Get it straight. Charlie Rademacher grew up around jobsites, roofing company shops and supply yards, as most second-generation roofing contractors with ambition would. But when he decided to join the family business and see what he could add to an already highly successful operation, he approached it with a unique roadmap into the industry.

That meant taking a look at Radco Roofing through a different lens — one grown over more than a decade in finance, investment banking and commercial development in the Beltway and on Wall Street.

“Roofing’s a business that I've always had a pretty good understanding of, just was never fully in it,” he explained. “Seeing Radco’s growth, where the current owners (Ted and Jann Rademacher — mom and dad) were in their career cycle, I wanted to take a real look at this business and in the most unbiased manner possible.

“They opened up the books to me and what I found was an extremely well-run company primed for growth with implementing further processes and procedures. And they were really developing fantastic people.”

That was five years ago. Today, Rademacher is responsible for shaping the company’s strategic initiatives, focusing on sustainable growth, culture and safety. 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 critical was taking that objective look at the business and where it was going to your decision-making process?

CR: For me to uproot my career and my family to join a business that I haven't been a part of on an intimate level, I wanted to know what I was getting into more than through the lens of family. It’s fantastic being in a family business, but there's also a business side where you need to know eyes-wide-open what you're getting into. It gave me a level of newfound respect for Ted (founder/owner) and Jann (president/CEO) from a business sense. Seeing what they’ve been able to achieve, it unlocked that appreciation in a new light.

How did your experience in commercial real estate and finance help the move to roofing full-time?

CR: I was blessed to grow up in an entrepreneurial household where both parents were in the family-owned business, which gave me a different insight into corporate America than I think most have growing up.

Going to Radco from a large bank or investment fund, I brought a different background and a different understanding of business structure and business finance back to a roofing company. So, for better or for worse, sometimes I see things in a different manner, having a different experience, a corporate experience. I feel like the two have really helped each other throughout my career.

What are the key attributes that make Radco successful as a company?

CR: Core values and mission statements are tossed around a lot these days, but our core values and people always stand out to me. We hire, we fire, and we judge ourselves by our core values, and all seven are listed in our quarterly and annual employee reviews. We benchmark ourselves on if we are hitting those core values, which is a completely different evaluation than the job description and job performance.

So that being so ingrained in our employees, it's fun to watch people rally around a common goal with common-minded people moving forward. I am truly humbled to work alongside such a passionate and dynamic group of people.

Can you explain what drives the service aspect of Radco’s business approach?

CR: I do believe one reason for our success is the service mindset that everyone has here — and that does not only apply to our service and repair division. The way we look at it, we are a service business that happens to put on roofs, and that mindset has really paid dividends. We are servicing a customer and we're listening to their needs. We're solving a problem. It just so happens that problem we're solving is for their roof. And as the leadership team at Radco, we are also servicing our employees by striving to provide a culture that encourages personal and career development.

What are the big challenges in your market and how do you address them?

CR: The labor force is a concern, albeit not unique to only our market. There’s a lot of headwinds out there, like immigration reform and the generational gap of who’s doing the work in the trades, so finding top-tier talent and retaining talent is something we’ve really doubled down on through investment in training and employee development. We’re also very involved with the H-2B Visa program for over four years and now we’re making a further commitment by sponsoring some for a path to citizenship.

What is your role in overcoming some of those challenges?

CR: What I preach is that my job is to clear out all the B.S. and unnecessary roadblocks, and provide a platform where great people can do what they do best. And it’s rewarding watching people reach that next level and find success.

Do you see your age as an advantage or a disadvantage in this business?

CR: An advantage, but I don’t think age is an indicator of success in this business. It's more of a mindset. And for me personally, I think a young age and career background prior to roofing has been an advantage at Radco. Just bringing an outside perspective and offering that to Radco has helped create a more streamlined platform for our folks to do their best work. I also feel my age helps me to keep an open mind and I am constantly humbled by how much I learn from our team on a daily basis.

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

CR: I think the business strategy and the relationship portion of the business. After all, this is a very relationship-based industry. Whether it’s sales, operations or service, fostering and maintaining relationships is something I’m very passionate about, whether it’s with customers, employees or other partners. I’m also always looking for strategies, technologies or opportunities I can bring back to Radco to help give us an edge in this competitive industry.

What are you looking forward to in the future?

CR: I am passionate about working with our employees, helping them find and unlock their full potential, and growing within the company. Our team constantly pursues improvement within our company, within each other, and within our industry, and I am excited to see what we can achieve in the upcoming years. It’s an exciting time at Radco Roofing, and we look forward to building on a four-decade track record of success.