DALLAS — Roofing Contractor continued the annual tradition of naming the residential and commercial roofing Contractors of the Year during the 17th Best of Success conference.
Sutter Roofing, of Sarasota, Fla., received the 2021 Commercial Roofing Contractor of the Year award, and Feazel Inc., of Columbus, Ohio, earned the 2021 Residential Roofing Contractor of the Year designation.
After going virtual for a series of seminars in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the conference returned to an in-person experience featuring some of the best contractors in the industry on stage, and in the audience.
RC Editorial Director Rick Damato and Editor Art Aisner announced the winners before more than 300 roofing professionals in attendance at the Star in Frisco, Texas. Watch the announcements recorded live here.
More than 50 companies entered nominations following a difficult 2020.
“Throughout the pandemic and all the ups and downs, there couldn't be two more deserving companies," said RC Publisher Jill Bloom.
First formed in 1902 in West Virginia, Sutter Roofing is a fourth-generation roofing company that is a regular member of RC's Top 100 list and pioneered the way roofing service departments operate, and continue to innovate to this day. Sutter Roofing's primary focus is on large commercial and industrial projects, and Sutter has a repair and maintenance division with about 40 trucks that serve national chains like Publix and Lowe’s.
Sutter Roofing President Doug Sutter couldn’t make it to Dallas, but thanked his team for their efforts in a video message shared with the crowd.
“It’s a tremendous testament to our long-term employees and everybody that works at Sutter Roofing,” Sutter said. “We couldn’t be prouder to win this award and think we’re very deserving. Our family’s been in the roofing industry for four generations and this is a capper for us. We’re super excited about it.”
Now operating out of 10 locations in six states, Feazel Inc. has become a roofing force in the northern Midwest and continues to grow. Aisner noted the company’s consistent growth over the past decade, climbing to #11 on RC’s 2021 Top 100 list. The pandemic “pause” also wasn’t in CEO Leo Ruberto’s vocabulary.
Ruberto said winning the award was an honor for him and his team, and humbly expressed how he wished everyone in Feazel was present to accept the award, saying "they deserve to be here more than I do."
"It could not have been possible without our hard-working and dedicated team. In the last 18 months, we have seen challenges come our way that I never expected," Ruberto said. "Feazel’s ability to pivot business strategies was truly a team effort. While we are always looking to evolve our business — introduce new technologies, more efficient operation processes, create a better work environment for our employees — but for now, we are going to take a step back to celebrate this achievement! Thank you Roofing Contractor!”
Look for more coverage of the Contractors of the Year and the Best of Success conference on our website in our November and December eMagazine editions.
