Building Success

JEANETTE OMDALEN is no stranger to success, so when the opportunity to purchase a business with strong credentials came up, she and her husband, JAMIE SCHMIDT, knew they had to move quickly.

“Most of my background has been in industrial B2B businesses with a technical component,” Omdalen says. “Construction, particularly commercial roofing is often overlooked when folks consider industries that require a skilled, knowledgeable team. We decided to buy Highland Roofing because of the strength of the team and culture.”

In deciding to buy the business, Omdalen and Schmidt did a comprehensive nationwide search for commercial B2B businesses of a certain size. They say they were so impressed with the entire team from the entry-level positions to the founders and senior management team.

“It takes decades to build a company culture as strong as Highland’s. It is because of Highland’s creative, growth-minded team that we have been able to successfully navigate supply chain challenges and recruit and retain top talent,” she says. “Additionally, my husband and I fell in love with North Carolina and Wilmington on our first visit and are thrilled to establish roots here. We feel so lucky to be part of such a thriving community.”

After purchasing Highland Roofing Company in 2021, Omdalen and Schmidt went to work establishing relationships and growing the business, which Omdalen is very familiar with.

“Jeanette began her business building accomplishments managing employees at the YMCA as she paid her way through college,” says David Grandey, sales, and marketing manager for Highland Roofing Company, of Omdalen’s experience “She then joined Cargill’s hedge fund CarVal Investors as the youngest finance intern and was eventually offered the opportunity to work directly with the CFO of one of Cargill’s largest businesses to help build comprehensive budgets for the executive leadership team.”

Her long list of experience includes being the managing director of Acuity Lasers and Xact Tank Monitoring Services at Schmitt Industries, the first non-MBA junior equity research analysts hired in the history of Craig-Hallum where she eventually served as VP of business development, and reported directly to the CEO, according to Grandey.

This experience prepared her well for running her own business.

“Highland Roofing Company’s mission is to build relationships and make life easier for clients by providing exceptional service and quality at a fair price,” says Omdalen. “It is the strength and knowledge of our team that differentiates us and enables us to both serve our existing clients while achieving outsized growth. Unlike most construction firms that are typically male-dominated, Highland’s management team is equally balanced with men and women, and the company employs several females in both the office and in the field as roofing technicians.”

She says the company also has a strong mix of ethnic backgrounds across all levels of the organization. “We pride ourselves on workforce diversity and equity where employees have a sense of purpose and can see how their work directly impacts the customer and know they’re an integral part in customer satisfaction.”

Omdalen and her team also believe strongly in allowing employees to grow and evolve into new roles within the company. “Highland does its best to accommodate people’s strengths and goals and provide more opportunity as the company grows,” she says. “There are no jobs in boxes – everyone helps when and where they can.”

The work done by Highland Roofing Company can be seen all over the Wilmington area. Projects have included work at Blockade Runner, Cape Fear Country Club, Thalian Hall, Wilmington Convention Center (pictured above), Seapath Towers, Autumn Hall, Live Oak Bank, Mayfaire, UNCW, Wilmington International Airport, Screen Gems, and Corning.

The company also has an office in Raleigh where it has worked on projects for the Durham Bulls, Fayetteville Regional Airport, USA Baseball and Wake Tech Community College to name a few.

To view more of photographer Daria Amato’s work, go to dariaphoto.com

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