By: Maria Williams

In an era where the discourse surrounding renewable energy can seem more volatile than ever, industry leaders are showing that you don’t have to choose the planet over profit. CEO of Arrow Roofing Services, Trenton Wisecup, is emblematic of the benefits of investing in the future.

In the last decade alone, the global solar energy industry experienced an average annual growth rate of 22%. Between 2021 and 2022, the market value of the global solar sector jumped nearly USD 70 Billion, from 167.83 billion to 234.86 billion. These numbers are roughly incomprehensible except to those who recognize the potential of this industry. In Michigan, roofer Trenton Wisecup has become a pioneer in combining his trade with the power of solar energy.

Michigan is not often considered a hub for solar energy, with solar companies usually choosing to invest their initial efforts in sunnier states like California or Texas. However, when GAF released its revolutionary solar energy shingle in 2020, Wisecup immediately saw the value in its potential: “I started pounding on GAF’s door right away.”

As a business owner with a reputation based on integrity and high-quality workmanship, Wisecup saw a valuable niche for Arrow Roofing at the intersection of roofing and sustainability. GAF’s solar shingle eliminated the need for total roof replacement, a common deterrent homeowners face when debating solar energy installation. 

Wisecup notes, “Traditionally, solar businesses would lose roofing projects because either customers can’t get financing for both, or they don’t want to do it anymore because their roof is fine and they can get another five to ten years out of it. But what GAF’s done is made it super simple where our current asphalt shingle installation crews can, with almost no change in the installation steps, install them.”

Although GAF initially hesitated to invest their limited product inventory in Michigan because the state lags in renewable energies compared to their neighbors, they were compelled by Arrow Roofing due to Wisecup’s enormously successful marketing and sales strategies. 

Starting Arrow when he was only 17, “with just $1400 to my name,” Wisecup led his company to $5 million yearly in revenues and national awards. Wisecup invests most of his advertising budget into classic canvassing, firmly believing that “door to door is the best marketing in the world. We can actually take the money and spend it on people. Go meet the market where they’re at… the [sales representatives] are going to get a return.” 

Wisecup recruited bonafide solar energy phenom Ryan Brunton to bolster his representative team. “His business acumen is so high. He made $2 million selling solar in one year,” says Wisecup on his decision to have Brunton spearhead his efforts with GAF. “I feel like I’m not alone, and I have a ton of support where I’m not pushing the pace and doing everything myself. Ryan’s brought a lot to the table.”

Wisecup’s foresight and unique marketing efforts have more than paid off, with Arrow Roofing becoming the only storm restoration company in Michigan to carry GAF’s solar shingle and having a projected revenue of USD 20 Million over the next year. Wisecup’s company is also one of only five master leads in the state of Michigan offering the solar shingle and one of the earliest buy-ins to the product, with only 10,000 roofing companies across the U.S. utilizing the shingle.

As legislators and lobbyists keep us swinging on a pendulum between fossil fuels and renewables, many business owners are content to stick to the status quo and see how things shake out. 

Not Trenton Wisecup. 

By investing in renewables relatively early, he knows Arrow Roofing is poised in a perfect position to take full advantage of the renewable boom to come. “In a market that nobody’s counting on, we can blow it up.”

Through carefully crafting a trusted reputation in Michigan and Wisecup’s company’s personal interactions with his customers, he knows his clientele will be amenable to the solar shingles when pondering future roofing projects. When discussing the distribution of renewables like solar, Wisecup says, “They need to give it to the door-to-door people, the roofing people, and allow us to use our expertise to dissect the information they’re providing and allow us to create the framework.”

Speaking to the reasoning as to why he has chosen to make investments in projects such as solar shingles, Wisecup says, “It’s not good to not have the awareness of what’s taking place bigger picture than in your market…as leaders, we’re responsible to telegraph that kind of stuff as best we can to protect our team.”

This kind of foresight from respected community members such as Wisecup creates the momentum for enacting positive change in today’s world. With his sights firmly set on Arrow Roofing becoming GAF’s number-one Master Elite company, it’s clear he has no plans to slow down anytime soon. In that sense, Arrow Roofing and Wisecup have become harbingers of brighter days to come.

If you’re interested in learning more about Trenton Wisecup or Arrow Roofing Services, head to their website today!

Published by: Martin De Juan