Under The Roof

 In this episode of Under the Roof, hosts Todd Kavanaugh and Matthew Elban sit down with Kevin Somers, Director of Sales at Carlisle SynTec Systems, to dive into the commercial construction landscape from 30,000 feet, understand the massive reroofing cycle on the horizon, and discover how innovation in materials is reshaping the industry.

What You’ll Learn:

• Where commercial construction stands right now
  
  
• Why the largest reroofing cycle in history is on the horizon
  
  
• How the membrane market is shifting
  
  
• The real story behind rising costs
  
  
• How AI is changing manufacturer forecasting
  
  
• Where the labor market is really heading
  
  
• What separates the most successful roofing contractors
  
  

Kevin Somers is the Director of Sales at Carlisle SynTec Systems, where he has spent the last decade helping shape one of the most innovative manufacturers in commercial roofing. Originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Kevin began his career in IT consulting before spending 16 years in professional architectural coatings, eventually rising to Vice President before joining Carlisle in 2016. Based in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, he brings a rare cross-industry perspective to the roofing market, combining a manufacturer's 30,000-foot view with a deep respect for the contractors, crews, and partners who bring the work to life every day.


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When a building owner needs to know if the roof over their multi-million dollar asset is actually up to spec, they call someone like Jordan Biggers. As Managing Director and General Manager at Southern Roof Consultants, Jordan grades the work of those who install roofs. In this episode of Under the Roof, hosts Todd Kavanaugh and Matthew Elban sit down with Jordan for a conversation from the other side of the aisle.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why a history degree is surprisingly good training for roof consulting
  
  
• What an estimator actually does all day
  
  
• How to read a job site the moment you step on it
  
  
• The four-way decision: repair, restore, recover, or replace
  
  
• Why 52 to 54 cents of every capital dollar goes to the roof
  
  
• What actually makes the consultant-contractor relationship work
  
  

Jordan Biggers is Managing Director and General Manager at Southern Roof Consultants, a St. Petersburg, Florida-based firm that represents building owners across their commercial and industrial roofing portfolios. A Registered Roof Observer with a history degree from the University of South Florida, Jordan came up the hands-on way, starting as employee number three at Empire Roofing's South Florida office before rising to senior estimator and crossing over to the consulting side of the business his father helped found. Today he oversees a team that averages 275 to 350 roof replacements a year across more than 40 states, managing roofing capital for publicly traded REITs and private equity groups. He lives in the Tampa Bay area with his wife and three kids.Under The Roof is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so 

In this episode of Under the Roof, hosts Todd Kavanaugh and Matthew Elban sit down with Jerry Hahn, Chief Operations Officer at Prudent Growth and Cornerstone Commercial Management, to discuss how a West Point-trained mechanical engineer ended up managing a commercial real estate portfolio spanning 16 states.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to build deep tenant relationships that drive long-term property value
  
  
• The tenant-first philosophy that drives Prudent Growth's operations
  
  
• Why transparency and communication are the fastest indicators of a trustworthy vendor relationship
  
  
• The Six Sigma problem-solving mindset for scaling operations with automation and AI
  
  

Jerry Hahn is the Chief Operations Officer at Prudent Growth and Cornerstone Commercial Management, a private equity real estate firm managing 84 properties across 16 states. With a background as a mechanical engineer, general contractor, and property management innovator, Jerry has pioneered an owner-operator model that prioritizes tenant relationships and proactive asset stewardship.


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What does it take for a blue-collar business to survive for over a century? It takes more than just fixing leaks. It requires deep trust between the office and the crew. In this greatest hits episode of the Under the Roof podcast, hosts Todd Cavanaugh and Matt Elban bring together the definitive stories of Baker Roofing Company. You will hear from third and fourth-generation family leaders, industry icons, and regional managers who lived out the company values when life fell apart. This is a masterclass in business stewardship, industry professionalization, and cultural resilience.

What You’ll Learn:

• Dylan Baker breaks down the strategic shift to employee ownership and why protecting team equity matters more than building a personal monument.
  
