Safety has been a big part of Mark McGuire’s job description in the roofing industry for more than a dozen years, but it’s been a passion for him since his early days in construction. Getting everyone to go home safely every night was something he learned not to take for granted – the hard way.

Early in his career, he witnessed a jobsite fatality, and the impact was stark and long-lasting. He dedicated the time and energy to become a safety expert, and goes the extra mile to understand why roofing remains such a deadly occupation.

As a member of the Coalition for Construction Safety, he reviews the annual list of fallen construction workers, and researches the details in order to share with everyone in his company during annual training.

“It’s hard to believe how many construction workers lose their lives at such a young age,” he said. "I don’t mind the uncomfortableness of discussing the fallen workers if it helps my guys to make their first priority safety for themselves and those around them.”

That attitude was part of why the Midwest Roofing Contractors Association (MRCA) honored McGuire with the 2025 Naphis Mitchell-Reyes Excellence in Safety Award at its expo earlier this year. The MRCA introduced the award last year to highlight exemplary efforts in roofing safety, and named it after former board member Naphis Mitchell-Reyes, who died in 2021. McGuire was selected from 12 nominees, and is known within his company for becoming a vocal leader for safety both on and off the jobsite. 

Personal Info:

• Age: 51
• Company Role: Project Manager
• Where’s Home?: Indianapolis
• Years in the Roofing Industry: 14 years (16 years in the GC/CM Industry)
• Family: Married to Julie for 27 years, Kids: Sophia 27, Grace 25, Brady 20, Viktor 19, and Sadie, our 11-year-old shepard mix

RC: Tell us about hearing your name to receive this prestigious award. What were you feeling?

MM: I’m not the most comfortable person being in the spotlight, so my initial reaction was ‘AKWARDNESS.’ It all started making sense why our owner (Jim Huntington) was so adamant about my wife Julie attending the event.  I thought, ‘What in the world would Julie want to go to a roofing convention for?’  After the awkwardness wore off and I was able to hear the kind words being said about me and my efforts towards safety, a feeling of great pride occurred. 

RC: Has it sunk in yet at all, and what does it mean to be recognized for this MRCA’s highest honor in safety?

MM: Honestly, no. This award is more of a result of Jim Huntington providing me with the resources and our field guys implementing the safety measures.  I did receive some information about Naphis at the end of the dinner event and the fact that my name is on an award with his name means so much now that I know how dedicated he was to bringing his guys home safe each and every day.

RC: What drew you to the roofing industry, and how did you find your niche in safety?

MM: I had been in the GC/CM industry ever since I graduated from Indiana State University. After 16 years, I began to experience burnout.  I coached wrestling and met Jim due to all of his boys being wrestlers. Fate would take place and a conversation between Jim and myself came up about him needing an estimator/project manager. As with all of my life, I ended up on this path because that’s where God wanted me to be. I’m a firm believer in His plan, not mine.

RC: It’s easy to talk about safety and much harder to implement. Do you have a philosophy or approach when it comes to safety that’s easily teachable to roofing contractors?

MM: I’m a pretty passionate guy when it comes to talking about safety. Early on in my career, I was assigned to a project in Ohio in which a fatality occurred. I was utterly shocked by the fact that someone could lose their life on a jobsite due to my greenness in the construction industry. That incident has made it very easy for me to push to develop a safety culture wherever I’ve worked and work with my peers to achieve zero accidents.

RC: You and others have been at this a long time with measurable success, but why is roofing still such a deadly occupation? Does it ever get frustrating for you?

MM: Research shows 33% of deaths in the construction industry are caused by falls. The sheer nature of working from heights presents a lot of risks, which, if managed properly, can be eliminated. Unfortunately, the typical construction worker possesses a ‘Can-Do’ attitude in all we do, and this attitude can be both a blessing and a curse. I’m a pretty positive minded individual I try and keep the frustration feelings at bay. Here at AAA Roofing, I am blessed to have like-minded peers who have the same goal, safety-wise, as I do.

RC: What can every roofer do today (easily) to help their crews stay safe?

MM: The easy answers include frequent training and programs that reward safe behavior.  The more immediate method is to plan every task out prior to performing the task.  One would think this is a given on all projects, but there are always those moments where we’re in a rush or tell ourselves it may be risky, but I should be ok. This pre-planning procedure can be performed by our lead guys, but it’s best to involve everyone on the team at all levels.  By involving the entire crew, you get a lot of ideas from different perspectives and you are able to get buy-in from the team.