Latina entrepreneur raises the roof of success
When Ronnie and Sandra Sedillo-McGlothlin decided to hang out a shingle for their own commercial roofing company in 1982, they grew as their business empire grew.
They were young. He was 21; she was 20. They were broke – the couple sold their Corvette and a Trans Am to start Empire Roofing Ltd. out of their house – had a 2-year-old son and a baby on the way.
Together, they overcame the age hurdle with customers, as well as credit challenges, and built their specialized roofing enterprise into a $40-million international business and a multiple award-winning industry leader.
Working in male-dominated industries and without the benefit of Latina role models or mentors, Sandra, along the way, launched two commercial real estate investment/management companies, Empire Disposal Ltd. to help meet the growing need of commercial and construction waste removal and Empire Materials & Recycling LLC to help keep construction waste from going to the landfill.
Today, sheÂ’s a role model and inspiration for young Latinas and businesswomen in general, recognized for her business prowess as well as for her integral role in opening doors for minority women.
Currently the chair-elect of the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, McGlothlin recently received the Wells Fargo/USHCC Hispanic Businesswoman of the Year award and was honored by the Texas Association of Mexican-American Chambers of Commerce with its Latina Legend award.
“She’s definitely a go-getter, a leader,” Ronnie said. “There’s nothing she won’t try to do and she’ll try to do the best job she can. As far as a business partner, you couldn’t ask for anyone better. She’s not afraid to get her hands dirty. She’s not afraid to ask questions and learn. She’s ambitious – we both are.”
Despite a dearth of women in the industry, McGlothlin said she learned from men, who “were so giving and so ready to help. I just had to prove that I was knowledgeable and serious about my job. This isn’t part time for me and never has been.”
The couple lived frugally on a tight budget for the first few years, McGlothlin said, and put as much profit back into the business as possible to help it grow.
The McGlothlins now have expanded the roofing company with offices in Austin, El Paso; Houston; Memphis, Tenn.; Juarez, Mexico; and most recently, Pompano Beach, Fla.
In 2000, Sandra founded Empire Disposal, which has netted sales of $3 million in just eight years. The company provides roll-off dumpsters and compactors for trash, construction debris, industrial waste removal and recycle hauling. Currently, the roofing and disposal businesses combined employ 300 people.
McGlothlin sees herself as a lifelong learner, and says she is committed to helping younger women learn to achieve their entrepreneurial goals.
“She really believes women don’t get recognition for the hard work they do, especially Hispanic women,” Ronnie said. “She’s a real leader for businesswomen and not just Hispanics. She struggles and fights to help get them to fight for their recognition.”
In addition to having served on the board of the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce since 2003, McGlothlin serves on the boards of Commercial Real Estate for Women, North Texas Roofing Contractors Association, Roofing Contractors Association of Texas, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, Fort Worth Business Assistance Center and Fort Worth Arts Council.
“There are not a lot of Latina entrepreneurs out there. That’s one of the reasons I have to step out and show women in general that you can do it,” she said. “Sometimes I don’t have the time or the energy but I have to. I have to show them it can be done and I have to push these younger women into taking these positions and into taking risks.”
Anne Holland, senior vice president of OmniAmerican Bank and a friend who also serves on the Hispanic chamber board, said one word best describes McGlothlin: focus.
“Sandra has the unique ability to focus on a project and home in on the goal,” Holland said. “Sandra’s leadership style is inspirational. People love to work with her because she is efficient, productive and forward thinking. She exudes confidence, leads by action and the attitude she brings to her job is nothing less than infectious.”
That confidence and attitude have been passed down to the coupleÂ’s children, who both work in the family businesses. Mark, 27, is manager of Empire RoofingÂ’s repair/maintenance department and oversees safety and Cheryl, 25, is in the sales and marketing department of the waste disposal company.
“I’ve been so lucky,” McGlothlin said. “It’s all worked out for me because people helped open doors for me and helped me succeed. If I can pass it on and leave things better than they were, that’s really all we can do.”
