Being the owner of a roofing distribution company means wearing many hats. One day, the owner is working on operations, while the next, they’re visiting a branch to help with sales.

It’s part of what Jeff Muratori, owner of Division 7 Supply in Georgia, loves about his job.

“It’s helping people grow and learn,” he said. “Luckily, in my position, I’m involved in all aspects of business … I’m not pigeonholed to one area. I love helping customers, NEMEON members.”

It’s a great trait to have when you’re the new chairman of the board of directors for NEMEON, the purchasing cooperative made up of independent roofing and siding distributors. It also helps that he brings decades of first-hand experience to the position, from learning about the industry at a young age to opening his first out-of-state location in early 2024.

The School of Hard Knocks

Muratori’s first exposure to the industry was through his father, who worked in roofing distribution. Muratori officially joined in 1994 with Cameron Ashley Building Products, working in customer service and inside sales. He climbed the ladder to purchasing before becoming a branch manager.

“I started from a very basic entry-level position and worked my way up, which was very good because I learned all aspects of the business. I’ve been involved with every aspect,” he said.

In 2000, Guardian Building Products acquired Cameron Ashley. The move allowed Muratori to obtain an equity position with the group that formed Roofing and Insulation Supply. He remained there until 2007, and in 2008, founded Division 7 Supply in Cumming, Ga.

Opening a roofing distribution business at the start of the Great Recession was a double-edged sword. On one hand, there wasn’t a lot of business. Conversely, other businesses were hungry for Division 7’s capital, which was a boon for the fledgling company.

“I got a really good deal on a lease,” he said. “Equipment was dirt cheap. I was able to find equipment that might have been a year or two old that people were sitting on, and I was able to work a lot of deals with that.”

Those deals made a difference with the company's small staff — three, to be precise. Muratori handled the sales, and when orders came in, they had to rent a truck to pull the flatbeds and make the delivery.

“I bought forklifts, I had bought the infrastructure of everything to make a delivery except for the actual delivery vehicle,” Muratori said, laughing.

By tackling the sales himself, Muratori said he learned small business owners like buying from small business owners, so as the economy scaled back up, Division 7 Supply did too.

“I had my hands full just opening up the one branch and just learning all the dynamics of cash flow and receivables, and dealing with banks and insurance companies,” he said. “I didn’t deal with any of that prior. It was always someone else taking on that, so when you take on all that responsibility yourself, it’s a lot of moving parts.”

Just before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, Division 7 Supply expanded with a second location in Marcon, Ga. He called the decision “eye-opening,” especially as he relied on his own money versus private equity. It was also the first time the first-generation owner managed more than one location.

Even so, that didn’t stop him from opening a third location in January 2024, this time in Birmingham, Ala., to breach the market in another state. Again, Muratori found himself attending the school of hard knocks.

“When we opened up Macon, we learned some things. When we opened up Birmingham, we learned more things,” he said. “We'll learn from those mistakes and try and not make those same mistakes again and again.”

One mistake he didn’t make, though, was neglecting the help of his employees and his peers.

Building Up Others

Division 7 Supply employees at an Atlanta Braves game. Photo courtesy of Division 7 Supply

When facing the challenges of running a business, Muratori said having great people to rely on keeps operations running smoothly. In that regard, Muratori said what sets his company apart from others is the people, which has grown significantly from its original three employees to more than 20.

“Our people make the difference. Our motto is ‘On time and right the first time.’ Our entire team believes in what we’re trying to do,” he said. “We’re all in this together, and our team gets sick of me saying this, but we’re all spokes on the wheel, and if one spoke is broken, that wheel’s not turning so good.”

This passion for helping people extends to customers and his fellow NEMEON distributors. He said he has learned more about the industry in the past five years than in the decades prior thanks to networking.

“I learn the most talking with other members and customers,” he says. “We’re all going through a lot of the same issues and you talk through them and try to get ideas on how to fix and solve problems, and that’s what I love about my position, is learning all aspects of the business.”

That gained knowledge is crucial in competing against the “Big 3” of roofing distribution: ABC Supply Co. Inc., QXO and SRS Distribution. With the consolidation of the roofing industry showing no signs of stopping, Muratori said it’s more important than ever for independents to utilize their unique cultures.

“I think an independent is paying a lot closer attention to every step of the transaction, from taking the order to actually collecting the receivable. The larger competitors are more transactional,” he said.

“The increased level to the details is what makes the difference — knowing your customers' businesses intimately, trying to anticipate their needs.”

To that end, he said independents create environments where team members are empowered to offer unique solutions while also being held accountable for their customers’ experiences. He believes that nimbleness separates them from the larger companies.

“We're the battleships and speedboats out there, where the larger guys are those aircraft carriers, where they just can't implement a decision or a change quickly,” he said.

He said one area where independents lack an advantage is technology, as the Big 3 can spend millions investing in ERP systems and payment portals. That's where turning to a cooperative like NEMEON can help.

“For an independent, to spend millions on an ERP or a portal, it's way too cost-prohibitive,” he said. “What NEMEON is doing, for example, is we've pulled our resources and we've partnered with Construct CRM, and they've developed platforms for an independent to provide some of the same tools, but it's not nearly as easy.”

The Next Generation

NEMEON is known for its Next Gen program, which nurtures the next generation of distribution professionals. The goal is to train the future leaders of its member companies, many of which are longstanding family businesses.

Division 7 Supply is already doing just that. Muratori’s two sons, ages 26 and 24, are working their way up through the company like their father. They started their journey loading trucks and staging orders, and are moving into inside sales and learning purchasing.

“It’s very, very, very rewarding, especially when you see them contributing to the business at an early age,” Muratori said. “There’s no better feeling as a manager and/or a father. It’s awesome.”

With Muratori's wife working in the company as well, it’s truly become a family business. It can make separating work from life difficult at times, but Muratori said they manage to balance it out. If business begins to overwhelm the dinner conversation, for instance, he said his wife is good about reining it in.

In fact, with the boys taking on more responsibility, Muratori and his wife are finding new opportunities to travel. He said outside of traveling, he and his family enjoy hunting and fishing. At the time of publication, the company website features photos of employees and the Muratori family’s various wildlife conquests.

“It’s been a fun thing for D7,” he said. “You’ve gotta make it fun.”