(Horch Roofing, Inc)
Shingling the Way to Success
Peter Horch, owner of Horch Roofing in Warren, ME, shared his founder's story, illustrating the challenges and triumphs of starting and growing a successful business. Before launching his roofing business, Horch worked for another roofer for five years. He also had a side gig, which led him to discover his passion for entrepreneurship. "In 2003, I decided with a pickup truck and a ladder to start my own roofing company. I was already doing work for customers on the side, like painting and building fences and being a handyman. And it felt good to work directly with a customer. I liked the whole sending somebody an invoice and having them write 'thank you' on the check. It felt good to work for people directly, and so I decided to try it on my own."
At first, Horch continued offering handyman/handyperson services in addition to roofing because securing continuous work can be challenging for any new service business. "It took me about a year, year-and-a-half to really get the ball rolling. I worked as a subcontractor for a few people during the winter just to pay the bills because I didn't have enough work. And then finally, after a good year and a half, I had enough momentum with the roofing side of things that I just started to do that exclusively, and it started to snowball from there," he said. Today, Horch Roofing employs 60 people and has three locations.
Additionally, Horch discussed why owning a roofing company fits his personality. He noted that it takes a certain type of personality to pursue a roofing career, as it involves taking risks. "We call roofers a ‘different breed.’ And the reason why is because you have to want to climb a ladder and put yourself in harm's way to do work. And you have to enjoy that thrill. But doing something really challenging, doing it in the air, and taking risks is what excited me about it. I liked it. I honestly enjoy roofing. I bought a house, let's say, five years ago that needed a roof, and I did it myself. I didn't even pay my guys to do it."
Horch was only 25 when he started his business. As it grew, he recognized he needed to gain business skills to continue the trajectory. Instead of signing up for business courses, Horch sought an advisor. "By the time I was 28, I hired a consultant, and in three years, he cost me $75,000. My business went from grossing $250,000 to over $1.5 million. I tell people the story all the time, which is that I was able to basically get a college degree from a very well-trained consultant without any debt. And I grew my business, and I was making a living. So it was, it's super specific, but now I technically have the experience that I can go start a business in anything. It's all widgets; it's all ones and zeros; they're all the same."
Horch noted that learning business skills outside of a college environment was the right move for him. "I wouldn't have done it any other way because I saved that time that I would've given four years of my life to try and get a business degree. What would I have done with it at that point? And instead, I found something I really like doing, which is roofing. And I got trained on how to run a business."
Three years after starting his company, Horch had three employees, and his business continued to grow. "In 2007, I probably bit off more than I could chew, but it worked out fine. I got a huge condominium building in Camden as a contract, and it was a large contract. I needed a man lift, and I needed more employees. So we hired four or five more guys. So we went up to eight to 10 people that year. And that job went really well. So I was able to purchase or at least put a down payment on a second truck, and then it just started to snowball from there. So, ten guys usually is two crews. I had to hire a foreman who could run the crew so I could turn my back on guys and not be on the job every single day. And this is still when I was measuring every single roof. I would be on the roof with the crew during the week. Then, at night and on weekends, I would go and measure and estimate jobs and do the books."
Horch noted that he believes a strong brand identity plays a role in his company's success. "I observed other trades like electricians and plumbers and builders who were advertising themselves as professional contractors and tradespeople by having consistent colors and brands." The business owner noticed that there wasn't a roofer in the area utilizing branding. "I had a vision of starting this business and making sure that people knew our logo and our brand for quality and safety. And so I went to the truck dealership, and I went to buy my first truck, and he said, 'I only have two in stock. Do you want red or tan?' And I said, well I'm not going to have a tan company, I'll take red. And then I went to buy a trailer and they said, 'I have black or blue, which one do you want?' I said, I'll take black. And that just happened to be our colors."
