeger said that working at GreatWay is like working in a family. It’s a culture Menzel developed into one of the company’s strong suits over two dozen years, felt by workers, vendors and customers alike.

It was the weekend, but with the prognosis dimming by the hour and Monday morning fast approaching, Saeger knew he had a heartbreaking job to do.

He went down the list of long-time company employees — including some of the very first — and Michelle invited them to come down to the hospital.

“It was not looking good. We told everyone that there was an accident and that we needed prayers for Rod,” Saeger said.

Menzel died a few days later, surrounded by family, loved ones and friends.

Rod and Michelle Menzel.

A Position of Strength

The somber scene initially around the hospital room could not have contrasted more with the jovial mood at the office just some hours earlier. Per company tradition, GreatWay employees worked a half-day and headed back to headquarters for a carne asada barbeque that coincided with Menzel’s quarterly reviews. Each worker met with him face-to-face, discussed their wins and challenges of the quarter, and received a bonus check split among employees from profits of the past three months.

“They all went into the office one at a time to get a quick, little review from (Rod), and to thank them for their hard work,” Saeger said. “In a very unique way, Rod was able to say his goodbyes to everyone in the company, handing out bonuses. Go figure!”

After sharing a lot of laughs that afternoon, Saeger said he and Menzel split up to spend time with different family members and prepare for their upcoming trip — in just a few days — to London so Menzel could run his sixth global marathon. Sadly, Menzel crashed while riding on a scooter just a few hours later. Saeger received that heartbreaking call from one of his nephews.

The following Monday morning, Saeger said, all 27 employees came into work. Michelle, along with Menzel’s sons, Austin, 27, and Brandon, 23, were there, too, ready to share a message of strength.

“Rod was our fearless leader — deeply loved and respected by everyone on the team,” Michelle said. “His passing brought many tears, but our employees knew that Rod would want them to carry on, business as usual. More than one person told me, with strength and conviction, ‘We’ve got this.’”

“Everyone stepped up to the plate, and you could see the loyalty in the room. I told our team that Rod would want us to uphold our core values as a company: that we’re thoughtful; we’re resilient, we take initiative and let’s go do what we do,” Saeger added.

The crews packed up their gear and went out to their jobsites as work needed to get done. Crews didn’t miss a day that week. There were hugs and some somber emotions at first, but it quickly felt like business as usual — which Rod would’ve liked, Saeger said.

“I told my nephews that it was a testament to what their father built,” he said. “We’re projecting strength in who we are as a company with our leader gone.”

The Why

Among Menzel’s strengths was his openness, willing to share a bit of his personality in any exchange. He did so in an open letter to prospective customers commemorating the company’s 25th anniversary last year. He said he was proud of growing a company with staying power that provided for dozens of employees and their families. But it was the commitment to the GreatWay Pledge — being honest, fair and dedicated to the customer — that drove the success.

“We believe in getting in and getting the job done and strive to convey to each customer our analysis of their roofing needs down to the exact last detail, so there are no surprises or disappointments,” he wrote.

Getting the right employees in place is key, as Menzel believed that satisfied employees will lead to better outcomes and happier customers. It’s a recipe that, even without him, should keep GreatWay striving for more.

“I firmly believe that employees are family and that we need to take as much care in growing them as we do building and replacing roofs,” wrote Menzel on his company’s website, emphasizing Greatway’s reliability and commitment to craftsmanship.

“It is the bedrock of our company, and we will use it to ensure that we are sailing as smoothly as we are now.”

He innovated as well. Dissatisfied with their business operating software, Menzel developed his own that he implemented in-house, and later developed as a product for the industry, called Roof Chief. He later sold his interest in the company to focus on growing the roofing business, but was always trying to push the industry forward and help contractors work smarter.

“Rod was a passionate and driven individual, both in business and in life,” Michelle explained. “He constantly sought to learn, grow, and excel—never settling for mediocrity. One of Rod’s favorite sayings was, ‘Swagger, plus class, equals control. When in control, you make things happen.’ It perfectly captured his mindset and leadership style.”

Colleagues and clients alike admired his authenticity, integrity, and tireless work ethic. Those traits live on in the countless lives he touched, both inside and outside the roofing industry.

“Rod’s passing leaves a profound void, as he was a man known for his kindness, generosity, and unwavering dedication to both his profession and community,” members of the Western States Roofing Contractors Association wrote in a website tribute to the former board member.

“Rod will be remembered for the friendships he nurtured and the loyalty he inspired. His legacy is one of compassion, leadership, and service. Rod’s life will continue to inspire those within our community to lead with heart and contribute meaningfully.”

Menzel worked to elevate the roofing industry, participating in events like Best of Success and as a board member with the WSRCA.

Lasting Impact

The company, though never in this position, has weathered major transitions before. Always focused on high-quality work and an unwavering commitment to exceptional customer service, Menzel also demonstrated visionary leadership that transformed the company’s reach and trajectory for success. He led the company’s marketing overhaul that included a major rebranding effort to GreatWay in 2008.

The new branding and fresh attitude infused energy into an already busy market, and under Menzel’s guidance, the company expanded services into the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys. As Menzel later told RC, it’s no coincidence the rebrand occurred when it did. He was a regular attendee and a speaker at RC’s Best of Success conference over the years, and he often credited his business success to the ideas he learned and people he met while there.

He first attended in 2007 and latched onto a presentation from another roofing contractor that transformed his business after reading a book. As RC Group Publisher Jill Bloom — a close family friend — described, Menzel took the inspiration and ran with it. After a week of shadowing that roofer and learning how his business operated, Menzel changed his model and reinvented his marketing strategy with Michelle.

Two years later, he took to the BOS stage as a speaker, sharing his own story and insights into what made his business approach and brand a successful model for other roofers to follow. He spoke again a few years later on how to use creative communication tactics to win over clients. He was ahead of his time — he urged roofing contractors to leverage technology to improve customer relations.

A full decade before the advent of real-time streaming on social media, Menzel understood there were opportunities available through simple and effective communication strategies to customers. Video was one way to creatively reach people, and it became a great avenue to break through the glut of information bombarding most people’s media feeds every day. 

Videos became integral to his business strategy to build trust with customers and set GreatWay apart in the field. Employees bought in, and now sending potential customers videos of rooftop inspections or damage is a company standard that helps keep the sales team’s closing ratio at about 48%, Saeger said.

It is part of the formula that propelled GreatWay on a six-year run of setting consecutive annual revenue records.

The streak could end this year, regardless of the tragedy. Saeger said Menzel projected business would slow down around the presidential election and could lead to a challenging year. Coupled with very dry fall and winter seasons in California, the backlog dwindled. By tracking lead sources, Saeger said that repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals have been keeping them going.

As crews approach the halfway point of summer, they are fighting the good fight.

“It might not be a mic-drop year, but because of our 26 years of business, most of our sales are coming from previous customers and that’s been pushing us along,” he said.

They’re all looking forward to Michelle’s increased role as owner and bringing Menzel’s sons into the fold.

They have always been around the company and worked roofing jobs with their friends over the summers, but recently expressed interest in their roofing futures. Menzel had a four-year plan to give his sons time to prepare before considering expansion into new locations. That plan is redirected and accelerated now as their focus turns to learning the business and carrying on their father’s legacy, Saeger said. And everyone else is focused on making that happen.

“There’s a lot of extra meaning now for all of us with them here,” he Saeger said. “We all feel like we have a renewed purpose to share the wonderful gifts and talents of their father and watch them grow into their roles over the years. I can’t wait until they get coached up.”