In this episode, John Maher interviews Brett Rogenski,
general manager of Master Roofers, to discuss what sets the company apart from
others in the roofing industry. With 82 years of experience, Master Roofers is
dedicated to providing high-quality roofing services, specializing exclusively
in roofs and skylights. Brett highlights their use of top-tier materials like
GAF shingles and Velux skylights, strict adherence to manufacturer assembly
systems, and commitment to customer satisfaction. Master Roofers also offers
emergency repairs, 10-year workmanship warranties, and community involvement,
making them a trusted choice in New Hampshire, Southern Maine, and Northern
Massachusetts.
John Maher: Hi, I am John Maher and I'm here today with Brett
Rogenski, general manager of Master Roofers, the most trusted roofing company
in New Hampshire for over 80 years. Today we're talking about why choose Master
Roofers. Welcome, Brett.
Brett Rogenski: Thanks, John. I appreciate you having me.
About Master Roofers
Maher: Sure. Yeah. So Brett, tell me a little bit more about Master
Roofers, and what sets you apart from other roofing companies in the area?
Rogenski: Sure. Master Roofers is a wonderful story. We've been in
business since 1942. Thus far, 82 years of being able to serve the community.
And one of the things that sets us apart is we are strictly a roofing company.
So we do roofing Skylights, we do it residential, we do it commercial and all
services, but we're not a contractor.
We are professional roofers, and we can serve all the
needs of roofing. So whether it be asphalt shingles, architectural shingles,
slate, copper, metal, all the things that you see, as well as flat membrane
roofs in the commercial world, all we do is roofing. And that is something that
sets us apart from most companies. A lot of folks do roofing, and if you look
at the sign on their truck, it's roofing and decks, and roofing and siding. And
roofings and decks and siding and windows. We're really good at one thing.
We're going to do an outstanding roof for you, and we've been doing that for 82
years. So we've built up a tremendous system.
Commitment to Using
High-Quality Roofing Materials
Maher: Okay. Can you talk a little bit about Master Roofers' commitment
to using high quality materials and the latest roofing technology, and why it
is that you chose to go in that direction?
Rogenski: Sure, sure. So we work with all manufacturers. The
manufacturer that we're most aligned with because we believe in their product
the absolute most is GAF. GAF is the largest manufacturer of shingles. They
have a whole variety of different shingles that meet different types of needs
and budgets. First of all, they have a tremendous variety. Second of all, their
quality is outstanding. And then third of all, one of the biggest things is
they have a really... How do I want to put it? A really well-defined assembly
system. So when you're working with a professional roofer, you're just not up
hucking up some shingles and hoping it all works out. They have a true assembly
system, products and methods by which you apply the different things that make
a roof. So underlayments, flashings, shingles, all sorts of different things.
And if you follow that system to a T, and execute it the way essentially the
factory has engineered it, you're going to get the best result out of a roof
and a longer life, and it's really going to be great.
And GAF has a tremendous system for that. So that's why we
aligned with them on most residential products. Commercially, there's a whole
variety of things out there. We work a lot with a company named Carlisle, but
we work with all manufacturers there. A lot of that is specified by the
customer. And then standing seam metal roofing, we have a couple options as
well there where people get to choose based on their need. But again, they're
all top tier products.
I guess the last thing I should mention is Skylights. We
are a Velux five-star certified Skylight contractor, and Velux is really the
pinnacle of the Skylight world out there. They produce a tremendous product,
and for some of those same reasons, they have a really well-defined assembly
system. So you put in a great product and do it right, guess what? It performs
well for years and years and years and years to come.
Working Exclusively with
Quality Companies
Maher: So, you're saying that you really don't want to go with a
company that doesn't really follow that system or have that system in place
where they're just saying, "Oh, yeah, I think we need to put a little
flashing here or put a little underlayment here," or something like that.
There's a very strict sort of policy or process that you go through in order to
do a roof, and that that's really important.
