Victors Roofing takes such pride in its workmanship that they offer a leak-free guarantee.
Parallel to his work ethic, Victor Smolyanov, owner of the Canton-based business, instills another value in his business: The importance of giving back.
"We were brought up as kids that if someone needs help, we help them," says Smolyanov, whose own family knew hardship, having immigrated from Ukraine in 1996. His father, Vladimir, worked hard to put each of his children through college, but it didn’t come easily. When the family first arrived, they received a charitable Christmas gift program of coats, basketballs and more.
In addition to new roofs, Victors Roofing offers complete roofing services — roof repair, roof replacement and the Roof Maxx system, an innovative spray-on technology. The company also is set to launch a brand-new kitchen and bath division.
A few years back, while installing a free roof for a veteran, Smolyanov was interviewed by WJR’s Paul W. Smith. On the spot — and on the air — he made a quick calculation on how many roofs his company needed to install to give a free one away to others in need. He made the company’s commitment official that day and launched Give Back with Victors, a free roof program.
"If I say it, I have to do it, there is no going back,” Smolyanov says. “I would say we do about 12-16 free roofs a year at this point. For every 100 roofs we replace, we donate one to a family in need. The program scales with every installation, so if we do 2,000 roofs a year, we give away 20. It's a wonderful feeling that on top of receiving a premium product and experience, our customers also benefit knowing they are a part of a community paying it forward.”
Smolyanov gets the whole team involved when someone gets a new roof, and everyone learns the story. "Last summer, a man with no leg and pancreatic cancer was living with a leaking roof. Every time it rained, he had to move his bed,” he says. “You forget there are people in Michigan who live this way."
In October, the Give Back recipient, a public high-school teacher, was battling the same rare, triple-negative form of breast cancer as one of the Victors team members. “This one was very close to our heart, as the Victors family is a very close-knit one,” he says.
Smolyanov and his team learn about people’s need for roofs through various channels. For example, his sales rep tipped him off about a 77-year-old veteran working full time in Kroger and spending his entire life savings taking care of his parents and brother. When he was denied credit for a roof, Smolyanov’s team knew this man would be a perfect candidate for a free roof. "We empower our team to learn about need in the community,” he says. Potential recipients can also be nominated on the company’s website, at victorsroofing.com/giveback.
The construction and home improvement industry has benefited during the pandemic, due to people spending more time at home. As Smolyanov puts it, roofing is the "dentist" of home improvement. "No one wakes up in the morning and gets excited about their roof, but you know it has to be done."
Fueled by his company’s success, and ruled by integrity, Smolyanov and his team work even harder to share what they can. Two of the company’s core values are "We Do What's Right" and "We Care" and are deeply ingrained into the culture at every level.
“Always do the right thing,” Smolyanov says. “Even if no one is looking.”
