Matt Behmer wants roofing associations and companies to continue wokring toward "legitimizing" the industry in the eyes of others.

RC: When did you fall in love with roofing?

M.B.: Believe it or not, I knew I loved roofing when I was about 12 years old. My dad (who was also a roofer) used to drag us out of bed at 3:45 in the morning during our summer break in Arizona, and take us to work with him, where we’d help out with tearoffs, loading tile, throwing shingles, etc...but there was just something about the whole thing that made me love it.  

RC: How do you stand out in such a busy market? 

M.B.: Honestly, I’m not really sure we do. We have three offices in Arizona, and the number one goal for me is to maintain the old-school, “mom and pop” style of running things. We don’t employ dedicated sales people, and we don’t hire sub-crews. When you call us, you get a real roofer looking at your project, and if we’re fortunate enough to get the job, our guys do the work. We’re adamant about this, even if it costs us a few dollars. We focus on our little piece of the pie and just try to do it exceptionally well.    

RC: As one of the “elder”  Young Guns, how do you approach the generational gap among your employees and is it difficult?

M.B.: Not really. As far as the generational gap I personally don’t even think it’s a “generational thing.” I think it’s a “how you’re brought up” thing. Either you’re lazy or you’re not. Either you’re honest or you’re not. Either you’re dedicated or you’re not. Basically, if you can work and grind, you’ll be ok — this goes for office people as well as the field.     

RC: Why are you proud to be in the roofing industry?

M.B.: I love this industry! I’m a fourth generation roofer, and I’m extremely proud of that. Roofing has put bread on my family’s table for a long time, and I’m optimistic that it will continue to do so for many years to come.     

RC: What are you looking forward to for the industry’s future?

M.B.: Roofing robots! Just kidding, but for me I think it’s super important that the National Roofing Contractors Association and all of the other local and regional roofing trade organizations and their alliances continue to do a great job of pushing for the “legitimization” of the industry and continue to lobby for the important issues that affect us on a daily basis.