  
• Former U.S. Congressman and NRCA CEO Reid Ribble challenges the industry to change how blue-collar trade careers are perceived by modern families.
  
  
• Frank and Prentiss Baker share raw history from the early sheet metal shop, including a cash-in-hand Saturday job for a legendary local bootlegger.
  
  
• Auston Batts shares the exact moment the company backed up its corporate values with immediate action following his wife's cancer diagnosis.
  
  

Dylan Baker is the fourth-generation leader of Baker Roofing Company, a century-old family business founded by his great-grandfather W.P. Baker in 1915. As a key figure in the company's leadership, Dylan has played a pivotal role in one of the organization's most significant transitions - implementing an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).

Auston Batts is the Commercial Service Sales Manager at Baker Roofing, where he is establishing the company's first presence in Southwest Florida. With nine years at Baker Roofing, Austin has built a career defined by growth and resilience, progressing from entry-level residential roofing in Wilmington, North Carolina, to leading market expansion in Savannah, Georgia, and now spearheading the company's strategic growth in Southwest Florida.

Reid Ribble is a unique figure in the roofing industry, having served as a roofing contractor, U.S. Congressman, and CEO of the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA). After running his family's roofing business in Wisconsin for 30 years, he served three terms in Congress, representing Wisconsin's 8th District. In 2017, he became CEO of the NRCA, where he spearheaded major initiatives to professionalize the roofing industry.

Frank and Prentiss are third-generation leaders of Baker Roofing Company, one of the largest and most respected roofing contractors in the United States. As grandsons of founder W.P. Baker I, they grew up around the business and began working in the company at a young age, learning the trade from the ground up through hands-on work in the shop and on job sites.



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In this episode of Under the Roof, hosts Todd Kavanaugh and Matthew Elban sit down with Josselin Martinez, Regional Service Manager for Baker Roofing Company's Tampa office, to share his nearly two-decade journey with Baker Roofing, from arriving in the US at age 12 with no English, to working on production crews in  Wilmington, North Carolina, to leading a service team in one of Baker's newest and fastest-growing markets.

What You’ll Learn:

• The power of extreme ownership in leadership
  
  
• What hurricane preparedness and storm response really look like behind the scenes
  
  
• Why difficult conversations about mistakes strengthen team ownership
  
  
• The mentors who shaped Josselin’s career
  
  
• How Josselin is paying it forward by developing the next generation of roofing professionals
  
  

Josselin Martinez is the Regional Service Manager for Baker Roofing Company's Tampa office, bringing nearly two decades of industry expertise and a unique trajectory from field production to leadership. With a background spanning from production crews to service management, Martinez has developed deep expertise in roof system installation, storm response coordination, and team development across multiple regions.

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In this episode of Under the Roof, hosts Todd Kavanaugh and Matthew Elban sit down with Calvin Arrington, Senior Vice President of Commercial Steep Slope at Baker Roofing Company, to uncover a side of Baker that surprises most people: the artisan craftsmanship behind slate, tile, copper, and specialty metal roofing.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to build a pit-crew mentality within specialized teams
  
  
• Why material sourcing and supplier partnerships directly impact roof longevity
  
  
• The parallels between managing expert roofing crews and the leadership lessons in Zak Brown's Formula 1 memoir
  
  
• How to innovate retrofit solutions that eliminate customer downtime
  
  
• Why the 11% success rate in slate mining reveals the true cost of premium materials
  
  

Calvin Arrington is the Senior Vice President of Commercial Steep Slope at Baker Roofing Company, where he leads a diverse portfolio of specialized roofing disciplines including painted metal, pre-engineered metal buildings, slate, copper, tile, and commercial shingles. With a background in geotechnical engineering and decades of industry experience, Calvin has pioneered innovative solutions, such as the PMZ metal-over-metal retrofit system, which enables customers to upgrade aging metal roofs without disrupting operations.

