Roofing and technology have had a tenuous relationship. Specifically, the industry is slow to adopt the latest innovations. But as Patrick Garcia, one of SRS Distribution’s tech gurus notes, that is quickly changing.

“I always look forward to the International Roofing Expo because I’ll walk through the technology aisle, and I remember in 2018, the technology aisle is in the far corner, and you have to figure out who is who,” he said. “Now they’re front and center with big names and big backing and amazing capabilities.

“It’s such a sight to see what this industry has become.”

Though they don’t have a spot in the IRE’s tech area, SRS Distribution is one of the driving forces of tech innovation in roofing. It’s a sign that, as SRS’ chief digital, AI and innovation officer, Garcia is doing his job — a role he approaches with the same fervor seen in a roofing contractor installing the perfect roof.

Listening to Family

Garcia, 46, has more than 20 years in technology, with the first half of his career spent in consulting. Growing up in the Philippines, Garcia earned a Bachelor of Science in computer science from the Ateneo De Manila University. He began consulting in 2000 for Rexel Inc., a wholesale electrical supply distributor based in Paris.

From there, he hopped around to different countries, including Japan, Scotland and Singapore with Agilent Technologies. It was nice for him and his wife to experience so many countries, but his parents, who had immigrated to the United States, expressed a desire to be around their future grandkids. He convinced his firm to send him to Los Angeles, but he didn’t take to big city life.

“I didn’t like it there, I was just traffic jammed,” he said with a chuckle. “I called my firm and I said, ‘Hey, is there a state in the U.S. that's just like Europe?’ And he goes, ‘What do you mean by that, Patrick?’ I said, ‘You know, like, nice people, no traffic?’”

In the firm’s judgment, Wisconsin fit those parameters, so Garcia moved to the Badger State, continuing to utilize his expertise in distribution centers. When his son was born, he decided to cut back on traveling to spend time with his family. Fortunately for him, he moved to Illinois, where he eventually joined USG in 2014.

At the time, the company was working on a business technology roadmap for its distribution arm, L&W Supply. About three years later, ABC Supply acquired L&W Supply, and Garcia joined the roofing distributor as its enterprise architecture and integration manager.

Not long after the shift, a recruiter reached out on behalf of SRS Distribution, saying someone in the company recommended him for a role in the Dallas, Texas area. It meant relocating once again. Garcia turned it down until he once more listened to the wisdom and suggestions of his family.

“[My wife] was like, ‘If you say no to everything we’d still be in the Philippines,’” Garcia said.  “I thought, 'Uou know, she’s right, let me give the guy a call back.'”

He then discovered the person recommending him for the job was a mentor of his, so he jumped in, becoming vice president of digital, data and innovation in 2017.

“What attracted me is obviously the vision that Dan Tinker, the CEO, had. After an hour on the phone with him I wanted to join,” he said. “It was a big leap for me too, for SRS, because I had a son that was getting into high school, and now I have a 14-year-old daughter, I think she was 7 years old [at the time], and she has Down Syndrome. Any change would’ve been disruptive for my family.”

No one would’ve begrudged him for refusing, as embracing such change and disruption can be tough. But just like accepting the new technology on the rise instead of shunning it, Garcia charged forward, and has found himself in a position to innovate and empower others.

“I’m excited to go to the office every day, because we’re about to create the largest building distribution company in the world,” he said.

Exponential Growth

When he first joined SRS, he had a seven-member team. SRS’ growth model focused primarily on acquisitions instead of digital transformation, so he rarely participated in company growth. Even so, he said it was his group’s purpose to fuel customer growth, accelerate growth for SRS’ acquired companies, and empower manufacturers.

It soon became apparent how important technology became in SRS’ strategy. Whether it was acquiring a company that used apps SRS couldn’t connect to or a legacy program that needed security upgrades, his team was on the case.

“Because we were acquiring so fast, engineer’s answer should always be ‘yes,’” he said. “So as we grew in acquisition, we also grew in capabilities.”

In 2018, SRS Distribution Heritage integrated about 11 programs or platforms. By 2021, mere years after the COVID pandemic ushered in a need for more connectivity, that number expanded to around 26. In 2024, that number was closer to 40 and growing.

Garcia said SRS follows a “call to action” framework that aims to educate its partners about technology, which allowed them to develop strategies and organizational approaches.

“We fuel customer growth in organizations by introducing them to technology, be their partners,” he said.

SRS’s platform, RoofHub, now integrates many popular apps and software in the roofing space, including AccuLynx, ServiceTitan, Leap, Roofr and Hover, with more on the way.

As for the impact on customers? Garcia conducted a survey in 2018, in which 70% of contractors responded with “none” when asked which technology they use in business. In 2024, according to Garcia, nearly one in three shingles sold is purchased digitally, indicating growth in software adoption among contractors.

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The initiatives continue to bear fruit. In today’s private equity market, there are both customers and acquired companies that use the same systems SRS has in place, making transactions seamless.

His team, meanwhile, has expanded to about 150 IT digital engineers, who are now building AI-enhanced solutions for all the company’s verticals.

Empowering with AI

Garcia said SRS’ AI journey began around 2023. In 2024, SRS established its Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence to drive operational efficiencies.

It launched a virtual assistant that has accelerated how quickly employees can gather the information needed to help their customers. Garcia said employees even have the capability through its “SRS Leads” feature to take a photo of a contractor’s yard sign or truck and find out if they’re a customer or not. If they aren’t, they’re assigned to a rep.

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Meanwhile, bots generate quick answers to basic questions, such as pricing and availability of materials.

“We’re starting to really digitize and allow our branches to focus on the value-added activities, not the same repetitive calls of ‘Do you have this? What’s the price? Is it available?’” he said.

He said SRS’ progress is a testament to the work put in by his team and the rest of the company.

“It’s such a validation of the vision that the company has, the vision we all contributed to, and to see that all, there is a big sigh of relief, but I’m also excited about what’s next,” he said. 

Regarding the optimization of time, Garcia said outside of work, he is maximizing time with his family. His son attends college at Ohio State, which ignited an interest in college sports. Garcia is also considering running another marathon — perhaps symbolizing the tenacity needed to participate in roofing’s technology race.

“I’m getting the itch again,” he said about running another marathon. “That’s what happens, you tend to forget how hard that was.”