Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | Fact Book 2017 | Worcester Business Journal 31 W hen Golden Group Roofing hung its shingle in March 2012, the company had four employees, two used con- struction vans and no marketing budget. During the last five years, Golden Group Roofing has grown its workforce, extended its geographic footprint through- out Worcester and Middlesex counties and earned industry acco- lades, thanks to the passionate, inspirational leadership of co- owner Greta Bajrami Campoverde. How did you come to own a business in a typically male-dominated industry? I had the opportunity to shadow employees in a relative's con- struction business when I was a senior at Worcester State University. I inspected job sites and became part of the team. I enjoyed the construction process and, being entrepreneurial, thought I'd like to start my own business with a focus on roofing. As you prepared to launch your business, what principles did you adopt? My husband and I are from immigrant families who worked in the hospitality industry. They embraced a customer service mind- set. We wanted to bring that philosophy, along with integrity and honesty, to the business. How did you manage to get the word out about your business? We thought about the best way to gain experience in the shortest amount of time. So we called every construction com- pany in the area and asked to be one of their sub-contractors. That plan worked well. We worked with Home Depot, Lowes and several other contractors installing roofs. After two years we knew we had a lot of potential and decided it was time to go out on our own. So how did you land your first customer as an independent company? It was challenging. We had signed non-disclosure agreements so couldn't tell potential clients that we had completed more than 1,000 installations. But our first customer trusted that we were experts and hired us. That year, between October and December, we did close to 20 roofs. In 2015, we did 160. Last year we did 200 and this year will complete 250. How do customers react when they realize Golden Group Roofing is a woman-owned business? There was a lot of hesitation from homeowners initially, who thought I might not know what I was doing. While I didn't know a lot about the business at first, I was determined to learn. Determination makes you an expert. I took the time to educate myself. I attended classes at the Norwood offices of CertainTeed to increase my knowledge. All our employees also attend classes and are licensed and certified. We continually check product upgrades and code changes to stay on top of the industry. What changes have you seen in the industry insofar as women are concerned? There is so much opportunity for employment in the industry, which is growing and needs women in several roles, from CEOs and engineers to marketers and financial experts. I belong to the National Women in Roofing Association and had the privilege of sharing my story on a webinar in May. I hope to empower other women and let them know that construction is an incredible business to be in. Quality, service, affordability and female leadership = industry success Owners: Freddy Campoverde, Owner & President Greta Bajrami Campoverde, Owner & Vice President Address: 182 Turnpike Road, Suite 290B Westborough, MA 01581 Number of employees: 10 FT; seasonally adjusted Phone: 508-873-1884 Website: goldengrouproofing.com Golden Group Roofing Has Golden Group Roofing won any awards? Yes, we have been honored with the GAF Master Elite Contractor and CertainTeed Selected Shingle Master awards, the highest designations in the roofing industry. Golden Group also received the BBB Market Excellence award in 2015, Angie's List TM Service Award in 2015 and 2016, and the GAF Triple Excellence Award 2016. We are one of the youngest companies to receive these awards. We are also one of the youngest companies to be growing at such a rapid speed. What are your company goals? Customer service is our number one priority. We want to give homeowners an experience they'll rave about and make the con- struction process as painless as possible. We treat each homeown- er with respect. Upon completion of all jobs, we pay for a manu- facturers registered warranty for the client and send thank you gifts. We want Golden Group and our standards to become the leader and change the way the construction industry is perceived. What advice would you offer to fledgling businesses that hope to achieve your level of success? Rather than selling, your sales team needs to educate the client. We call our first visit a "consultation" and don't place a time clock on signing a contract. We take anxiety out of the process and leave the customer in control. We are trying to change the way people see construction. You also have to continually invest in branding. Social media and technology are good ways to do this. We're continually revis- ing and upgrading our website and online presence to remain fresh. If you keep things the same, someone else will come along and take you out of the competition. We understand that the way people buy is shifting to the web and already have a roofing cal- culator with quote estimator on our website. We are trying to stay ahead of the game and are investing in the future. FB Freddy and Greta Campoverde C E O I N T E R V I E W

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