Aaron and Rachael McGrew‘s new business offers a unique, all-natural rejuvenating treatment that can add years to the life of a roof.
The couple started their roof treatment business April 1, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
“When we started the process to purchase a Roof Maxx dealership in January, we had no idea COVID was going to hit, and the country was going to shut down,” said Rachael.
“As we were going through the purchasing and certification phase in February and March, things began to get pretty serious. By the time we were officially certified at the beginning of April, we had a full-blown pandemic on our hands.”
However, with more people at home and paying attention to home maintenance, the couple has full confidence that starting their business was the right thing to do.
They formed McGrew Crew Roofing and Construction LLC to operate as a Roof Maxx dealer, with assistance from the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center at Arkansas Tech University.
An application of their spray-on, soy-based treatment can delay replacing shingles for as long as five years.
“Customers have been excited to learn that there is an alternative to a traditional roof replacement at a fraction of the cost. There’s also an environmental aspect of Roof Maxx that is incredibly appealing to a lot of people. With any new product, it takes some time to educate the market and gain trust, but Roof Maxx is growing rapidly,” said Rachael.
ASBTDC assisted the McGrews by providing information about startup steps, cash flow analysis, and business planning.
Aaron, an ATU alum, and Rachael began working with the center’s Ronda Hawkins in late 2019.
“The most helpful services ASBTDC has provided for us is the one-on-one consulting and resources. Having Ronda available to answer all our questions and guide us through the process has been a tremendous help. We were beyond prepared when we went to the bank,” said Rachael.
Roof Maxx is located in Fort Smith and serves Sebastian, Crawford, Logan, and Franklin counties.
To learn more about the business, visit roofmaxx.com/find-a-dealer/arkansas/fort-smith or facebook.com/RoofMaxxRiverValley.