A small but not insignificant turning point was hiring office help in 2007. Horch realized working in the field during the day and in the office at night wasn't sustainable. Horch discussed how he values his employees and shared a story about how he learned to express his appreciation years ago. "One of my first employees in the office was a part-time admin to help me write checks, run payroll, do paperwork and answer the phones. In Maine, it's normally cool all year round. Back in the day when she was working, we had three or four weeks of heat, and I didn't have an air conditioner in her office. She was sweating because it was a hot house. And my consultant came in and went, 'Get her an air conditioner,' And I said, It's not that bad; it's not hot all the time. And he said to me, I'll never forget this. He said, 'If you don't have happy employees and comfortable employees, you will not have happy customers.' And so I went out that night and bought an air conditioner."
Horch still carries that lesson with him each day, especially considering roofers' hard work. "It's a hard trade; it's a hard business. We call it work for a reason. It's not supposed to be easy. And so how do I get my employees to be as comfortable and happy as possible?" Horch's answer was to provide his employees with a strong benefit structure that isn't common in the industry, including paid vacations out of the gate.
When asked how he hires employees, Horch said he welcomes people with and without experience who prioritize working safely. "I usually like to hire somebody with limited experience and has the right attitude, and I'll train them how to do the trade that way we can train them the way we want. OSHA is in place to protect employees. And they require that every employee is in a harness attached to a lifeline so that if there is an accident, they stay alive, which slows down the process and is uncomfortable. But the first thing we start with when we train our employees is safety is number one; you have to be in a harness, you have to wear a hard hat and you have to have safety glasses on. I want to make sure that everybody goes home to their family at night."
In 2011, Horch Roofing built its first shop, marking an important milestone in the company's trajectory. But this achievement also sparked a realization—they were contributing significantly to the local landfill with roofing debris. The founder recounts visiting the landfill after years of having employees handle that task. He was shocked to see a massive mountain of debris, much of it comprised of roofing materials from his company's projects. This prompted him to completely overhaul his company’s waste practices.
"We started the concept of recycling all of our debris," said Horch. "When we built that shop in 2011, we also built a holding area for asphalt shingles. We dump our debris at our location in Warren and then haul it to get recycled just south of Portland."
Since implementing this recycling program, Horch Roofing has diverted over 20 million pounds of debris from landfills, keeping those materials out of the environment. It has benefited their efficiency, their customers appreciate the sustainable approach, and it aligns with the company's mission of taking care of people and the environment.
Another major milestone came in 2016 when the company built a second shop with advanced machinery to fabricate its own metal roofing details. "Since then, our metal roofing division has really taken off, which has been awesome. It's been better for our employees and better for our customers," the Horch said.
Then, in 2021, the company purchased property in South Portland to expand operations, allowing crews to run out of that location as well. Most recently, in 2024, Horch Roofing acquired a property just outside Ellsworth. "We now cover the entire State of Maine from Kittery past Bar Harbor," stated Horch.
Horch added that he believes in investing in the community. Horch Roofing has sponsored youth sports teams and high school activities and supported local food banks.
Every year, Horch Roofing issues four scholarships to students across Maine who want to further their education in the trades. "It feels really good to give back to the younger generation, the next generation of tradespeople," said Horch. "We recognize nowadays, especially, that tradespeople are really in demand."
In addition, Horch also serves on the board of directors for local organizations like the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Eastern Maine and the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Maine. His business is part of the Roofing Alliance, a group of companies across the nation that sponsors free or discounted roofing services for all 167 Ronald McDonald Houses in the U.S.
The founder also values educating the next generation of roofers. Horch was a guest lecturer at construction programs, including Clemson University in 2022 and California Polytechnic State University in 2024. "I'm passionate about the roofing industry and my trade. I want to make sure that the next generations are taken care of," he said.
In addition to supporting the community and educating future roofers, Horch shared a set of core values that guide his company: having fun, getting it done, having driven employees and doing the right thing. The founder added that his company’s mission is simple: "We take care of people," referring to his employees, customers and the environment.
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