Alexander Pope once said, "On life's vast ocean diversely we sail. Reason the card, but passion is the gale."

Richard M. Nugent, CEO of Nations Roof, in Bridgeport, Conn., knows much about passion and its relationship to success. "I grew up in New York the youngest of four sons," he says. "My survival instinct was developed at an early age, so I was perfect for the roofing industry."

Nugent, his brother, Jim, and business partners Ron Werowinski and Larry Morgan, created Nations Roof, which opened in 2004. As a national provider of commercial roofing services, Nations Roof employs more than 450 professionals in 14 locations in the United States.

"I learn something important every day from our people, and I hope they learn from me," Nugent says. "Our management team is committed to the development of everyone on staff."

In turn, Nations Roof has grown as fast as any commercial roofing company in the country. What's the secret?

"I'm not sure it's a secret," Nugent says. "I can give you the standard lines about hard work, etc., and they would all be true. What I do think has singled us out and afforded us the amazing growth and success is that we entered the marketplace with a very specific vision to be a national provider of commercial roofing services. A detailed business plan was developed based on a great deal of experience. The result is a model that works. It rewards and motivates people and is customer focused. Plus, the company was built from the ground up, so we all share the same culture. It was a high-risk decision, requiring a large investment and a very aggressive management team."

Nations Roof's senior management team has a "very unique background" in every aspect of running a national company, Nugent says.

"We took what we knew and executed it with minimal restrictions. At all times we have been very careful to make sure that we do not make decisions that would force us into having to take actions driven for short-term results. Every decision that we have made has been for long-term success. We still have a way to go to fully realize our vision, but it has not been a bad start. This has been very challenging, especially with doubling our revenue yearly." Nations Roof believes in its safety commitment.

"We believe OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and our customers have made us better by demanding more safety accountability," Nugent says. "We see it as a positive, in all respects. Nations Roof has written safety plans, site-specific plans, Tool Box Talks, incentives, and training opportunities to raise safety awareness and prevent injuries."

Recognizing how the construction industry has changed with recent challenges over the issues of immigration reform, Nations Roof encourages working with the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) to voice concerns.

"If private industry is given a reasonable path to solve labor shortages, we will meet the demands," Nugent says. "The other side is if we are beaten with a stick, the way Washington often responds, it could have devastating results to many trades and industries. Contractors need to get involved with the political side of immigration and guest worker programs."

Much of the success of Nations Roof is attributed to a system called Roof Care, the company's roof management program. "Beginning with preventive maintenance, Roof Care includes all the ingredients needed to make a roofing asset last, or exceed, its estimated design life," Nugent says. "Roof Care provides timely reports to clients to make informed decisions about their roofing assets in a proactive environment."

Nations Roof markets the company and its professional services to customers and not roofing. According to Nugent, "a project has a short lifespan, particularly in roofing. We want customers for life. Our approach is a belief that Nations Roof is dealing with sophisticated clients who want solutions, choices, and information to make informed decisions. We practice good communications, quality work, and long-term follow-up.

"The passion we have for the company is the passion we have for all of the professional Nations Roof team members. We will continue to attract the best of the best and reward them unselfishly for their contributions," Nugent says. "All of us succeeding in an energizing, growing environment are all I need to get me up in the morning."