With regard to truly building a culture of trust and teamwork, I end every conversation to my directors with the challenge to “err on the side of generosity.”

Charles Antis, Founder and President of Antis Roofing and Waterproofing, Inc., began his successful career in the roofing industry in 1984, after moving to Southern California from Provo, Utah where he attended Brigham Young University. Charles is a member of numerous roofing associations and business groups, including Vistage 390, which helps to advance the growth of other Orange County businesses by providing support and leadership for owners and executives. A proponent of multi-tenant housing ownership education, Charles has served for 20 years on the Education Committee of the Community Association Institute (CAI), teaching maintenance responsibilities to board members and community managers. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Orange County Chapter of Habitat for Humanity, and his company, Antis Roofing and Waterproofing, has provided every roof installation of every home built by Habitat OC since 2009. Charles is also a third-year chair of the Leaders Build Day Committee of HFH-OC, an annual event that brings over 70 Orange County business leaders together for a day of giving back to the community, and his committee set a record in fundraising last year, raising over $100,000.00. Charles is a proponent and local thought leader of Corporate Social Responsibility which follows the belief model of “Doing Well by Doing Good.”

Antis Roofing & Waterproofing was founded in 1989 by Charles Antis. From the beginning, Antis has worked exclusively in the HOA and multi-tenant family market in Orange, Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties, providing roofing, decking and maintenance solutions for more than 1,000 communities. Antis built its brand on the basis of honesty, transparency, quality craftsmanship, and customer service. The company is highly regarded in the community for its commitment to social responsibility, in particular their longstanding work with Habitat for Humanity of Orange County and their recent partnership with, and contributions to Alzheimer’s OC.

BusinessInterviews.com: What’s the most exciting thing on the horizon for you/your Company?

Charles Antis: Influencing roofing construction across the nation. Positive publicity is important because it builds a better culture by building pride in the team. It reminds clients and stakeholders that you are going to be here for the long haul, and it influences your community and your industry. Next month we are being featured in the nation’s premier roofing magazine, discussing our philanthropy (we have donated all the roof installation for Habitat for Humanity of Orange County since 2009) with a call-to-arms to roofing contractors across the nation to do the same. Simultaneously, I am also donating my resources to the roofing industry by joining two national committees of the NRCA, Community Outreach and Business Development, to help build the brand of roofers across the nation, and to increase roofing philanthropy.

BusinessInterviews.com: What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs and business owners? What do you wish someone told you?

Charles Antis: Yes, take your eye off your cash register, and cast your gaze to your employees. Invest in your employees because “culture trumps everything!” I have found that when I focus on taking care of all of my stakeholders, including employees, clients, partnered vendors, suppliers and the community, that sales and margins increase. With regard to truly building a culture of trust and teamwork, I end every conversation to my directors with the challenge to “err on the side of generosity.”

BusinessInterviews.com: What’s the biggest risk that you’ve ever taken and how did it turn out?

Charles Antis: My biggest risk occurred in the 26th year of my roofing business (last year). In Southern California, we were in the fifth year of the worst drought on record, and roofing sales were slow. Most of my competitors cut back staff, and eliminated most marketing spends, including all philanthropy. We believe so much in what we do that we maintained our give back to our clients by keeping our professional sports arena suite in play, and continued to donate all roofs on all Habitat for Humanity of OC builds against the recommendations of most of our advisors. We also donated funds and in kind to more than 20 other local nonprofits and funded an international Habitat build. The result is that in 2016 we are setting records in sales and in profit, and our culture is higher than it has ever been.