Today we’d like to introduce you to Preston Ewing.
Hi Preston, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My story is long and a bit complex, but I will try and simplify it. I was actually raised in Tennessee by two amazing parents who have passed but they instilled in me hard work and accountability. They also raised me to believe and have faith in God. I moved to Utah after serving a mission in Quebec, Canada to attend University. I began my studies in Pre Dental and after transferring to the University of Utah I switched majors to Communications because I found myself driven by relationships and meeting new people and desiring to know how to communicate in life and in business. In my twenties and thirties, I worked a number of jobs. I was married and had four amazing kids (Jaxon, Dakota, Oaklee, Breven) and wanting to provide for them the best I could. I worked for my in-laws at the time in a Landscaping company being able to help them scale it to $15 million dollar company where I learned a ton about managing people and contracts and providing high customer service. I would bump heads with my father-in-Law so I would leave for times to pursue other employment and did that carrousel for a time until I moved my family back to Tennessee to tend to a mother who was suffering from Alzheimer. There I became a sales rep for a roofing manufacturer and my territory covered 8 states which taught me to be a master of scheduling but often times felt overwhelmed. We were there from 2006-2011. When we returned to Utah my life seemed to take a downhill spiral within a short time I lost my mother, my home and money in a Ponzi scheme, and went through a divorce. My world came crushing down on me. After a couple of years, I found myself in a bad relationship, was let go from my company and took a leap of faith to start my own roofing company. My first year I signed a contract on a huge new build on a theme park and thought I had arrived at success. After a year of hard work and devoting myself and finances to this project it went belly and up the owner filed bankruptcy and again, I found myself in a familiar spot of losing everything. People always asked how I kept such a positive attitude through all this and I contribute it to the spirit of gratitude. I found there is always something to be grateful for and someone in this world has it worse than me so be grateful for the struggles that are given to you. After taking a couple of positions at other companies, I decided to throw my hat in the ring and open my own business again. I was completely broke but fortunately I received a tax return for $6000.00 and used that to reinstate my GC license and get insurance and I opened up Roof Medics. I was blessed from the get-go. My first year I did $900k and my second year I did $1.5 Million and started a second company called Build Medics. I am in my third year of business, and I have launched a software for the roofing industry using AI and it is ROOFAI.PRO. It is me and my oldest son Jaxon, and we have been blessed with a number of great subcontractors that allow us to complete the work we do. I wouldn’t consider myself a successful businessman for I am still learning every day how to run a business. My success has come from maintaining and nurturing the relationships I have created over the years. Money may come and go but the consistent part of my life are the people in it. I strive to live the golden rule to love others and treat people with kindness and respect. I haven’t perfected it, but I strive every day to find that one person I can help. If I am blessed to experience financial success It would in no doubt create a little less stress but more importantly if I am able to serve and nourish the relationships in my life, I will die a rich man.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t think anything worthwhile comes smoothly. We are constantly failing in my opinion as we gain knowledge and experience. Failure is important if we can learn to utilize it as a growing point and not as a negative. We need to give ourselves and others a little grace. Praise the good and use the bad as a teaching point. I coached little league sports for over 17 years and kids make mistakes and coaches make mistakes. You have to become a master at building people after mistakes let them know what they did wrong and give them the opportunity to correct it. I had setbacks in life and business, and I have gained a mass of knowledge through each failure.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are a roofing and general contracting company specializing in roof systems and remodels with a goal to do vertical builds. Our operation today in small consisting of myself and my oldest son Jaxon. We utilize sub-contractors and have developed a talented group of craftsmen and strive to provide quality work on every project. One of our biggest clients is a group called Shelter the Homeless. They purchase older motels, and we refurbish them and turn them into halfway homes for the homeless. It is such a rewarding experience to beautify a place and see others come and feel like they have a fresh start to life.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Draper has been home to me and my kids. The community provides lots of activities and the schools and sports programs are amazing. Its located between Utah and Salt Lake county and provides great access for work and entertainment. The cost of living here has gone up to the point its hard for young families to live here. That will soon affect our school and sports programs. There still is a range of economics between families here and I think that can create some difficulties and advantages.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.roofmedicsutah.com
