Latin Couple Rises To Top With Roofing Company

FORT WORTH, Texas -- A local Latin power couple has built dozens of roofs on some of the most notable buildings in North Texas, but it's reportedly their strong foundation that has taken them to the top.

 

Ronnie and Sandra McGlothlin head Empire Roofing, a multimillion-dollar company that helped bring to life the Tandy Center and the Travis Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Worth.

 

Despite Empire's success, the McGlothlins had very humble beginnings. And while both have Irish names, their parents both come from Spain.

 

The couple married right out of high school. Ronnie was a roofer and decided it was time to take a chance and go into business for himself.

 

"OK, I'm 22 years old. Worst-case scenario is I could go broke three or four times before I am 30, and I'll have it figured out," Ron McGlothlin said.

 

He and Sandra did figure it out and established a successful business.

 

The McGlothlins also had two children along the way.

 

Along with the challenges of motherhood and managing a new business, Sandra said that being a woman in the roofing business had its own set of challenges.

 

"They would say, 'Let's wait for your husband,' or 'Let's call your husband,' or 'When will your husband be in to make a decision?' That was a hard thing to overcome," she said.

 

However, Sandra overcame those barriers and even started Empire Waste Disposal, the couple's second company.

 

According to the McGlothlins, they do not always agree when on the job, but they both agree that Ronnie's experience as a roofer and his knowledge of the Spanish language has earned the respect of their employees and has helped them earn their success.