Saratoga Roofing & Construction: Providing Quality Nationwide Services

Saratoga Roofing & Construction (Saratoga) is a full-service roofing contractor in Oklahoma City, Okla.. The family-operated business has been providing roofing and construction services to clients across the country for over 70 years.

“My great-grandfather started a company in 1933,” says Denver Green, president of Saratoga. “He was doing asphalt roofing in San Diego. I grew up around that business and we started this division in 1999.”

Denver works alongside his mother, Chris Green, CEO of Saratoga. The pair proudly carries on the company name, which references the Green family’s history in horse racing, as Saratoga Race Track is a well-known horse track in Upstate New York.

Saratoga operates under holding company Mountain Top Enterprises LLC, which offers stability and opportunities for growth. In the last three years, Denver reports a 1,768-percent rate of growth. In that same time Saratoga has created 93 new jobs in the construction industry. Today the company employs around 100 people, and the Oklahoma City Chamber named Saratoga the fastest-growing private company in the Oklahoma City metro area.

Raising the Roof

The family business specializes in large commercial roofing projects. “We’re based in Oklahoma City, but we work nationwide,” explains Denver. “We’ve worked in 17 states in 2012.” The team’s broad reach has brought in more work through referrals and working on multiple sites for major corporate clients. “Our highly skilled team is committed to excellence,” says Denver. “We’re also committed to using the best available technology, and that sets us apart from other contractors.”

Saratoga works for a number of commercial clients in varying industries. “We do a lot of large-scale projects,” says Denver. “We work for some of the big-box companies doing reroofing. We do a lot of new construction roofing on hospitals. We are one of the few businesses that can travel long distances for projects.” The team utilizes technology and designated on-site project managers to keep operations on track. With a wide range of capabilities, Saratoga offers all system types, including composition shingle, tile, synthetic and natural materials, among others.

The team performs nearly all aspects of such roofing projects in house. “We have a sheet metal shop,” says Denver. “We ship 99.5 percent of it out of Oklahoma City and for the most part we do it ourselves.” Occasionally the team subcontracts work that involves HVAC or gas, as decades of experience and a highly trained staff allow Saratoga to operate independently on most sites.

There is always something new coming down the pipeline for Saratoga. “We’ve recently wrapped up several major projects,” says Denver. “We did a 1 million-square foot roof on the Amazon Regional Distribution Center in Tennessee and that was a fast-track project. We broke ground on that in February and had to have it turned around by October. We had 16 guys on site and had to complete it quickly.”

The company has also recently completed two large projects in Norman, Okla. The team wrapped up a reroof of the Norman Regional Hospital in 2012. The second local project was an Embassy Suites and Convention Center. “It was fully functioning the whole time,” says Denver. “We had to coordinate with staff and be mindful of the experience of their guests.”

Making the Best of the Recession

Unlike many companies involved in construction, the recession was a period of growth for Saratoga. “We took the downturn as an opportunity to gain market share and skilled team members,” reports Denver. “If the economy hadn’t dipped, we never would have been able to get some of the top talent that we have now. We recruit people who understand our customers, whether that’s estimators or project managers. We’ve grown during the recession.”

The company is streamlining efforts, utilizing technology to keep the work and the numbers organized. All foremen and project managers carry iPads and submit three daily reports. “We have a safety checklist that needs to be completed and uploaded with pictures of work that has been done each day,” elaborates Denver. “Our clients – which can be a the general contractor, an owner or a property manager – receive a daily report at 6 p.m. These reports are saved and clients can access them at any time.”

Technological advances are improving communication across the industry. Saratoga is taking advantage of new capabilities to deepen relationships with customers and suppliers. Denver maintains that his suppliers are part of the team, and maintaining those partnerships is imperative to the success of his business.

Saratoga employs a team of experts, carrying years of experience and a dedication to delivering quality, durable roof solutions. Denver says the company is on track for continued growth over the next few years. “Our success is dictated by our ability to develop top-level talent and obtain the best people in the business,” he expands. “We stand by the strength of a centralized business, but there may be value in opening more offices. We’re still exploring that.” For now, Saratoga Roofing & Construction will continue to provide high levels of service to nationwide customers, despite the travel time from home base.