Uber for labor

By Jesse Sanchez. 

How one startup’s tech solution is transforming sub-crew hiring in the roofing industry. 

Carlos Carballo, co-founder of Labor Central, joined host Heidi J. Ellsworth in this episode of Roofing Road Trips®, to share how his tech-driven platform is tackling one of the industry’s most persistent and growing challenges: connecting contractors with reliable sub crews. Reflecting on his return from the International Roofing Expo (IRE), he shared,“It took me a while to settle down from all the requests that we got around labor because now the situation with the labor shortage is even worse.”  

Labor Central was born out of a simple but pressing need, streamlining labor connections in a fragmented market. “We thought, ‘Hey, let's centralize this,’” Carlos explained. “So that's what Labor Central is offering, a central marketplace where they [contractors] come together.” He likens the platform to Uber for labor: contractors search for crews and crews look for work, all within one streamlined interface. But what may sound simple in theory isn’t as easy in practice. “It is not easy to implement,” Carlos said. “You can have great technology, but if you don't have that data in it, you start having the wrong crews or even the wrong contractors there, then the business model fails.” 

Labor Central balances high-tech backend systems, artificial intelligence, real-time messaging and enhanced vetting, with a front-end design that remains user-friendly, especially for Spanish-speaking contractors who may prefer text over in-app chat. “They want to feel like they're talking to a person,” Carlos noted. “So even though we have all the technology in the background, we are trying to put that layer of personalization and talking to human, in the forefront.” With a strong focus on usability and cultural relevance, Labor Central has evolved into what Carlos calls “Labor Central 2.0”, a fully revamped platform that’s now free to use. That change, along with real-time translation and an upgraded rating system, signals a major step forward for both the company and the industry. 

Despite the platform's rapid growth, Carlos acknowledges that awareness remains a hurdle. Still, he sees momentum building. “We have now the technology to grow. I mean, we can handle every single roofer in the United States with the technology that we have now,” he said. With Labor Central 2.0 now live and free Carlos and his team are betting on technology, cultural understanding and accessibility to drive the roofing industry into its next chapter. 

Read the transcript or Listen to the podcast to learn more about how technology, cultural insight and a clear mission are coming together to reshape how the roofing industry hires!