Building an Empire
Empire Roofing President Ronnie McGlothlin started in the roofing industry at age 13 and began Empire Roofing in 1982. It grew from being a small subcontractor to having 14 locations throughout the country
Ronnie McGlothlin worked for his father as a laborer at the age of 13, moving up to become a traveling foreman at the age of 18 and then a superintendent. By the time he was in his early 20s, he was making more money than ever, was just married, and drove a 1978 Trans Am he paid for himself. But something felt off.
Deep down, he knew the roofing industry could be better. A year-and-a-half later, he set out to make it happen, and when he told his bosses he was quitting, he received all the inspiration he needed.
“I gave them my two-week notice and they were kind of smart asses about it and said, ‘Well, I think we pay you too much money, you can come back begging for a job,’” he said. “If I ever had any motivation ever in my life, it was like, ‘I wasn’t going back.’”
Cover Photo by Jill Bloom.