This article was published on Franchise Wire 11/18/22. It has been edited to fit this format.
CEO Kevin Newton Takes a Different Approach to the Fragmented Roofing Industry
Business success is a sure thing when an entrepreneur wipes out a consumer pain point, which is exactly what Kevin Newton did with Honest Abe Roofing. He saw that the roofing industry was fragmented and confusing for property owners to navigate. His solution was to establish Honest Abe Roofing in 2007 and then grow it into a trustworthy, profitable franchise brand with happy customers.
Clearly an outside-the-box thinker, Newton, who is Honest Abe’s CEO and founder, took a counterintuitive approach with franchisees. He sought Honest Abe Roofing owners with proven sales abilities and customer service expertise – not roofing-industry tradespeople. He also built a fail-safe into the franchise: a contractor recruitment program that ensures franchisees have a ready supply of skilled labor to do jobs thoroughly and expeditiously.
Honest Abe Posts Excellent Results
Newton’s innovative strategy has proven itself time and again. According to the company’s 2021 Franchise Disclosure Document, average yearly sales for each Honest Abe Roofing franchise were $2.3 million.
“The Honest Abe system removes obstacles for nontechnical and non-trade professionals to enter the roofing industry,” Newton says. “We consider ourselves to be a marketing and sales franchise business that provides roofing solutions to property owners. As experts in marketing, we oversee that responsibility and execute across numerous communication channels for our franchisees, making it easier for them to run their business, and cultivate customer relationships – translating to a better overall roofing experience for all parties involved. Honest Abe Roofing is a scalable business with high profit margins in a recession-resistant industry.”
James Lloyd, vice president of franchise development for Honest Abe Roofing, goes a step further in his assessment of opportunities with the franchise. “Honest Abe Roofing franchisees can achieve some truly remarkable revenue streams compared to other business sectors,” Lloyd says. “Franchisees don’t need to wear a tool belt to succeed with Honest Abe’s system. New franchisees with sales experience and people-management training from all industries are joining our brand because they see growth potential for their skill sets in roofing and are backed with industry-leading marketing capabilities to differentiate in the marketplace, create awareness and drive repeat business and referrals on their behalf."
For more information on what makes Honest Abe roofing the best roofing franchise to invest in and what we’re looking for in our franchise partners, please learn more here.