Individually, the 2022 Roofing & Exteriors Power Players are an impressive lot. But looking at these 50 top-tier companies through the lens of their strengths is arguably even more eye-opening.

That’s because, unlike other recognition programs that are mainly based on one criterion, such as income, Power Players were judged on a variety of company strengths, including:

Here’s a look at five takeaways from analyzing those company strengths—and the strategies companies use to achieve them.

1. Community service is vital to employees—and customers

A Harvard report shows employees who volunteer through their company are happier and more engaged at work, according to the Macquarie Graduate School of Management.

Indeed, 68% of companies on our list named community engagement as one of their core company strengths—among the highest percentage out of all other company strengths. Here are the strategies Power Players use to maintain community engagement:

“Every single day, Antis Roofing & Waterproofing lives out its ‘purpose before profit’ corporate responsibility.… Living by the motto that ‘Every Nail Matters,’ each of the company’s 95 employees are devoted to quality product and service in equal measure with giving back to the communities they serve,” said Cori Vernam, the company’s director of marketing and cause.

2. Company culture must be cultivated and encouraged

Out of our Power Players, 62% name this strength as key to their company's success.

Just how do Power Players create and maintain their company culture? The group identified 5 key strategies:

“We maintain our company culture by constantly valuing all employees and making sure that everyone on the team is a part of the innovation and growth of our company,” said Aiden Winn, president of Renner Roofing Inc., echoing what many Power Players said. “We maintain family values both with our employees and our customers, no matter who we are working with or where we are working.”

3. Innovation is more vital than ever in today’s rapidly changing market

While the pandemic is in the rearview mirror for many, roofing contractors are still dealing with the repercussions—namely ongoing material price increases, material shortages and a dire lack of skilled labor.

All of these headwinds call for companies to be more innovative than ever, and our Power Players provide great examples of the many ways companies can use that pioneering spirit to grow and thrive. In fact, Power Players told us innovation and growth was their most important attribute, with 70% naming it a company strength. Here are the strategies they’re using to innovate:

“We have internal companywide growth plans that are updated regularly. We also work with consultants to develop these plans and equip us for success and growth,” said Dana Broom, marketing director for Corey Construction with $202.4 million in annual sales. “These plans reflect quarterly, annual and long-term goals up to 10 years. We have outlined our core focus, mission, strategy and steps outlined to achieve these goals. We hold weekly and bi-weekly ‘traction’ meetings with leadership and employees to track and measure these goals, communicate issues and opportunities as they arise, and take a proactive approach versus a reactive approach to ensure that we fulfill these goals.”

4. Social media cannot be ignored

Today word-of-mouth has moved online in the form of social media, where savvy businesses are amplifying the power of word-of-mouth through a combination of entertainment, education and sales. Businesses can benefit big from capitalizing on the power of social media. Many of our Power Players get it, with 60% of them naming social media as one of their core company strengths.

Here’s which social media platforms Power Players focused on:

RoofClaim.com provides what may be the best example of an overall social media approach.

“With the ever-changing world before us, social media has been the main force and resource for RoofClaim.com to reach current, future and past customers,” said Zena Matti, Roofclaim.com’s VP of sales and marketing. “After COVID-19 came and changed the way everyone does business as we know it, it was important for us to be innovative in our approach of sharing information with current and potential consumers. With social media increasingly playing a key role in how consumers make, we wanted to be sure that we leveraged this resource.”

5. Tech must be embraced and explored to stay competitive

Faced with needing to get work done remotely, many roofers discovered the benefits of using technology to improve workers' efficiency and productivity.

Nearly 60% of Power Players are embracing tech to streamline work and improve customer service. Here are the strategies they’re employing:

“Adopting new technology is often an uphill battle for a small business who has to weigh the added costs, staff's time and ability to master the technology, and the ROI on the capital investment,” said Wendy Dishman, controller for Cross Timbers Roofing. “We've learned that each change does bring progress and improvement to our organization, and we've learned to all work together to make sure we laugh a lot throughout the learning phase of each technology transition. We are no longer afraid to adopt new technology and welcome the opportunity to grow together as a team.”