At American Eagle Roofing, they’re building the business shingle by shingle.
It’s a family operation—multifamily, really. American Eagle Roofing is co-owned by primary shareholder Sean Kennedy, plus Taylor Made Construction owner Steve Riley (and Riley’s father and brother) and Ariel Giannone. Kennedy says having several partners is a tremendous benefit. “You don’t have a bottleneck at the top or a chieftain,” he says. “It’s good to have a collaboration of people and their ideas so there’s always someone with another perspective to bounce off of.”
The company motto incorporates this sense of unity: “Let our family help yours.” Of course, this makes sense for a roofing business, where the very essence of their work involves securing people’s homes, the most valuable family shelter. But the motto also applies to American Eagle itself and the way they run the operation: taking care of their employees and their customers. Number one value, says Kennedy, is company culture. “One hundred and fifty percent,” he says. “We live by our core values,” he says. “Within the office, outside of the office on projects, with the business decisions we make at the top. We’re building a long-term foundation.”
Which sounds a lot like building a roof.
As El Dorado County residents know all too well, especially this time of year, roof issues often announce themselves with the first heavy rain and wind. Trouble can arise from any of the following: broken or missing shingles, moss, mold, dry rot, critter damage, leaf buildup, flashing breeches, gutter problems, sheer age, and the list goes on. The homeowner sees the telltale bubble or stain on the ceiling, and they need immediate help.
American Eagle Roofing, which originated in San Mateo, has been repairing and replacing roofs for more than 20 years, since 2003. Kennedy and a former business partner then opened a branch in Shingle Springs, and it quickly outgrew its existing business model. Kennedy shifted strategies, took ownership in 2018 with current partners, and they have continued to scale the business
American Eagle Roofing’s services include new installation, repairs, gutters, dry-rot solutions, solar panel and battery backup installations, among others. They do assessments and provide free estimates. They recognize the homeowner needs not only their high-quality materials and workmanship but a headache-free experience, too. That means staffers are responsive—and responsible—about calling back, showing up, and behaving and operating as professionals.
They strive to keep staff members happy, too. “We are definitely employee-first,” says Kennedy, citing good compensation packages with benefits that include medical, dental, vision, life insurance, 401(k) matching and more. The company also treats its employees to dinners out to, say, Joe’s Crab Shack in Sacramento or Dave and Buster’s in Folsom, and even trips, including to Las Vegas and Catalina. He adds that they also do plenty of goal-setting.
One of those goals: community involvement. Whether it’s sponsoring or staffing a trunk-or-treat, Cameron Park’s fireworks event or an El Dorado Hills’ summer concert series, American Eagle gets out there to help. “We sponsor every dang baseball and football team we can get our hands on,” says Kennedy, noting that beyond sponsorship, some employees also coach teams. Fun fact: Among the American Eagle Roofing employees, there’s a total of about 70 kids, including at least one who has grown up and joined the company.
Giving back is a big part of American Eagle’s mission, which was evident when they partnered with Taylor Made Construction earlier this year to give away $15,000 worth of home improvement and roofing services to a lucky winner at a Placerville home show. “We replaced the roof and gutters, repainted the house, did two decks, the siding, a few windows, and doors—just completely revitalized this home.”
In a case of “let our family help yours,” this project was done for a mother raising kids on her own, whose situation grabbed their hearts. “When her name was drawn and we saw her story, we decided to go above and beyond that 15K mark and pull the top off of it and really, really do something special for her,” says Kennedy. “We’re really proud of what we were able to do. It made us feel good.”
He’s also proud that American Eagle Roofing works within the community where he lives—and where most of the employees live. “We want to do our best to create jobs in this community and maintain a healthy, vibrant business that looks good for El Dorado County,” he says.
Their commitment to family, community support, and high-quality service is the foundation upon which the business thrives. As Kennedy and his partners build a legacy, American Eagle Roofing exemplifies what it means to create a business that serves both its people and its place. The future looks bright, with a roof overhead that’s built to last.
“We're trying to do more every year with community outreach; it's a big part of who we are.”
“We value culture. We want our company to be a place where you're happy to go. We live by our core values.”