Today we’d like to introduce you to James Gasson.
James, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
After meeting my, then girlfriend, now wife, 10 years ago we both decided to further ourselves and study. I choose accountancy and my wife choose an MBA. We gave up a lot, at a time when our friends were partying and having fun, our days were filled with work and evenings and weekend with studying. We often reminisce about our first holiday abroad together, the week before our exams, to a resort in Egypt where we studied hard all day in the sunshine with a break to do some snorkeling mid-afternoon. After 4 long years we both graduated and started planning our wedding.
My wife’s parents have lived in America for over a decade so we often visited them and loved the lifestyle, outdoor opportunities and most of all the weather! We often talked about moving to America but the dream seemed so far away, by the time we had a 1 year old daughter we decided it was a now or never move.
We sold our house in the UK and moved in with my parents while we jumped through hoops to please the US immigration system. After a lot of research and some failed ventures, we found an established roofing company, Georgia Roof Advisors. The founder and owner, Dennis, also owns a mortgage company and wanted to focus his attention on this instead of roofing. What attracted us to Georgia Roof Advisors was the long standing name, great reputation in the community and values of honesty and integrity, which are aligned to ours. My cost accounting skill set and experience meant that were well equipped for running this business.
Upon submitting our E2 Visa application we then had to wait 8 grueling weeks, with our lives on hold, not knowing what to expect, until we were finally called for an interview. On April 17th, our visa was approved and we moved to the Marietta, Georgia 2 weeks later.
Here we are today, a year later and a lot more knowledgeable about the roofing industry, we have rebranded the company and invested a lot into the infrastructure. We have become GAF Certified Manufacturers and CertainTeed Shingle Masters and can now offer Lifetime Manufacturer Warranties. We have a great team behind us and some fabulous success stories. We have nurtured the same long standing relationships Dennis had with his suppliers and crew and added to this repertoire of trusted partners. The business today is in great shape and we are looking forward to continuing this success into the second half of 2017 and beyond.
The mantra to my success is that there is something new to learn every day.
Has it been a smooth road?
Owning your own business is never a smooth road, every day is a different day! I would say the biggest challenge is getting the balance between having a young family and owning your own business. We are expecting our second baby in June and I can’t guarantee I won’t have to nip out of the delivery room to take a phone call! Whilst my wife doesn’t think I have the balance, she is very understanding.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Georgia Roof Advisors story. Tell us more about the business.
We are a residential, local, family-owned roofing company, we care deeply about our community. We’re committed to trustworthy services and always provide you with a completely honest evaluation. We pride ourselves on our values, honesty and integrity. If we inspect your roof and it does not need replacing we will tell you and provide you with a professional report of the current condition of your roof and exterior of your house as well as a guide on how to maintain it – We are strive to be your trusted advisors.
Should you need a new roof we will work with you and your insurance company on an advisory basis to make sure you receive the maximum benefits available. We also offer great value cash roofs as well as offer financing. We differentiate ourselves and only use the best quality materials and manufacturer recommended roofing systems.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
There is already a large shift towards the architectural shingle compared to the traditional 3 tab shingle because of the lifetime warranties and increased durability. We only install the best quality roofs and ensure our customers are getting the biggest bang for their buck, we always encourage them to upgrade to an architectural system. According to GAF, a new roof is believed to increase the value of your house by at least 5% and in addition it increases the curb appeal. Also, our warranties can be transferred to the next homeowner, so it is a good investment to make if you want to see a return!
Insurance companies are always changing the way they do things, we attend adjuster meetings, not only to represent you to ensure they are being fair, but also to touch base with the adjuster to keep our fingers on the pulse of the changing insurance environment.
The last two years we have attended the International Roofing Conference (IRE) and have seen a see a shift towards impact resistance roofing shingles and more energy efficient shingles examples of these include the solar reflective shingle and solar panels built into the roofing system. I am really excited to see how this progresses over the next 5 years.
Contact Info:
- Address: 813 Nob Ridge Drive
Marietta
GA 30064 - Website: www.georgiaroofadvisors.com
- Phone: 678-757-3477
- Email: enquires@garoofadvisors.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garoofadvisors/
- Other: https://www.bbb.org/atlanta/business-reviews/roofing-contractors/georgia-roof-advisors-in-marietta-ga-27513996
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