Guest: Ronnie Lollar of AVCO Roofing
Host: Jim Ahlin, Roofing Success Podcast
Listen to the Episode: https://roofingsuccesspodcast.com/how-this-roofer-built-a-roofing-culture-so-strong-it-runs-without-him-with-ronnie-lollar-259
🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronnie-lollar-b06733182/
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In the fast-paced world of roofing, where growth often depends on the owner’s hustle, Ronnie Lollar flipped the script. Instead of burning out trying to do it all himself, he built a leadership-driven culture at AVCO Roofing—a culture so strong it now runs without him.
From knocking doors at 11 years old to becoming the visionary of a multi-location roofing powerhouse, Ronnie’s journey is more than just a business story—it’s a blueprint for roofing contractors who want to build a company that grows even when they step away.
Culture Is the Lifeblood: Lead It or Lose It
“If you don’t set the culture, someone else will—and you probably won’t like what it looks like.”
To Ronnie, culture isn’t just a buzzword. It’s the heartbeat of the business. He describes it as the “lifeblood” of AVCO Roofing. Early on, he and his co-founder Heath knew they wanted to build something more than just a profitable roofing company. They built a place where people actually wanted to work—a place that offered not just compensation, but fulfillment.
Culture wasn’t just about fun events or office perks. It meant fostering a team that thrives on core values: being coachable, refusing to quit, and creating real personal growth. At AVCO, personal and professional development go hand in hand. The company invests in people beyond their job descriptions, whether it’s helping a teammate buy a first home or encouraging breathwork and mindset training in the office.
From Wearing All the Hats to Trusting a Team
“I realized I couldn’t be the guy with all the answers and still have the home life I wanted.”
Like many owners, Ronnie once wore every hat—sales manager, CEO, field rep, even payroll clerk. The real turning point came when he stopped answering every call and started empowering his team to figure things out without him.
The secret? He gave his leaders permission to fail. He let them solve problems, asked the right questions to build their confidence, and resisted the urge to jump in and save the day—a habit he refers to as the “savior complex.” That shift gave space for his team to grow, and now, Ronnie is no longer involved in the day-to-day operations. His leadership team owns their roles and drives the company forward.
Lose the Savior Complex If You Want to Scale
“If you’re rushing in to fix everything, are you really helping—or are you just making yourself feel better?”
Ronnie’s message is clear: if you constantly feel like the only one who can fix problems, you’re not leading—you’re enabling. Leaders must be willing to let go, even when it’s uncomfortable.
The key to breaking this cycle? Letting your team struggle a little, being willing to ask for feedback on how your actions affect them, and being coachable yourself. Leadership is not about being the smartest person in the room—it’s about creating a space where others can grow, even beyond you.
Hiring for Culture First, Numbers Second
“We don’t hire just because someone sold $2 million last year. We hire for culture fit first.”
Ronnie shared a crucial insight: many companies make hiring mistakes by prioritizing talent over character. At AVCO, sales candidates go through a multi-tier interview process that includes a full hour focused only on core values and culture fit.
In fact, they prefer hiring from personal networks and blank slates—folks without roofing experience who can be molded within their system. Why? Because it’s easier to train someone from scratch than to untrain bad habits.
Systematize the Process, or Keep Chasing Your Tail
“If your sales retention is under 50%, it’s not the reps—it’s your process.”
Ronnie believes that without documentation, there is no system. AVCO’s success came from mapping out every detail of their sales process, training reps intentionally, and never relying on a “ride with Johnny” model to onboard new hires.
Whether using Loom to capture SOPs or leveraging AI tools to help build documentation, Ronnie says there’s no excuse anymore. The tools are there—contractors just need to take the first step.
Emotionally Intelligent Sales Wins Every Time
“We teach an emotionally intelligent, consultative sales process. It’s not about the pitch—it’s about the questions.”
Gone are the days of high-pressure, transactional sales. At AVCO, reps are trained to listen more than they speak, watch body language, and build real rapport. This emotionally intelligent approach not only closes deals but also earns long-term trust and referrals.
It’s not about hiring charismatic extroverts. In fact, Ronnie’s top reps aren’t always the flashiest. They’re disciplined, coachable, and team-oriented—traits that are far more valuable than surface-level charm.
Personal Growth Is Professional Growth
“Professional problems are just personal problems in a nicer jacket.”
Perhaps the most powerful takeaway from Ronnie’s story is how deeply personal growth is woven into AVCO’s success. From battling the fear of failure to learning how to lead with vulnerability, Ronnie’s journey mirrors the transformation many contractors must go through to truly scale.
He credits mentors, his faith, and his willingness to evolve for where he is today. And now, he’s mentoring the next generation—not just in roofing skills, but in life.
FAQs: Roofing Business Takeaways from This Episode
Topic: Growth-Expansion
Q: How can a roofing company scale without the owner being involved in day-to-day operations?
A: By building a leadership team that’s empowered to make decisions, fail forward, and take ownership. Ronnie stopped answering every call and let his team solve problems, which allowed them to grow into their roles and the company to function independently.
Topic: Operations-Management
Q: What is a “savior complex” in business leadership, and how do you break it?
A: It’s the tendency for an owner to jump in and fix everything themselves. To break it, owners must trust their team, allow them to fail, and give constructive feedback instead of taking over tasks.
Topic: Sales
Q: What does an emotionally intelligent sales process look like?
A: It focuses on listening, reading body language, and asking consultative questions rather than pitching. This builds trust, improves referrals, and helps reps adapt to customer needs more effectively.
Topic: Education-Training
Q: How should roofing companies build a training system for new hires?
A: Start by documenting your entire sales process, then identify the biggest issues in that process and create SOPs. Use tools like Loom or AI assistants to make training replicable and scalable.
Topic: Customer-Service
Q: How does a strong internal culture improve customer experience?
A: Employees who feel valued and supported bring that same energy to customers. When your team is aligned and happy, it naturally leads to better communication, service, and results for homeowners.
Topic: Legal-Compliance
Q: Why is it risky to let sales reps operate without a standardized process?
A: Without consistency, reps may make legal or procedural errors that can result in compliance issues. A standardized, documented sales process ensures everyone follows best practices.
Topic: Marketing
Q: How does company culture help attract top sales talent?
A: When your team is thriving, they naturally talk about it. Word-of-mouth becomes your best recruiting tool, and you can also incentivize employees to refer people from their personal networks.
Topic: Finance-Accounting
Q: What’s the benefit of performance-based compensation in roofing sales?
A: It aligns incentives and allows high performers to earn more while giving them flexibility. Ronnie’s model helped reps earn well and enjoy a balanced life, which boosted retention and morale.
Topic: Niche Services
Q: Why doesn’t AVCO hire experienced reps from other roofing companies?
A: They prefer blank slates who can be trained from scratch within their system. It’s easier than unlearning bad habits and ensures better alignment with company values and process.
Topic: Education-Training
Q: How can AI tools like ChatGPT help roofing businesses train their team?
A: Tools like ChatGPT can interview business owners, help write SOPs, and even develop training content. This makes building systems faster and more accessible—even for non-tech-savvy contractors.
Topic: People
Q: What traits matter most when hiring roofing sales reps?
A: Discipline, coachability, and character outweigh charisma. AVCO’s best reps aren’t always the flashiest—they’re consistent, team-oriented, and willing to grow.
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