Antis founded Antis Roofing and Waterproofing in Southern California in 1989. One of his early appointments changed his business philosophy and put him on a path to finding personal and professional fulfillment.
In the company’s early days, Antis went to investigate a leaking roof that brought him to the small home of a single mother with seven children.
From that moving experience three decades ago, Antis has continued to give back to the community and strengthen the company’s commitment to keeping families safe and dry.
“I got a call, and I was super excited because the lady said she had leaks in every room,” he recalled. “I thought I could make a few hundred dollars. As I drove up, I saw dead grass with a simple home, and it didn’t look like there was any possibility of making any money. A woman answered the door with a really tired look on her face, and I was hit with the smell of mildew. A young girl with a huge smile pulled me into a room with four moldy mattresses. I felt sorry for them, but I did not want to help them because I didn’t have the money. I didn’t have the work. I had a mortgage payment to make. The mom walked in the room, and the moment I saw her tired face, I said, ‘I’m going to take care of your roof.’ That weekend I pulled together volunteers and materials, and we put on a really crude but dry roof. This experience created so much joy for the family and the volunteers, and ignited my passion for giving. That’s just one example of doing the right thing.”
Doing the right thing has been a driver for Antis and his company based in Irvine, California, which donates its services to several local nonprofits in Orange County. “We discovered early on that we had to give away roofs even though we didn’t feel we could afford to,” said Antis. “In my heart I could never let a family have a leaky roof just because they didn’t have the money to fix it. I would hear my dad’s voice in my ear, remembering how he would always say, ‘do the right thing.’’’
From that moving experience three decades ago, Antis has continued to give back to the community and strengthen the company’s commitment to keeping families safe and dry.
From that moving experience three decades ago, Antis has continued to give back to the community and strengthen the company’s commitment to keeping families safe and dry. In 2009, Antis was asked to donate a roof to Habitat for Humanity of Orange County. Since then Antis Roofing and Waterproofing has donated the roof installation for every Habitat for Humanity of Orange County home, totaling more than a million dollars. Antis serves as a board member for Habitat for Humanity of Orange County.
Antis describes himself as a conscious capitalist. “That spirit of giving and social responsibility inspired me to look into what changes I could make throughout the entire company so that we could give while also keeping the company’s success at the forefront to enable all the give-back work we do,” he said. “With those principles leading our company’s decisions, I can say what we do for the community is as much a part of Antis as our reputation for quality craftsmanship and customer service.”
Antis is a father of five, with his nephew Aaron serving as vice president of sales and field development for the company. Antis serves on the board of directors of the National Roofing Contractors Association, where he proposed a partnership to provide inspections, roofing and repairs for Ronald McDonald Houses across the county. He was named one of the Orange County Register’s Most Influential People in 2017 and was awarded the Best Corporate Steward award for 2017 by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce FoundationRecently, Antis received the American Red Cross Corporate Hero Award from the Orange county chapter.
Antis Roofing and Waterproofing is a corporate partner at California State University’s Center for Leadership. “That’s really important because we have the opportunity to help this great institution bring more purpose into its messaging and its programs and help students as they prepare to become business leaders,” said Antis.
We’re pushing these major ideas and although we’re a small company, we believe we are changing the world one roof at a time.”
Antis puts his efforts where he feels he can have the most impact. He serves on several boards to spread his message. “I can help explain to other businesses how this is not only going to help their culture, but it’s also going to help their bottom line.”
In addition to helping the community and families, Antis Roofing and Waterproofing’s culture also helps retention. “We retain 93 percent of our employees in an industry that only retains 46 percent. We’re in the lead on this because we are early adopters of this strategy of putting people first. We’re pushing these major ideas and although we’re a small company, we believe we are changing the world one roof at a time.”
[Article originally published by Iconic Life magazine, November 26, 2019]
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