How Baker Roofing Competes Through Culture and Shared Ownership

As the roofing industry faces rapid consolidation and private equity rollups, Baker stands apart as one of the few large independent contractors left. In this episode of Under The Roof, hosts Todd Kavanaugh and Matthew Elban sat down with John Matthews, President of Baker Roofing Company, to break down how employee ownership creates real, practical advantages.

What You’ll Learn:

Why the roofing industry remains fundamentally people-dependent despite technological disruption
How to leverage the economy of culture as a competitive advantage that rivals traditional economies of scale
The difference between private equity consolidation and independent growth
How to position employee ownership as a credibility signal to major customers
The talent recruitment and retention multiplier effect of ownership mentality

John Matthews is a seasoned industry veteran at Baker Roofing Company who spearheaded the strategic transition to 100% employee ownership, bringing decades of roofing industry expertise to the conversation. With deep knowledge of market consolidation, competitive positioning, and organizational strategy, John provides invaluable insights into how employee ownership creates tangible competitive advantages beyond philosophy.

Episode Highlights:

[00:00] Introduction
[01:51] How Consolidation and Private Equity Reshaped Roofing
[03:45] What Independence Really Means
[07:18] Economy of Culture vs. Economy of Scale
[11:05] What Customers Actually Value
[17:20] Private Equity’s Growing Role in Roofing
[19:56] The Real Advantage: People
[22:38] Part 1 Episode Wrap

Episode Resources:

Todd Kavanaugh on LinkedIn
Matt Elban on LinkedIn
Baker Roofing Company Website