It’s hard to deny the impact dogs have on the world. Everything from silly internet videos to becoming loyal service animals to those in need, they resonate with just about everyone.

That includes Chelsea Oesch (pronounced ‘errsh’), whose fondness for four-legged friends likely contributed to one of then-Beacon’s more successful branding campaigns.

As the marketing director of QXO’s private label, TRI-BUILT, Oesch helped revamp it into a billion-dollar brand, all while finding ways to help both people and dogs alike.

But Oesch, 38, is more than an idea generator. She brings with her robust knowledge forged from climbing the ladder in roofing distribution, giving her a unique perspective and making her a secret weapon for QXO’s marketing success.

“I've been really fortunate to work alongside all of these incredible leaders and teammates, as without the people, the job is really just a job,” she said. “But I have amazing teammates and amazing leaders, and the people at QXO are really what makes my job as enjoyable as it is.”

Finding a Home in Roofing

After graduating from Texas State University in 2009 with a degree in marketing, Oesch faced a job market plagued by the Great Recession. Fortunately for her, a family friend worked in the distribution industry, and needed help with inside sales following a string of severe weather.

Oesch leapt at the opportunity, not realizing how it would impact her life.

“Roofing distribution wasn’t what I went to school for, but believe it or not, it’s the only career I’ve had, so I’m extremely grateful to have been introduced to, really, such a great industry early in my career,” she said.

Over the next 11 years, Oesch worked on what she calls the “frontlines of distribution,” working in everything from sales to dispatch. She joined QXO (then Beacon) in 2016 in outside sales before ascending to assistant branch manager and branch manager. In late 2020, Oesch was promoted to marketing director, private label.

The position not only draws on her marketing prowess, but also her years on the frontline. She finds she can communicate on a deeper level with employees, having been in their shoes.

“Those roles all were very foundational to my success and my current role, and I truly believe that that's what made me successful in my job today, because I understand the ins and outs of the business and I understand the day in the life of a branch,” she said.

That empathy has further been bolstered by her participation in National Women in Roofing, previously serving as chair of the organization’s Central Texas chapter.

“I've found immense benefit in it,” she said of NWIR. “I've developed relationships with people that I never would have had the opportunity to meet, whether they're in direct competition with me or they're a manufacturer, or they're a roofer … we're all in the industry together, there to support each other.”

Never a Dull Day

In her current role, she works directly with branch managers and other teams across the company while also finding creative ways to grow TRI-BUILT with the marketing team.

In the busy seasons of spring and summer, the team works on making it as easy as possible for sales teams by updating marketing materials and ensuring they have samples at the ready. In the fall and winter, they prepare for shows like the International Roofing Expo and work on strategic campaigns.

“No two days are the same, but that's also what makes this great, is no two days are predictable,” she said. “Some days are full of meetings, whether it be with our vendor partners or our teammates, and other days it's just hammering out the work.”

Such is the case for Oesch both before and after QXO acquired Beacon earlier this year. She said she’s been impressed by how quickly the QXO team implemented the transition with little disruption to customers.

Oesch said part of what made for a smooth transition is QXO CEO Brad Jacobs valuing feedback from his employees. He consistently holds town hall meetings and has initiated quarterly employee surveys.

“We’re looking forward to the new growth that should come with this new adventure of QXO,” she said.

Building a Brand

The TRI-BUILT booth at the 2025 International Roofing Expo. Photo by Bilaal Khan

When she joined the marketing team in 2020, they re-examined the TRI-BUILT brand from all angles, finding ways to freshen up a product line that’s been around since 2004.

“Marketing a private label really comes with its own unique challenges, so we’re trying to overcome perceptions around price. You want to build trust in the quality of the actual product,” she said. “We’re also encouraging customers to try something new.”

Conversely, being a private label has its advantages, including exclusivity and its availability at all QXO locations. Oesch said the product is backed by QXO and is rigorously vetted, offering what she called a “premium performance product at a real-world price point.”

Even with those favorable aspects, the brand needed something to distinguish it from its competitors. Through market research, the company found that a large number of contractors own dogs. This spurred the creation of Blu, a canine mascot they added to the label and its logo.

“We also know that dogs represent a lot of qualities that we want customers to associate with our products, which are protection, trust and loyalty,” she said.

The refresh rolled out in 2021, debuting at the 2022 IRE. Oesch said since the rebranding, TRI-BUILT business has grown more than 50% and helped achieve the published goal of gaining $1 billion in revenue by 2025.

As part of the revamp, TRI-BUILT holds an annual “Top Dogs” contest. Customers submit photos of their four-legged best friends in the hopes of having them featured as one of 12 dogs in a calendar. For the 2025 calendar, TRI-BUILT received more than 1,400 submissions.

“We've even got contractors hiring professional photographers to try to secure a spot in the calendar, so they're highly competitive to try to get one of 12 spots,” she said.

In addition to bragging rights, the 12 winners receive $1,000 to donate to a shelter of their choice. The calendar also doubles as a vehicle for showing off TRI-BUILT products, inspiring customers to give them a try.

“We have grown to over 7,000 product SKUs across more than 30 different product categories, which I think is a huge accomplishment for the brand,” she said. “It’s just been a really neat transformation to be a part of, and we couldn’t be more proud of our own brand.”

QXO also has a partnership with K9s for Warriors, a nonprofit organization providing service dogs to veterans transitioning to civilian life. The partnership includes sponsoring dogs as well as donating building materials to the organization for its training facility.

“The really neat thing about this organization is that many of these dogs come from high-kill shelters, so essentially, we're looking at saving two lives,” Oesch said.

Given how readily she talks about supporting canines, it should come as little surprise that Oesch is the owner of three rescued dogs: two from Korea and one from China. She was so dedicated to helping them that she made out-of-state trips to pick up her new pets.

“I ended up flying to New York and picked up this dog that had come over from Korea, ended up driving it back to Texas, and this one was like a little mixed dog — had some trauma, definite trauma, but I eventually adopted two more dogs through that same organization that were actually full-blown golden retrievers,” she said.

It’s not the first time she has traveled for her passions. She and her family previously ventured across the southern U.S. on weekends to participate in Motocross dirt-bike racing. However, in recent years, they’ve become more of a “lake family,” trading in dirt mounds for waves.

“It’s low impact, we do not injure ourselves anymore,” she said, laughing. “I have learned how to back a trailer, and I know how to drive a boat now, and I’ve learned how to wake surf, so in the past few years I’ve learned all those new things and I’m pretty proud of it.”