United Veterans Roofing, a Newtown-headquartered company, lives up to its name.
In 2018, the business began when the team, led by CFO Rich Lazar, replaced and repaired the roofs of Philadelphia-area homeowners with the help of their insurance providers. Since then, they’ve been intent on satisfying customers and giving back. Amanda Capoferri, Rich's stepdaughter, serves as project manager.
This full-service roofing company performs replacement and emergency repairs for residential and commercial properties – using a variety of materials, from slate to metal to asphalt – throughout Greater Philadelphia and New Jersey.
For this family-owned and operated business, it’s important to contribute to communities through multiple programs. The business was named to honor Rich’s daughter who served in the military. “Since United Veterans Roofing is named after veterans, our No. 1 priority is making sure we live up to our name and the values that our name entails,” Rich explains. “Our top priority is honoring those who served through giving back.”
The concept of 'family' is at the heart of their mission. “I like to let our customers know that we’re a small business, and that, when you work with us, we’re bringing you into the family,” says Amanda. “We stand by the fact we wouldn’t put a roof on a customer’s home that we wouldn’t put on our own homes.”
In fact, ensuring the team lives up to the company's name is representative of everything United Veterans Roofing does. This includes giving back to multiple organizations that support veterans, such as Volunteers of America Home for the Brave Homeless Shelter, Wild Bill Guarnere Memorial Fund, and the Wounded Warriors Project.
However, in summer 2021, their focus shifted to donating to the local communities they serve – specifically to local veterans. Their services already were backed by GAF, a leading North American roofing manufacturing company that operates a philanthropic program called Roofs for Troops. By partnering with GAF for this project, the United Veterans Roofing team was able to access the resources they needed.
During the 2021 holiday season, they asked their social media followers to nominate deserving veterans. This would give, as Amanda explains, "something for [the recipients] to look forward to for spring.” While the team only initially intended to give away one roof, thanks to an anonymous donor, they were able to help two recipients – one in Pennsylvania and one in New Jersey. The team now intends to give away at least one roof every year.
The recipients, whose roofing projects were completed in the spring, include Anthony DiDomenico of Harleysville, Pennsylvania, and George Ivins of Mantua, New Jersey. Anthony is an active member of the Pennsylvania National Guard, with a young family, and George is a Vietnam veteran who is no longer an active service member. Explains Amanda: “It was a great way to give back to two very deserving veterans who are at very different phases of their lives."
No one was more surprised by the team's benevolence than the recipients themselves. "I thought it was a joke at first," Anthony says, explaining his initial reaction upon learning the good news. “But then I heard my neighbor's voice [who had submitted him] on the phone, and I knew it was for real. We want to thank them and her for this opportunity."
Anthony's roof was completed in mid-April. He and his wife, Renee DiDomenico, are the home’s second owners, he explains, noting that their previous 25-year-old roof – original to the house – had endured the typical wear and tear from age. He says the team gutted the roof to its foundation before resealing it and adding new shingles. The active duty National Guard service member adds that he was impressed with the team, who arrived at 7 a.m. “ready to go."
George was similarly pleased – and shocked. "I couldn’t believe it because I’ve never won anything. I’ve been blessed in my life, but this was out of the ordinary," he says, adding he didn't actually believe his good fortune until the work began.
The US Navy vet was clearly impressed by the very "regimented" and "helpful" team, who completed his new charcoal gray dimensional roof in March. "It looks beautiful," he says. "I love it."
George was nominated by a woman from his church. For him, this gift couldn't have come at a better time. His 30-year-old roof needed major repairs – contractors had come out twice after the roof experienced major leaking. While he had the leaks patched about five years earlier, this was not enough to sustain the roof, and he worried how he would afford a replacement. "It’s good to know that someone was thinking of me," he adds.
That someone is Rich and his team. "We want to thank each member of the armed forces for their service," he says. Adds Amanda: "They haven’t all had an easy life, so we’re just trying to do as much for them as we can."
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"Our top priority is making sure we honor those who served through giving back." - Rich Lazar, United Veterans Roofing CFO