The lesson carried on to sons Jon, and Ben, who took over more than a decade ago and wanted to build on the foundation of family, service hard work and doing things the right way. The duo also brought a big vision to turn the Eskola brand from a major regional player to a national roofing platform. That decision changed the trajectory of the business and opened the door to a level of growth and opportunity the company had not previously experienced.

Today, Jon and Ben continue to provide the vision and remain hands-on influences on the company as president/CEO, and chief risk officer, respectively. Along with them are key executives and a network of roofing company operators that have dedicated their careers to the commercial trade.

Members of the Eskola Roofing & Waterproofing executive leadership recently met to discuss long-term expansion strategy and other goals. From left: Mike Mahar, Ben Eskola, Jon Eskola, Scott Stewart, Alex Sottile, and Josh Hannoy.
Photo: Eskola Roofing & Waterproofing

Scaling with Structure

Eskola is structured as a national commercial roofing and waterproofing platform with a strong regional operating model. The business is organized across 17 branches in multiple markets, with local teams responsible for execution, customer relationships, and market performance. Each is supported by centralized leadership that provides strategy, direction, operational discipline, and shared resources. With backing from Eagle Merchant Partners, Eskola has acquired a handful of roofing companies since 2023.

Core functions across the brand, such as marketing, sales, estimating, and pre-construction are aligned through revenue operations, while roofing, service, and waterproofing operations are structured to drive delivery, quality, safety, and margin performance.

“Once those revenue-generating functions are transformed into a true revenue-operations unit geared toward growth… that’s when we really started to cook with gasoline,” Vice President Scott Stewart said.

The structure also intends to preserve local market ownership while creating the consistency, visibility, and scalability needed to operate as a larger national contractor.

“That personal, local touch is essentially like having a small-business charm that you don’t want to lose because this is a ‘people’ business, and what drives business is those relationships,” said Tommy Thomas, vice president of marketing and communications. “When you become a faceless corporation, you lose that.”

Thomas joined the executive team in 2024 when Eskola acquired J.R. Jones Roofing Inc., a premier commercial roofing company that served the Houston area for more than four decades. As private equity dollars flowed into the roofing industry, many emerging platforms had their sights on the 44-year-old company. Thomas said they were far along in negotiations with two other roofing companies looking to acquire them, when they had to pump the breaks. 

“We had competitors try to acquire us… pretty aggressively,” Thomas said. “We were very protective of what we had built in our brand, and we didn’t want to just partner with anybody. We had to be very particular.”

Eskola had to be choosy as well. Coming out of the COVID-19 lull and supply crunch was a challenge for J.R. Jones, and some business evaluators wouldn’t look past the numbers.

“They could have looked at that and said this isn’t a fit profit-wise,” Thomas said. “But they saw the people that we had, the team we had built and they saw …that those numbers didn’t tell the story of the real value here. And when someone recognizes that value in you – that’s special.”

Training, safety and community outreach are part of the roofing process at Eskola Roofing’s 17 branches.
Photo: Eskola Roofing & Waterproofing

Evolutionary Era

Stewart said that acquisition and a few others were key to meeting the Eskola brothers’ vision of expansion. And not just geographically. The company’s variety of services go well beyond traditional commercial roofing and now include: waterproofing installations; joint repair; curtain walls; sealants; glazing; coatings; and the entire building envelope.

The reputation for versatility is also matched by the company’s stance on safety. Eskola’s safety program includes site-specific safety planning, job hazard analysis, regular safety meetings, OSHA-focused training, continuous review of processes, be less reactionary and more proactive on prevention.

That helps create a strong working atmosphere focused on respect, accountability, communication, and providing opportunity. That can be a challenge while growing into a larger national platform, so Stewart said it’s important to create an environment where people are treated fairly, expectations are clear, leaders are accessible, and employees can grow with the business.

Eskola ensures quality workmanship by setting clear expectations upfront and maintaining accountability from pre-construction through completion. That includes proper scope review, planning, experienced supervision, field inspections, adherence to manufacturer standards, and clear communication between sales, operations, service, and the customer.

Thomas said customer relationships are built with intention and require responsiveness and consistency.

“Our go-to-market strategy helps us focus on the customers and opportunities where Eskola can deliver the most value,” Stewart said. “From there, it comes down to listening, following through, solving problems, and making it easy for customers to do business with us. The goal is not just to win a project, but to earn trust and become a long-term partner.”

What began as a family business in the Northeast has shown enormous potential and is on the verge of something way bigger on a national scale. Stewart and his team are focused on creating the structure, discipline, and alignment that allows the organization to grow with greater consistency and purpose.

“Customers expect more from their contractors than they used to,” he said. “We see that as an opportunity. If we communicate better, plan earlier, and execute with more consistency, we can separate Eskola from the rest of the market.”