Drake Gordon sat back for a minute and took in his surroundings during RC’s Young Guns workshop at the Best of Success conference last December. He’s been to countless conferences and self-improvement seminars over the years, but this felt different. 

Here he was, sitting among other young roofing professionals with the drive and foresight to make the most of the opportunities they envision the industry can provide. He was with a distinct group of peers, listening to common pain points, anticipated fears and even big dreams of where they think they can take the next generation of roofing. He heard honest, first-hand accounts from prior Young Guns who’ve walked in their shoes. 

“It was great to connect with other young aspiring entrepreneurs,” said Gordon, CEO of Executive Exteriors in Dallas. “It was very insightful to hear the innovative ideas and plans for the roofing industry from other young professionals that will shape the future.” 

Gordon said he sees himself as part of that future, and he’s not waiting to get there. Executive Exteriors generated more than $32 million in revenue last year and is projecting an even bigger year in 2025 as it services the Metroplex market. 

Gordon said it was a combination of hard work and getting all parts of the company aligned. That goal continues later this year when a new corporate headquarters is scheduled to open. 

“The key factor for us (in 2024) was unity, getting our internal organization organized and moving in the same direction. This allowed us to scale our people and locations,” he said. 

Others are paying attention, too; earlier this year, Gordon was named the Southwest Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young. Here’s more of his story.

Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt of the interview and has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How long have you been in the roofing industry, and how did you get started?

DG:  I’ve been in the industry for 12 years. I got my start in 2013 with a good friend of mine who encouraged me to join him selling roofs in Charlotte, N.C.

What are the top reasons why Executive Exteriors is successful?

DG:

1. People. We have an incredible, world-class team, and everyone is dedicated to our mission and aligned with our values. 
2. Crews. We have world-class crews that are also aligned/dedicated to our values and mission. 
3. Opportunities. We provide very rare and unique opportunities for all of our people and crews to grow within the company.
4. Strategy. We have executed in our vertical of specialty/high-end roofing, and built diversification in our installation abilities, allowing us to install/service any kind of roofing system.
5. Education and Network. We are very focused on continuing our education, and we have a vast network of top industry professionals who help us work with insurance carriers after natural disasters to quickly restore property damage for our mutual clients. 

Gordon aims to form his own roofing platform in the near future.
Photo: RC Staff

What are the top challenges in your market, and how are you addressing them?

DG: We are in several markets, but our largest is our headquarters in Dallas/Fort Worth. The biggest challenge is over-saturation in our market. We address this by providing our team with the best tools, training and crews available in the country. At the same time, we also believe the market saturation is a benefit due to the lack of skills, training and consistent work ethic in the industry.

Do you see your age as an advantage or a disadvantage in the roofing industry?

DG: It’s funny, when I first started in 2013, I used to believe my age would hinder my ability to work, but as the years go by, I sit back and reflect that my age has been a huge benefit to me. Several ultra-successful industry experts have taken me under their wing and helped guide/steer me along my journey.

I believe it’s all in our head; we can make it a positive or negative, but to me, young age opens more doors and opportunities if you are willing to be open-minded and coachable.

What area of the roofing business are you most passionate about?

DG: This is hard for me to say, I love every aspect of roofing. If I had to pick one, it would be between sales and production. I love meeting new people and sharing my knowledge and skills to help them restore/preserve their properties; however, I am a roofing nerd and I love production.

We install some of the most complicated and intricate roofing systems available, and I love the details and fixing things. To me, there’s nothing like designing and tailoring a new roof system that will outlast a lifetime to fit the structure’s exact needs.

What are your future plans in the roofing business?

DG: We are currently acquiring other roofing businesses to create a national footprint and platform. Our future plans are to finish construction on our new facility located in DFW, which will be the largest exterior showroom/training facility in the country, and officially launch our platform later this year.