"It is true of the nation, as of the individual, that the greatest doer must also be a great dreamer.”
—Theodore Roosevelt

Beth Gloss considered careers in teaching and forestry before choosing roofing and buying United Materials LLC 21 years ago. Photo: Ian Wagreich

At five feet tall, Beth Gloss may be small in stature, but she’s large in influence. As the managing member of United Materials LLC, she is a pioneer in the heavily male-dominated roofing industry.

Gloss was originally hired as a bookkeeper at a small roofing company in Fort Collins, Colorado, but when she showed up on her first day, the owner, instead, offered her a job as an estimator—someone who reads blueprints and figures out the quantity of materials and labor needed for a project. “The owner thought that maybe a woman would be more detailed oriented,” says Gloss, referring to her job as an estimator. “I knew nothing about roofs. He handed me a specification book and said, ‘Here are a couple of suppliers. Let’s see what you can learn in about a month, and then we’ll talk.’” It was, Gloss says, a sink-or-swim type of training. “Needless to say, I’ve never trained anyone that way.”

The experience gave Gloss a taste of all aspects of roofing. “All along, I just kept learning by reading and spending time with the crews, customers, and suppliers,” she says. After brief stints at other roofing companies and a six-month sabbatical to race mud trucks—“it was a rugged way of life”—Gloss applied for a job at United Materials, Colorado’s oldest roofing company.

She says that United Materials’ second-generation owner, Bill Kugler, thought that a woman “would stay on task and not have as large an ego.” Gloss says that her goal all along was to change the reputation of the industry. “I felt that the industry could be more professional and provide a better workplace for employees.”

When the time came for Kugler to sell the business, Gloss threw her hat in the ring. Kugler was initially resistant. “He didn’t like me being out there with the crews, which can be a little rough and dangerous.” After several years of coaxing, Kugler finally agreed to sell 90% of the company to Gloss in 2004. “I put every spare penny I had into it, all my bonuses, all my money, everything,” she says.

Today, Gloss works to overcome stereotypes that the construction and roofing industry are “full of illegal immigrants or people who aren’t smart and educated.” The job, she says, is difficult and requires roofers to be communicative, think on their feet, and make important decisions, all with the hot sun beating down on them. “One small mistake could wipe out millions of dollars of technology for our clients,” Gloss says.

Gloss provides ample training for her employees and pays the entire cost of health care coverage for them and their families. “Our health care costs are three times our net profits. But it’s important to offer that,” she says.

To share your story, e-mail Greg Galdabini at ggaldabi@uschamber.com.

Member Facts
Company: United Materials LLC
Managing Member: Beth Gloss
E-Mail Address: beth@unitedmtls.com
Address: 5135 York St. Denver, CO 80216
Phone: 303-623-4166
Website: www.united-materials.com
Chamber Member Since: 2005
Founded: 1923
Number of Employees: 52