Having worked for well-known companies like retailer JCPenney, Kevin Carfa was more than ready when I asked how his previous experiences had helped him in roofing distribution — I imagine it’s a question he’s been asked before.

“When I first started, I had to start with the basics in roofing and industrial distribution. So I started looking for commonalities to my B2C experience, like what's the thread that really brings it together? And good news – there are some basics. We've got catalogs that are hundreds of thousands of SKUs deep. Guess what I did at JCPenney — large catalog retailing,” he said. “So direct correlations there on catalog complexity and size.”

“Then the other funny one, to be honest, was Papa John's. A key piece of the digital experience that pizza got right first was delivery tracking,” he added. “And when you think about it for [distribution], same needs, but this is a contractor who needs transparency in their material delivery, so they can ensure the productivity of their crew to keep the job running smoothly.”

His answer reveals two aspects about him that no doubt played a role in SRS Distribution hiring him as its vice president of digital operations and building products: problem-solving and adaptability.

“Digital is ultimately an enabler of efficiency, accuracy, and intelligence — and when done right, a growth accelerator for any company,” he said.

Shifting Industries

Having grown up around computers, the Dallas native started strong in his digital career, interning for companies like American Airlines and Meals on Wheels while attending Texas Christian University in the early aughts.

“I was originally going to do entrepreneurial management and marketing … but I took the more digital marketing route on it,” he said. “I was already building websites personally for my fraternity, and I was in a band and did the band website; [they were] personal endeavors when it came to digital, so it was transitioning that into a professional career felt natural.”

After obtaining a bachelor of business administration in business information systems and supply and value chain management, Carfa immediately put his skills to use, working for iProspect, a marketing agency, before working in SEO and e-Commerce at Pier 1 Imports.

These experiences led to more e-commerce-related positions, notably with a four-year career at JCPenney, where he worked as senior manager of product management before leaving in 2018. He then shifted from retail to hospitality, working as corporate director of digital commerce at Omni Hotels & Resorts.

In yet another industry shift, in 2021, he joined Papa John’s International, where he worked his way up to vice president of digital. He led a team responsible for growing sales and customer experience through direct channels and mobile apps. He noted that, at the time, 85% of their demand came from digital channels, making that aspect of the company integral to its success.

So, what led him to jump into yet another industry? Carfa said it came in the form of a fated call from a former co-worker.

“When I got the call, it actually came from an old colleague of mine; she used to run talent acquisition at JCPenney. They had a role open [at SRS], and it was perfect timing for myself and my family,” he said.

Kevin Carfa (right) with his team at the 2024 International Roofing Expo.

Speaking with SRS leadership helped clinch the deal. He said it has great leaders who understand digital is not merely a channel but is a growth enabler. He and Chief Digital Officer Rajeev Rai come from retail backgrounds, bringing that perspective to the roofing industry.

SRS itself is leaning into technology, such as building a proprietary chatbot for the Heritage side of the business and using artificial intelligence. He said the company is looking toward the future, whether it’s arming sales reps with knowledge and data or potentially adding AI to the purchasing process or data analysis.

“There’s some really neat things we’ve been doing with it,” he said. “We’ve been able to use AI as a co-pilot that rides along when our salesperson has a conversation with their customers.

“In the use of data and decision making, we’ve gone past that initial stage of intuition driving action, and even past data purely as a signal or deriving basic insights from reports, to AI suggesting actions and conversation points. It’s really neat even from a sales perspective with what we’ve been able to do with assistance from AI.”

Digital Transitions

The construction industry, and by association, the roofing industry, has a reputation for being slow to adopt technology. Carfa can empathize with contractor customers, whose reactions range from excitement to guarded hesitancy when technology is brought up.

“Sometimes it’s really just, ‘Hey, this is new, it’s uncomfortable,’” he said. “That happened with every single one of us the first time you got into an Uber car. It was new, it was uncomfortable … and now it’s just become ubiquitous to travel.”

Carfa said that when he encounters resistance from contractors, he finds they are still interested, even if they aren’t on board.

“For the most part, anybody you talk to is more than willing to talk to this random digital guy who freaking came from pizza,” he said with a smile. “I don't have the industry credentials to be in the room with you, but what they see is, hey, you're a guy who is an expert in your field, just like I respect them — that they do what they do incredibly well — there’s that mutual respect of ‘I know my area,’ and I can come out and provide value to them.”

He said this mutual respect happens both externally with customers and internally at SRS and stems from a workplace motto of “No egos in the building.” This also extends to manufacturing partners, and Carfa is excited to discuss ideas and raise the tide that lifts all boats.

He found that one of the best ways to communicate the advantages of software or technology is to listen to a customer’s problems and show them the benefits the technology provides. He credits John DeRosa, director of contractor training & business development, as a proponent of this approach.

“Time is money for [owners], especially for the smaller players out there,” he said. “That’s a big key on how we discuss the benefits of digital with those guys.”

Even when contractors are game, there are other challenges to overcome. What might work in the residential sector may not transition into commercial. Additionally, there is the trouble of integration — when contractors have software or apps that can’t communicate with one another. He said the hope is to work with companies so they can use programs like SRS’s Roof Hub seamlessly.

“One of the mantras that we have is we want to meet the customer where they are. We certainly have our own platform in Roof Hub that has 20-plus capabilities, material ordering only being one of them,” he said. “We have a whole team dedicated to learning the integration patterns that work best for you and basically being able to work ourselves into your workflow.”

A New Home (Depot)

Along the lines of integration, I asked the relatively new vice president how operations were going now that The Home Depot had acquired SRS. He said there had been cursory integration conversations taking place.

“They effectively open up a ton of distribution centers, they open up even a different level of shipping and fulfillment, and heck, just the access to the number of homeowners they have and the Pros they have,” he said. “When you look at just the natural resources that Home Depot offers, we'll certainly start tapping into that.”

Alongside the parallels between his previous career and current position, some ties are outside work. He and his wife are into home improvement and “levels of flipping,” so working for SRS and Home Depot has been a draw.

“The last couple of homes that we’ve purchased, we’ve gone down to the studs with renovation,” he said. “Usually, you’ll find us on the weekends doing little projects like that, building things for our son.”

The other way he entertains himself, though he admits his 2-year-old son, wife, and dog might protest, is busting out the trombone from his college days, when he played in practically every type of band available at TCU.

“It basically comes out every time we move into a house now,” he said, laughing. “I love pulling it out and playing it every time we move.”