What Employee Ownership Means for Our Customers
For more than a century, Baker Roofing has stood for craftsmanship, integrity, and “Always Good Work.” From the very beginning, our story has been about people—families building homes, teams building careers, and generations building trust across the Carolinas. Now, as we celebrate 110 years in business, we’re proud to start a new chapter: Baker Roofing Company is now 100% employee-owned.
That milestone doesn’t just shape our future—it directly benefits the homeowners we serve every day through Baker Home Exteriors. Here’s what this transition means for you.
What Does It Mean to Be an Employee-Owned Company?
An employee-owned company operates through something called an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). In simple terms, it means the people who show up every day to serve you—our project managers, installers, estimators, and office teams—are now the owners of the business.
Instead of shares being held by a small group of investors or a single family, they’re distributed to employees as part of their retirement benefits. Over time, each employee builds real ownership in the company they help grow.
For you, the homeowner, this means your project is handled by someone who truly has a stake in the outcome. Every shingle installed, every window sealed, and every door fitted isn’t just a job—it’s personal. Because when the company succeeds, we all do.
Why Employee Ownership Matters to Homeowners
When you hire Baker Home Exteriors, you’re not working with just another contractor. You’re partnering with a team of owners—people invested in doing right by you because this business is ours.
Here’s what that means in practice:
- Accountability at every level. Ownership inspires pride. Every interaction, from your first call to your final walkthrough, reflects our shared commitment to doing the job right.
- Long-term stability. ESOP companies have proven to be more resilient in uncertain times. According to the ESOP Association, employee-owned companies were 3.2 times more likely to retain staff during the pandemic than their peers. That stability means consistency and experience for our customers.
- Better service and craftsmanship. When our name is literally tied to the work, we go the extra mile. You can see it in the details—straight roof lines, carefully sealed flashing, siding installed to last.
- Community investment. Because we’re employee-owned, the success of our business stays right here in the Carolinas. We live in the same neighborhoods, support local schools, and care deeply about the homes we help maintain.
A Legacy 110 Years in the Making
Baker Roofing started in 1915 as a small tin shop in Raleigh, North Carolina. Over the years, it grew into one of the most respected roofing and exterior remodeling companies in the country—still family-run and rooted in the same values that built its reputation.
That legacy is the foundation of Baker Home Exteriors. And now, through employee ownership, we’re ensuring that legacy continues for another century and beyond. As our president, Keith Gregory, put it in a recent Business North Carolina article, this transition “honors the generations who built Baker and empowers the people carrying it forward.”
Employee ownership allows us to protect what makes Baker special: craftsmanship, culture, and care.
The Bigger Picture: Why Employee-Owned Companies Thrive
This transition isn’t just good for us—it’s part of a growing movement across the U.S.
- 6,250+ companies across the nation now operate as ESOPs.
- 10.6 million employees participate in these plans—more than the entire U.S. auto industry workforce.
- Together, employee owners hold $1.377 trillion in value, averaging over $129,000 per employee.
(Source: The ESOP Association)
As Jim Bonham, President and CEO of The ESOP Association, says:
“Employee ownership is the new American Dream. When you own a stake in the company where you work, you have an unbeatable opportunity to build a better tomorrow for yourself and your family.”
That sense of shared purpose is exactly what we want every homeowner to feel when they choose Baker Home Exteriors—to know their project is handled by people who care deeply about the result.
Always Good Work, Always Together
Becoming 100% employee-owned doesn’t change who we are—it simply deepens what we’ve always believed: that great work starts with great people. It strengthens our ability to serve you with the consistency, craftsmanship, and care that’s defined Baker for generations.
When you see our team trucks on your street or our crews up on a roof, know that every person there has a personal stake in the quality of the work. We’re building something that lasts—for your home and for ours.
We’re proud to be your neighbors, your contractors, and now, your employee-owners.