Starting a small, independent roofing distribution business in the shadow of national companies can be a daunting task. But Sol Cerrada, president of SYL Roofing Supply, doesn’t worry about the competition.

“I don’t see them as competition, I see them as inspiration, to be honest with you,” she said. “And it’s been great. We’ve had our ups and downs like every other business but we have always tried to get the best out of any situation that we might encounter.”

Undeterred, Cerrada and her husband, Luis Herrera, have grown their company from a small operation to one with nearly 50 employees in Winter Garden, Fla., and they’re eyeing a potential expansion to a third location in the coming year. Their secret to success? Great instincts and serving Latinos, the fastest-growing community in roofing, with expediency and respect.

“I believe when we started, there was a need for a more diverse market, where the Latino community could communicate easily and get the service in their own language," she said.

Breaking into the Business

The roofing industry has a way of drawing people into it. Often, it’s family members bringing the next generation of roofing professionals into the fold. Other times, it presents opportunities to people outside the industry looking to build a successful business or career.

Cerrada and her husband fall into the latter category. Herrera wanted to start his own business, and while working for a company that repaired nail guns, met roofing contractors and learned about the industry.

"He saw the potential and the opportunity in the roofing supply industry and I had business and marketing experience, so we decided to combine both of our strengths. After all, we didn’t have anything to lose, and we just went for it,” she said.

Of course, Cerrada didn’t come empty-handed – she is armed with a bachelor’s of business administration from the University of Central Florida’s College of Business. They built their company from the ground up, starting in 2018 with little to no capital. As they slowly grew, profits were invested back into the company, fueling its development. Today, with Herrera as CEO and Cerrada as president, they work with most major roofing manufacturers and have expanded to a second location in Tampa.

“It is a pretty dynamic industry,” Cerrada said. “I believe everything is all about relationships. In my part [of the business], it’s all about relationships with vendors, and we create strong relationships with customers. Customer service is our focus. We want to help them out to be successful in their business.”

This business acumen served them well when heading into 2020. As the COVID-19 pandemic slowly shut the country down and most businesses faced tough times, SYL Roofing Supply experienced one of its best years. When asked how they accomplished this feat, Cerrada said it was thanks to some foresight in January 2020 to purchase extra inventory.

"2020 was a hard year for all, and having some savings helped us to invest in inventory, so having the inventory available helped us out a lot, bringing in new customers,” she said.   

Luis Herrera CEO of SYL Roofing Supply

Luis Herrera, CEO of SYL Roofing Supply.

Those new customers come primarily from the Latino roofing community. From its beginnings, SYL Roofing Supply has tailored its services to this demographic, which the roofing industry at large is increasingly recognizing as critical to its success. Naturally, the company serves customers from all backgrounds, but its fast growth can be attributed in part to filling a niche.

"A lot of the market in west and central Florida is handled by Latinos; we find that there’s still a language barrier out there, even in the supply industry, so making the client comfortable in their own language is extremely important to us," she said.

Serving the community involves more than speaking the language. SYL Roofing Supply regularly hosts workshops to educate their customers, often teaming up with manufacturers and vendors to impart knowledge about warranties and best practices for sales.

Given its relatively young status and independence, SYL Roofing Supply stands out from the pack by not only offering Saturday hours but promising next-day deliveries. It can afford to be nimble, having used its success in 2020 to purchase a fleet of trucks the same year.

With five trucks available at each of its locations, SYL can deliver quickly, going so far as to offer express delivery of products to the jobsite as of this year. This expedient delivery not only showcases their organized logistics but their commitment to exceptional customer service.

"Time is very important for our contractor, [and] them knowing that we are a phone call away to request any piece of material that they might have forgotten on their order, brings them peace of mind," she said. “I believe those little types of situations have been helping to set us apart.”

When looking to the future, SYL Roofing Supply is strategizing where to open a new facility within the next year. Finding the right location is a major decision to make and not one Cerrada and Herrera are rushing. The only stipulation they’re certain of so far is staying within Florida’s borders.

Beyond new locations, SYL is upgrading its operations with technology. As of now a lot of operations are handled manually but they aim to bring on a CRM to automate those processes. They are also streamlining customer interactions with a new app they expect will launch before the end of 2024.

“The SYL Roofing Supply app will bring a live update to our clients in reference to their orders, prices and status of their delivery. We want to bring technology, but yet keep our personalized service,” she said.

Given its success, it’s not surprising that SYL Roofing Supply has been contacted by investment firms and others interested in purchasing the business. As flattering or tempting as it might be, Cerrada made it clear SYL Roofing Supply is currently not for sale.

“I believe we are building something good in here and we're young, we still have a lot of energy to go and move forward,” she said.

Representation in Roofing

Cerrada is a conglomeration of what the industry’s future may resemble: not only is she a woman in a leadership role, but she is also a bilingual Latina and, as she pointed out, a youth in the business at 32 years old. Being a woman in a male-dominated industry can come with its own set of challenges but so far, she says it’s been smooth sailing.

"In the roofing industry nowadays it is very normal to see a woman leading a company. I haven't experienced any situation where I have been treated any differently because I am a woman," she said. "I think is important to know the product and the industry you involve yourself in to gain respect from your peers."

Cerrada actively works to bring more women into the industry. She is a member of National Women in Roofing’s Central Florida Council, serving on its Latino Council. Similar to its other workshops, SYL has hosted events alongside NWIR to strengthen connections with vendors while educating clients.

“Ever since I got involved in the company, I've been trying to involve more women into the industry as well to make them feel that they're actually capable of accomplishing anything no matter what,” she said.

SYL also takes part in the Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Association and has set up booths at industry events like RoofCON for the past two years to get their name out there. Outside of the industry, they are active with local Chambers of Commerce.

For Cerrada, it’s ultimately the people involved in the industry that motivate her to come to work and do her best. She says it’s about seeing employees and customers as more than just numbers or necessary to do business, but to be invested in their success. After all, a win for them is a win for everybody.

“I like to see all my employees and customers being successful and have them take advantage of any opportunity, training, available to them,” she said.