By Emma Peterson.

Ryan Follman and Jason Avery discuss the trust, accountability and teamwork that have fueled nearly two decades of success.

This month, our Roofer of the Month is Lakefront Roofing and Exteriors! Lakefront Roofing is a Michigan-based home improvement company led by Ryan Follman and Jason Avery. And, as we celebrate them taking the title of our November R-Club Roofer of the Month, we invited Ryan and Jason to join us for a podcast all about the journeys that led them to where they are with Lakefront Roofing today!

For Ryan, Lakefront Roofing was a family venture. He explained, “My dad, Steve Follman and I started the company back in 2008. It was something we’d been wanting to do for ages, I’d been working on jobsites and in distribution for years at that point and my dad was a roofer before me.” Jason joined Steve and Ryan about a year later. He shared a bit of his story:

Steve really kind of brought me into this industry in 2006. I had no background in construction, but I’ve always been good talking to people and he hired me as an outside salesman for the store he was at. And at that company, I got the chance to attend a lot of industry trainings and learn so much about construction.

Fast-forward to 2008, Jason found himself at the distributor that Ryan was working with prior to starting Lakefront Roofing with his dad. Ryan recalled meeting him, sharing, “I was really impressed with Jason, you don’t meet that many people that have the diligence, follow-through and thoughtfulness he has.” He continued, “He’s a one-in-a-billion person and my dad and I just kept bothering him to join us.”

What actually got Jason to make the jump to Lakefront? Becoming a part of Steve and Ryan’s team. Jason explained, “Ryan asked me one day, he said, ‘What would it take for you to become part of this?’ And I said, ‘If I ever leave where I'm at, I want to own what I go to next.’ So Ryan said, ‘Sign the title of your truck over to us and we'll make you a full partner.’” And the rest was history.

Looking back, both Ryan and Jason couldn’t be happier that their journeys led them to being business partners. A Ryan put it, “Partnerships are tough. But we've always had a way of getting along and telling each other the truth, even if it's difficult. He’s really like my brother now.” Looking to the future, both Ryan and Jason said they hope their kids can carry forth the mantle when they’re ready to retire. As Jason put it, “My son works with us, Ryan’s oldest son just started working here and we’re thinking my grandson might be next!”

Hear more from Ryan, Jason and Lakefront Roofing and Exteriors by listening to the whole Roofer of the Month podcast.