Kenny Locatelli joined the roofing industry in 2017, following in his father’s footsteps in working in the construction industry.

Since then, he has worked to build an organization that he views not simply as a roofing business, but as a concierge service provider that hinges on great customer experience.

As the young CEO of 180 Contractors, Locatelli has faced challenges due to his age, whether it’s from customers or veterans of the industry doubting his company’s experience and skills. To this, he lets his company’s record of customer service and satisfaction do the talking.

That youthful enthusiasm motivates his drive to optimize all departments within the company, whether it’s marketing, sales or operations, to synergize and create a successful roofing experience from start to finish.

“Through growing up around the industry and seeing tons of the negative things contractors have done and continue to do, I am motivated to make a difference in that,” he said.

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

How did you get your start in roofing?

KL: I have been in the roofing industry since 2017. My dad was a siding installer for most of my life and was my introduction into the industry. After finishing one semester of college, I decided I did not want to continue, and this industry was most familiar to me. At 16, I did an internship-type program with a window and siding company, doing outside sales for a year and a half. As soon as I turned 18, I got our state's builder license and started 180 Contractors.

What are three values you embrace at 180 Contractors?

KL:

1. We care about our clients and their homes. Our team recognizes the importance of working on someone’s home, and we truly care about doing the best job possible. This allows us to work faster at improving our systems to do a better job.
2. We put a huge emphasis on communication in our company, both internal and external. Communication is the foundation of everything at 180 Contractors. We are more communicative than 95% of construction companies in relation to our clients.
3. Similar to our communication core values, one of the biggest reasons for our success is our ability to be vision-aligned. We all share a similar mission and drive to achieve that mission. We want to truly do good for our homeowners and change some of the negative perceptions of contractors in our market.

What are the big challenges in roofing, and how is 180 Contractors addressing them?

KL: CRoofing can be very commoditized, and it is an extremely competitive landscape, which often turns into a “race to the bottom.” We are constantly battling this and frequently compete against companies / solopreneurs who do not invest as heavily into their process/customer experience and feels that they can only compete by being the lowest price.

We combat this by continuously building more value and finding ways to appeal to customers in ways they may not even recognize at first.

What area of the business do you enjoy the most?

KL: I am most passionate about the intersection of where the sales, marketing, and operations departments connect. I find marketing and sales to be the most “fun” and interesting because driving interest and pitching why we are different is where it all starts.

As a young business owner, has your age been an advantage or a disadvantage?

KL: I do not see my age as an advantage or disadvantage in this business. There have certainly been times where age has affected us in a negative and/or positive way, but it has overall been a non-starter in the conversation of our objectives as an organization.

There have been instances where customers doubt experience levels when I was out in the field more often, and that can be an uphill battle to win them over by proving everything I say and establishing us as experts in the field despite my age/appearance.

Alternatively, my age has been an advantage in the sense that we can build a strong story of our company's founding.

Looking ahead, what are your plans for 180 Contractors?

KL: We plan to continue scaling what we have had success with and plan to triple the size of the organization over the next three to five years. We really want to implement some type of ESOP and give our employees and team more ownership of the company and the direction it is going to supercharge the service business model.

Anissa Westfall, brand strategist with Westfall Roofing and a Young Gun alumna, speaks with Locatelli during the 2024 Young Guns event at Best of Success.
Photo: RC Staff

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 did you get from attending the Young Guns meeting at Best of Success?

KL: I gained a deeper network of similar business owners that I can continue to stay in contact with and share in the knowledge of what’s working and what’s not working. This peer-to-peer aspect is insanely helpful to me and the organization as a whole.