"Money comes and goes, but family and relationships last a lifetime."
Mike Larsen, CEO of Larsen Roofing, is a leader in the roofing industry with over 20 years of experience. He has built his company from the ground up, and through his hard work and dedication, has established Larsen Roofing as one of the premier roofing companies in the region.
Mike’s extensive knowledge of the industry and his commitment to providing top-quality service to his customers has made him a respected and trusted name in the business.
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Table of Contents
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Mike Larsen: Hi, I’m Mike Larsen and I am the owner of Larsen Roofing. I have been in the roofing industry for 25 years. We’re based in Grand Blanc, MI, but I am originally from Chicago, IL. We serve the communities of Davison, Clarkston, Grand Blanc, Lapeer, Metamora, Swartz Creek, Flushing, and Rochester Hills.
If you were in an elevator with Warren Buffett, how would you describe your company, your services or products? What makes your company different from others? What is your company’s biggest strength?
Mike Larsen: While there usually isn’t anything new under the sun in roofing, we pride ourselves on being honest and fair. Residential service contractors often get a bad reputation because their customers end up feeling cheated at the end of the deal. We have always been focused on providing value to our customers at the most fair price possible.
One other major difference is that we still do repair work. Most roofing companies won’t take on repairs because they think it isn’t worth their time. But an honest company will tell you that not all roofing jobs require a full tear-off. That is the main difference in Larsen Roofing.
What advice do you wish you received when you started your business journey and what do you intend on improving in the next quarter?
Mike Larsen: When I first started, I wish someone would have told me how to ride the economic ups and downs. It has been a big learning curve in terms of budgeting and understanding what to expect. However, I think right now, people might be feeling the pains of inflation, and for the next quarter, I will be focusing on making sure that we aren’t over charging in our business. If our customers are feeling the pain, we are right there with them.
Online business keeps on surging higher than ever, B2B, B2C, online shopping, virtual meetings, remote work, Zoom medical consultations, what are your expectations for the year to come and how are you capitalizing on the tidal wave?
Mike Larsen: That’s an interesting question. The funny thing is that during the pandemic, we had to learn how to use Zoom to give roofing quotes. I had to make some big changes to my online presence in the last year or so.
We updated https://larsenroofing.com to help collect leads digitally, because one major change I have seen in the past couple of years has been that people don’t like talking on the phone. They’d rather fill out a form and get a text to confirm their appointment. It’s a new world and businesses had to adjust.
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as THE real challenge right now?
Mike Larsen: The biggest challenge in the roofing industry has been the cost of materials and supply chain problems. We are just NOW starting to see the supply chain issues being resolved after 2 years, but materials costs are still on the uptick. Inflation will slow down it seems, which will help. So I think it is understanding how to navigate these problems without making your customers suffer as a result.
2020, 2021, 2022 threw a lot of curve balls into businesses on a global scale. Based on the experience gleaned in the past years, how can businesses thrive in 2023? What lessons have you learned and what advice would you share?
Mike Larsen: 2023 will be a big year. I think those that have survived the past 3 years will do even better in 2023, so long as they stay committed to having a digital experience for the consumer. I was skeptical of it all at first, because roofing is an old school business, but I knew I needed to make some changes in order to really capitalize and grow. Luckily, I have made those adjustments, and I imagine others are as well.
What does “success” in the year to come mean to you? It could be on a personal or business level, please share your vision.
Mike Larsen: Success, for me, isn’t in the number of roofs I replace or the bank account balance. Success for me has been seeing my kids thrive as they have grown up. It has been in hearing from customers that they felt we treated them fairly and that they’re satisfied with the job we did for them. Money comes and goes, but family and relationships last a lifetime.
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Mike Larsen for taking the time to do this interview and share his knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Mike Larsen or his company, you can do it through his – Facebook Page
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