Rogenski: Absolutely correct. And that comes from two things.
Number one, we're very well aligned with the manufacturers. We want to give the
customer the best result, and what we've found provides them with the best
result is doing it exactly the way the roofing system was designed, okay. So
not just saying close enough or not even in some cases, some folks who are
doing roofs aren't even educated on what that assembly system is. So we are
certified by GAF, and we are basically in the top 1% of partners out there.
So with GAF, we're a master elite roofing contractor,
which means that they have inspected our jobs, they've inspected how we run our
company, they've come and trained with us and that sort of thing to ensure that
we are out there meeting that standard. So literally, it's less than 2% of
roofing contractors in North America can achieve that level. And it comes from
following their system and basically doing it right every time the first time.
Not just saying, "Eh, close enough," or worse yet, not even knowing
what the right way to do it is.
Emergency Roofing Repairs
Maher: Right. How does Master Roofers handle emergency roofing repairs,
and what steps do you take to ensure customer satisfaction during that? What
could be a stressful time for somebody if they've got a leak happening or
something like that?
Rogenski: Sure. Absolutely. So each of those situations is
obviously a little unique. What's the old saying they're all snowflakes, so to
say. The biggest thing that we can do and that we pride ourselves on here is
customer service. So the first thing we're going to do is be responsive, okay.
If you reach out to us about you have a leak or you have an emergency, God
forbid you had a tree fall on your home, on your roof and you have damage and
you're now taking in water and stuff. You reach out to us, we're going to be in
contact with you immediately. Hopefully if you're calling during normal
business hours, someone's just going to pick up the phone and speak to you
right then. And if it's after hours, we're going to call you back.
We have an emergency service, and you know what? The
second thing we're going to do is we're going to get there as rapidly as
possible. So in most circumstances, we're there the same day as long as the
homeowner can accommodate that. Sometimes, unfortunately, if there's extreme
weather, we do have to prioritize. So someone who just had a elm tree crashed
down onto the roof and they've got structural damage and a giant hole, if our
resources become a little limited because other people are having issues, yeah,
we're going to have to take care of that person first before we get to the
someone that has a little bit of a leak in their garage or something.
But we will get to everyone as fast as possible. But
again, typical situation, I would tell you 95% of the time, as long as the
homeowner or business owner is available, we're there within 24 hours. I would
tell you probably 80% of the time we're there the same day, depending on when
they contacted us and their availability.
Maher: That's great.
Rogenski: To help stop the water intrusion and then talk to them
about, okay, what's the source of the issue here and what's a permanent
solution?
Master Roofers Community
Involvement
Maher: Right. Can you discuss Master Roofers' involvement in the local
community? And you said that you've been part of that community, like you said,
for 82 years. What are some of the things that you do for the local community?
Are there any sort of philanthropic initiatives that the company supports
locally?
Rogenski: Yeah, absolutely. So, yeah, we're very proud that we've
been part of the fabric of the community for, again, since 1942. Our office,
our main office is based right down here on South Main Street in Manchester,
New, Hampshire, and has been since 1942. So we've been here a long time, and we
like to support the local community. And we serve all of New Hampshire,
Southern Maine and North Shore Massachusetts. And a lot of times what we end up
doing is doing support in different areas there that are meaningful to them.
So, for instance, recently in the more central New
Hampshire area, we supported a program through the schools called Girls on the
Run. After school, they have running for grade school girls and they get to
learn about running. But more importantly, it's really about, let's call it a
girl power movement. So it's really about empowerment and that sort of thing.
And it's a tremendous program. We are able to support them. We work with many
of the local religious groups, so churches, synagogues, et cetera, and help,
and we donate to many of their causes as well. Or provide services in some
cases to help them with those sort of things.
