This year’s class of Roofing Contractor Young Guns – roofing professionals under the age of 40 making a difference in their respective companies – included a pair of contractor colleagues who took very different paths to success with Ace Roofing in Montana.

Samuel Brokenshire, 37, was born in Melbourne, Austrailia, and came to the United States in pursuit of his future wife before settling in Western Montana in 2017. At the time he came aboard, Ace Roofing was clearing about $1 million in annual revenue and in need of operational support in a growing marketplace.

Jody Roberts worked in roofing supply for years, getting to know and support some of the best contractors in the field. When a career-changing opportunity presented itself, Roberts joined Ace Roofing and hasn’t looked back. He said the company generated between $6-$8 million at the time, and with both helping Jake Magalsky and the ownership their help, Ace Roofing has grown revenue 100 percent year-over-year for four consecutive years.

“It’s been a wild ride, that’s for sure,” Brokenshire said of finding his way into the roofing industry, and staying adaptable. “We got ourselves into some situations that if I'm totally honest with you, we had absolutely no business being in. But because of our youth, energy, ability to ask questions and be nimble with technology, we were able to turn that around and provide a great experience for the client.” 

The rapid growth, market strength and future potential drew the attention of private equity firms looking to capitalize, and even boost Ace Roofing’s momentum. Roughly a year ago, the company partnered with Omnia Exterior Solutions, which drove operations and efficiency to a new level of success, Roberts said.

“A lot has changed in good ways,” the 27-year-old explained. “It’s taken a lot of stress off my plate from running the ‘small business’ like cash flow and accounts receivable management. Now we have a very extensive team to help us with that so we’re able to really focus on the customer/client experience through quality, safety and just overall customer satisfaction.”

Check out the full conversation here.