Mark Steiner sums up his three-pronged approach to success this way: “Trust and honesty and quality. Those are the three key words.”

Steiner is president and owner of Care Roofing and Remodeling Inc. in Eagle Mountain, Utah. The company does a variety of residential and commercial roofing work as well as framing, remodeling and decks. Its specialty is insurance work, and Steiner also teaches courses for insurance adjusters. “I do seminars for Farmers Insurance adjusters on roofing,” he said. “I talk to adjusters every day about different situations and run possible solutions.”

His father was a stucco contractor in Salt Lake City who later got into condo maintenance. During the summers Steiner worked on the condos and learned about roof repairs and all types of remodeling work. In 1981 he went into roofing full time, moving to California to work for a large union outfit that specialized in big government projects including military bases and jails. “I did millions of squares of BUR on flat roofs,” he said.

Steiner moved back to Salt Lake City and opened his own business in 1994. His hot tar kettle soon came in handy. “I started small — four or five guys — and we worked every day,” he said. “What got me turned around was that I got started on flat roofs — small commercial jobs.” He developed a reputation as an expert on flat roofs, and it led to more commercial and residential work. However, it was when he started working with insurance adjusters that things really took off.

He almost missed out on the opportunity. Steiner received a bunch of phone messages from Mike Shurtliff, a general contractor who had a tricky problem with a built-up roof. Steiner didn’t call him back right away, but Shurtliff kept calling. Steiner finally agreed to check it out and solved the problem. “I never realized he was in the insurance business, and he started sending me a lot of work,” Steiner recalled. “He told me about these seminars he puts on, and I did some seminars with him and it just took off. We’ve worked together a lot, and it’s been a great working relationship.”

According to Steiner, the strength of the company is its core of long-term employees, including his wife Laura, who runs the office. The dedicated field staff includes employees who have been with the company more than 15 years. “They are just phenomenal,” said Steiner. “They show up every day and do a great job. Together we made this company what it is today.”

They all share a commitment to top-quality workmanship and customer service. “You can put on some of the greatest roofs in the world — and my guys put on top-notch roofs — but if the homeowner looks out and the jobsite is not clean or their landscaping is ruined, it doesn’t matter how good a roof you put on, the customer is only going to see the nails in his planters and the garbage on the lawn.”

 Steiner’s goal is not to sell a new roof but to make a new friend. “When I leave a project, I want the customer to be a friend and part of the Care Roofing family,” he said. “When we walk away, we make sure the jobsite is clean and all questions are answered. We make sure the customer is totally satisfied. Somewhere down the road one of their friends or relatives is going to need a roof, and we want that referral. If the customer is not 100 percent satisfied, you won’t get it.”