Anthony Romero is aware of his competitive spirit as someone who has not only found success in the distribution and manufacturing side of solar but also in his personal life in professional rodeo competitions.

“I like to win,” he said with a grin. “You land a sale, you celebrate for a second, but I want to move on and win.”

That personality trait has served him well during his solar industry career and led him to ABC Supply Co. Inc.’s new renewable energy division. As one of its business development managers of renewables, he wants to make the division one of ABC’s most successful verticals and ensure his customers are winning.

Saddling up for Solar

Romero grew up in the construction industry thanks to his father, who worked as a general contractor. This sparked Romero’s affinity for electrical work as he helped his father build homes, and he took those skills to work for utility contractors in New Mexico after graduating.

One of the project managers he worked with during his contracting years went to UNIRAC, a manufacturer of solar mounting products. About a year later, in 2011, Romero received a call from him asking for help with project management on utility-scale ground mounts and managed to receive a job offer the same day he interviewed.

He initially installed utility-scale ground mounts and mounts for commercial rooftops, with most solar sites ranging from 70 to 150 megawatts. However, when the company was sold, its new owners switched the focus to smaller residential projects. Within this reimagined company, Romero formed a division that acted as a technical sales team, helping train contractors to install solar.

Around 2021, Romero left UNIRAC to work as a regional account manager for Soligent, a distributor specializing in green energy solutions. After a year, he sought out greener pastures. Reaching out to his associates, he said everyone kept mentioning ABC Supply and its burgeoning renewable energy division.

Romero researched the distributor and was impressed by its 900 branches and co-founder, Diane Hendricks. He then met with James Mason, ABC Supply's vice president of renewable energy, to learn more about its new vertical.

“I got the vision of ABC and the company and their core values and what they stood for, and they aligned with the mottos I live by, and it piqued my interest,” he said.

That conversation eventually led to an interview, which landed Romero as renewables' southwest business development manager in 2023. His experience proved valuable from day one, as he worked on the manufacturing and distribution sides of the business as well as directly with contractors.

“I want to get the best products in their hands at a competitive cost with the best service,” he said. “I want to be the best at everything we do and remedy any challenges or potential issues quickly [so they] cause no delays to the contractors out in the field.”

Helping Customers Win

Even with its expertise and reputation, he said ABC Supply had to prove it was serious about renewable energy. The division spent the better part of the past year shoring up critical relationships with vendors, which is part of why ABC Supply attends events like RE+.

Renewable energy is a comparatively young industry, which means those who have been in it for 15-plus years, like Romero, can be considered veterans – or, as he jokingly called himself, a “dinosaur.” What it means, though, is that he has a dearth of information to fall back on and can fill in any knowledge gaps by knowing who to call.

ABC Supply’s renewables business development managers are in charge of regions, partially based on their locations. Based in La Vernia, Texas, Romero is in charge of an area roughly bordered by the Colorado Rockies to the Mississippi River. At the time we spoke, it was the fastest-growing solar region.

“We've designated strategic locations throughout the Southwest, and we’ve hired experienced salespeople with a background in the solar industry to pursue opportunities in the market,” he said. “We’ve effectively covered the region, and it’s paying off.”

He said the roofing salespeople at ABC Supply have also worked to learn about solar, but it can be difficult, as the technology is constantly changing and trends come and go. Even so, he said by working directly with vendors, ABC Supply has an advantage in determining what will help their customers.

“Take, for example, modules are going to start to creep up in pricing, so I’m working to help our customers secure favorable pricing now and throughout the year so they can be more competitive,” he said.

He says solar isn’t as regionalized compared to the larger roofing industry, meaning those contractors who have solar as an offering aren’t limited to a particular market. Conversely, solar contractors have to spread their net wider to have the same levels of business a roofer sees.

“You hear things like Arkansas is starting to take off, the Little Rock area. So, I can highlight opportunities for ABC Supply customers in Texas that cover the Texas and Oklahoma solar market to potentially expand their service area into Arkansas,” he said.

Romero used an apt portmanteau, or newly coined term, when asked what it’s like to try to keep up with ever-changing technology, let alone know each state's credits and regulations.

“We call it the ‘solar coaster,’ it’s ups and downs,” he said, laughing.

The Future of Solar

Speaking with multiple members of ABC Supply’s renewable energy division, a message, or a warning, has become clear: Those who don’t adapt are doomed to fall by the wayside. Romero doesn’t want to see this happen to customers.

“I think over the next five years, if you’re not doing [roofing and solar] you’re going to get left behind, because there’s going to be a company that could come and do both, and that’s who the homeowners are going to end up choosing,” he said. “I think it makes sense that, if you’re already on the roof, if you’re doing the roof, might as well pitch them solar.

“If it makes sense for the homeowner and if it’s financially advantageous for them, it’s a no-brainer,” he added.

He said ABC Supply helps contractors stay ahead of the curve by keeping an eye on the future. When we spoke, tariffs were rolling back on overseas projects that would affect solar. He said ABC Supply was aligning itself with the right vendors so customers wouldn’t be as affected by tariffs and have stabilized prices.

“We want to make sure our locations have enough product in stock to allow our customers to navigate potential price fluctuations and stay competitive,” he said.

Returning to his love of winning, Romero said one of the aspects he enjoyed during his time at ABC Supply was putting in the hard work and seeing it come to fruition. He said that when speaking with his colleagues, he anticipates looking back on the division in five years and seeing its success.

“ABC Supply brings maturity to the solar industry market and gives contractors an alternative way of sourcing their materials and expanding their business,” he said. “The best way for us to do business is where all three parties win. We want our vendor partners to win, we want our contractors to win, and we want to win.”

As for winning in more rodeo competitions? He said he hasn’t had as much of a chance to do it professionally but “still ropes on occasion,” even winning a competition in Montana earlier this year. In the meantime, he and his family enjoy raising livestock on a ranch for 4-H competitions and the like.

“Once I get some of that time back and some infrastructure set, I can start dabbling back in it,” he said. “Probably never be on pro status again, but if I can do it and compete and have fun, I’ll be happy with that.”