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In this episode of Under the Roof, hosts Todd Kavanaugh and Matthew Elban sit down with Dave Hardy, the Executive Vice President of Brand Strategy at Think Shift, to navigate Baker Roofing Company’s recent brand refresh and why brand is so much more than just a logo.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why brand is fundamentally a gut feeling

• How to conduct discovery that surfaces authentic differentiation

• The difference between a rebrand and a refresh

• How to define your “onlyness”

• Why a brand only works when leadership and employees believe it and live it daily
  
  

Dave Hardy is the Executive Vice President of Brand Strategy at Think Shift, a Canadian marketing and creative agency specializing in brand strategy, positioning, and organizational transformation. With a background in design and branding philosophy, Dave brings deep expertise in translating company values into meaningful brand narratives that drive business growth and customer loyalty.


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In this episode of Under the Roof, hosts Todd Kavanaugh and Matthew Elban sit down with Anthony Carrier, the General Manager of Baker Roofing Company's Bristol and Asheville markets, to share how he went from doing infrared scans for an engineering firm to building thriving roofing operations, and why people have been the through-line of his entire career.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to shift perception of trade careers by presenting realistic financial comparisons
  
  
• The power of hands-on community investment over generic corporate outreach
  
  
• Why surrounding yourself with complementary talent accelerates business growth
  
  
• The framework for leading in unfamiliar markets through people and listening
  
  
• How vulnerability in leadership creates psychological safety for growth
  
  
• Why the trades remain AI-proof and future-resilient
  
  

Anthony Carrier is the General Manager of Baker Roofing Company's Bristol and Asheville markets, bringing a unique perspective to the roofing industry through his engineering background and commitment to community investment. With a foundation in building inspection and infrared roof analysis, Anthony transitioned into commercial roofing leadership, where he has spearheaded significant operational growth and market development across multiple regions.

Under The Roof is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so 

In this episode of Under the Roof, hosts Todd Kavanaugh and Matthew Elban sit down with Darrell Bailey, General Manager of Baker Roofing's Harrisonburg branch for 22 years, to explore what it takes to build a consistently high-performing team, lead with curiosity rather than fear, and create meaningful impact in your local community.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to transform fear into opportunity through curiosity
  
  
• The leadership currency framework
  
  
• Why consistency beats innovation in local markets
  
  
• The power of genuine community connection in business
  
  
• How to delegate effectively without losing control
  
  
• The importance of finding daily fascination in your work
  
  

Darrell Bailey is the General Manager of Baker Roofing Company's Harrisonburg branch, a position he has held for almost 22 years since the branch's inception in 2004. With vast expertise in roofing operations, team leadership, and community engagement, Darrel has built a reputation for consistency, quality, and genuine care for both his team and customers. His leadership approach, grounded in emotional intelligence, continuous learning, and ethical decision-making, has established the Harrisonburg branch as a model of stability and reliability within Baker Roofing's national footprint.



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In this special in-person episode of Under The Roof, Todd Kavanaugh and Matthew Elban sit down with Frank and Prentiss Baker, grandsons of founder W.P. Baker I and former owners of the company, to reflect on the moments that truly shaped Baker Roofing Company, from humble beginnings and organic growth to painful mistakes, financial hardship, and the lessons that changed the business forever.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why humility is your most valuable business asset
• Why it took 75 years and a bankruptcy for Baker to realize their yellow-pad estimating method wasn't accounting for all overhead costs
• How Rebecca Baker's willingness to challenge risky business proposals during board meetings created a culture of financial prudence and people-first decision-making
• How to recover from a major crisis and emerge stronger
• Why having the right people in every location matters more than expansion speed
  
  

Frank and Prentiss are third-generation leaders of Baker Roofing Company, one of the largest and most respected roofing contractors in the United States. As grandsons of founder W.P. Baker I, they grew up around the business and began working in the company at a young age, learning the trade from the ground up through hands-on work in the shop and on job sites.

Over the course of their careers, the brothers helped guide Baker Roofing through significant growth, expanding the company’s reach while preserving the values their grandfather built the business on: hard work, humility, craftsmanship, and respect for people. Their leadership helped shape Baker Roofing into the industry leader it is today while continuing the family legacy of delivering “Always Good Work.”Under The Roof is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so