We're engaged in the local community from the point of
view of we love to participate in outings. So for instance, coming up, there's
the seafood festival over in Portsmouth, that area, excuse me, in Hampton. You
know what? We're going to participate in that. And it's not that I think
anyone's going to a seafood festival looking to get a roof. It's just, hey, we
want to be part of the community. We'll have some great stuff that we can share
with them, and then, hey, if someone has questions, we're there to help. But,
yeah, a lot through various church organizations and synagogues, religious
groups, a lot directed with the community. And we also support sports teams and
that sort of thing that are local little leagues and that sort of stuff.
What Warranties Does Master
Roofers Offer?
Maher: Right. And then finally, what kinds of warranties and guarantees
does Master Roofers offer, and how do these demonstrate your confidence in the
workmanship and the products that you were talking about earlier?
Rogenski: Sure, sure. Well, every new roof that we put on, no
matter what else the customer chooses, comes with our ten-year workmanship
warranty, okay. So someone could choose the most basic roof that's available
out there. It's maybe not even a full roofing, but a partial. They have us
replace one side and stuff. No matter what, we're going to warrant the original
purchaser of that, the workmanship warranty for 10 years no matter what. And
there's no fee for that. That's just our base standard, what we expect of
ourselves.
Working with GAF, they have a whole variety of warranties
that are available, and we are able to provide, because we're a certified
Master Elite contractor, we can provide warranties on GAF products up to 50
years on the product. So you could re-roof a home, and you could receive a
warranty that is valid for up to 50 years on that new GAF roof because you
chose to work with us. And most of that includes material as well as labor,
all-inclusive, and it's also not prorated. I don't want to go down the fine print
road, but there's some requirements of it, but it's also transferable. And
that's important to know because most people are like, "Well, I'm not
going to be here for 50 years." How are we going to do that? It's
transferable.
So, within the first 20 years, if you were to sell that
home, you can one time transfer that to someone at no fee. Maybe you build a
multi-generational home up in the Lakes region, and you're going to transfer
that to your family or a family trust, do it within 20 years, and that warranty
transfers fully intact.
Exclusive Warranty Options
Maher: Yeah, that's great. And it really, really shows your commitment
to the products that you're using, like you said before, with the GAF system.
And you're able to offer that warranty on the GAF system because of that
training that you receive and that certification that you have as a certified
installer of GAF products, right? Not everybody who installs GAF shingles would
be able to offer that?
Rogenski: Well, yeah, listen, someone can go to Home Depot and buy
a pallet of GAF shingles and stick them on your house. Okay. We like to say,
"The difference is not necessarily the product," because guess what?
It probably is the same shingle. It came out of the same factory. If you went
and bought Timberline HDZ in Weathered Wood in one place versus another. It's
not like they have a special factory for Master Roofers. I wish they did, but
they don't.
But that's where it comes back to that assembly system and
stuff, and following and installing that exactly to the specifications that the
manufacturer has laid out because they're laying that out because they want you
to have a great experience. The other part is that we were talking about Master
Roofers has been in business since 1942, so 82 years.
We've come up with our own systems in addition to
following all of the assembly systems that go with the manufacturer's
requirements. And it's really best practices. Very few companies can say
they've got 82 years of full-time roofing experience and the accumulated
knowledge of, hey, what's the best way to do this? We've been here 82 years.
We're not worried about are we going to be here next year? We're worried about,
hey, you know what, how are we going to look in 82 more, okay? So we actually
have to stand by that stuff.
The warranty, not just the GAF warranty, but the Master
Roofers warranty means something to us because guess what? When you call 10
years from now, we're still going to be here, and we're going to be serving
you. And a lot of folks that don't offer warranties or kind of offer, I call
them lip service warranties, it's easy for them to do because the likelihood
that they're still going to be in the industry 10 years from now, or five years
from now is statistically exceptionally slim.
Maher: All right. Well, that's really great information, Brett. Great
to talk to you again. Thanks very much.
Rogenski: Great. Thank you very much, John.
Information About Master
Roofers
Maher: And for more information about Master Roofers, you can visit the
website at masterroofers.com or call 603-623-4973.