Celebrating the journeys of Hispanic roofers

By Emma Peterson. 

Hispanic leaders from across the industry share stories of growth, empowerment and legacy. 

During a special episode of Coffee Conversations sponsored by SRS Para Latinos celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, Heidi J. Ellsworth interviewed key voices involved in SRS Para Latinos: Julissa Chavez, Armando Salgado, Guillebardo Cuellar Cuspian, Mike Monterroso and Moises Morales. During the discussion, each of the participants shared the story of their personal journeys into the industry and why it is so important to create spaces for Hispanic contractors.  

Julissa Chavez’s story 

Julissa, who has worked with SRS Distribution for the last decade, opened the conversation by sharing her story of joining their team. She started as a territory manager in their Atlanta market and then, about five years ago, transitioned into the marketing side of the business with the focus of building the SRS Hispanic contractor program.  

This program was one of the first in the industry that really centered Hispanic contractors. Julissa shared the story behind the creation of the program. She explained, “We really looked at all parts of the customer journey from SRS, all the touchpoints we have with all our customers and focused on how to ensure that the Hispanic customer is always on our mind. So, looking at what are the resources that we can provide, the information and programs that serves our Hispanic roofing community.” 

Armando Salgado’s story 

This emphasis on creating space that centers the Hispanic roofing community is something that has been a throughline for many of our panelists’ careers. For example, Armando has served as a voice for the community since he started his career in the industry at just 18 years old. He explained, “I had a small little house when I was 18 and I needed a roof. So, I had a roofer come by, and he ended up asking if I spoke Spanish. I'm like, ‘Yes, I do.’ And he offered me a job. I'm like, ‘What's going on here?’ And he's like, ‘I need a guy that can talk to my Hispanic installers. If you work for me, I’ll give you your roof for free as your signing bonus,’ and I'm like ‘Heck yeah, man, I’ll do it.’” 

That spur of the moment choice has led Armando to the founding of multiple companies with the direct mission of giving a voice to Spanish-speakers in the in the roofing industry, such as LingoDocs Marketing, MultiLevel Contractors, LLC and Build Mas, Inc. He shared, “I've always wanted to help the small, Hispanic businesses scale and find bigger opportunities.” 

Guillebardo Cuellar Cuspian’s story 

Growing and scaling as a small Hispanic business owner is a challenge that Guillebardo knows well. He was born in Columbia and came to Florida to work in the industrial roofing sector. Today, he is one of the founders of GEM Construcción LLC and GC Advisers. 

Guillebardo believed in the importance of joining Hispanic support networks and resources in his journey to becoming a small business owner. He shared, “I was selling roofing, but I didn’t speak English. With time, I had an opportunity to become a project manager. Then I met Julissa [and that] motivated me to create my own company...Now, I have grown my company.” 

Mike Monterroso’s story 

As for Mike, he has seen both sides of the table, as a small business owner like Guillebardo and as a part of a support network like Julissa. Mike first started roofing with his uncle when he was 17, back in 2003. From there, he began to manage multiple crews and was recruited as a material runner. Eventually he began running production for a company in Oklahoma. Over the years, he worked a variety of jobs but always came back to roofing.  

In 2021, he sat down with six other contractors and Julissa. At that point, Mike had helped a friend start a roofing company and had founded his own company, Oklahoma Elite Restoration. He shared, “We sat down in a small little room, and Julissa told us what she was trying to do. Immediately, I was like, ‘Man, I want to be part of this.’ At that point, there was nothing in the industry for Latinos. So, I got to join her cause and it's just been growing ever since.” 

Moises Morales’ story 

Moises shared his story, which started with him selling roofs door-to-door. As he did this, he began to realize the true impact of the roofing industry. He explained, “I started realizing this is bigger than just a roof. As roofers, we're actually protecting homes. We're protecting what's under that roof too, which is families and loved ones.” 

As his passion for the industry grew, Moises began to get more involved in industry events and programs. That’s how he met Julissa, back in 2020, and got involved with the SRS Para Latinos program. Today, Moises is the executive director at Advosy Home and more passionate than ever. He shared, “It’s amazing, to look at where we were when I got involved and what the story is now. We really didn't know where this was going to go, and here we are, 5 years later, with thousands of contractors that we've already impacted.” 

Hear more from this amazing panel about creating spaces in the roofing industry for Hispanic contractors in the full podcast or the recording.