Built On Trust
Reliable roofing is a must for any home, providing safety from the elements with the ability to add outstanding external beauty. That is part of what makes Cox Roofing a valuable staple of the greater Indianapolis community and how it has been able to earn and keep the trust of central Indiana residents for more than a decade.
Chris Sanson is chief operating officer of Cox Roofing, overseeing organizational development and connecting teams inside and outside the office. Sanson met Cox Roofing founders and CEOs Justin and Mishell Cox while they were living in the same apartment complex some 10 years ago. They quickly became friends, and the Coxes brought Sanson on board with their young company.
“I want to say they created the opening, but that’s just them. Meeting them and talking, there was no pressure,” Sanson says of Justin and Mishell Cox. “We probably hung out and talked and became friends for a couple of months, and then they asked, ‘Hey, do you want to help us grow this company?’”
With his accounting background, Sanson jumped right into what seemed like a natural fit on the Cox team and soon moved his way up to COO. Depending on the season, Sanson leads a group of 35 to 50 people on projects around the area. The heart and dedication of the employees working on each project have made Sanson’s job a simple exchange of trust.
“Our production team has to be one of the most reliable in the industry,” Sanson says. “They do not stop, they work their hearts out, and as long as I support them, they support me.”
Sanson echoes similar sentiments about his team in the commercial division.
“It mostly comes down to finding people that are the right cultural fit and people that are reliable. They make my job easier, and they’re there for you if you’re there for them,” Sanson says.
Cox, a faith-driven company, has built its workplace culture on inclusion and respect, assuring that every customer, coworker and client is treated like family. Cox rarely has issues finding employees to uphold the group’s values.
“It’s just what the company lives by, meaning it’s day in and day out,” Sanson says. “If people are not a culture fit, I would say they don’t really join the company. We always have a great team.”
At Cox, culture comes from the top down. Although Justin and Mishell are, by title, Sanson’s superiors, their relationship functions such that collaboration and open communication are frequent and vital. Sanson recommending certain applicants for an opening is not uncommon and is always received with consideration by the Coxes. This close professional relationship is possible because of their long friendship, but Sanson insists that the couple’s leadership abilities have enabled Cox to become a premier service in the area.
“It’s leading from the top and their commitment to the company,” Sanson says of Justin and Mishell Cox’s ability to develop Cox Roofing.
The Coxes have multiple careers each, both managing Cox Roofing and running a hot air balloon company, while Justin also serves as a full-time firefighter.
“Neither one of them are scared of hard work,” Sanson says. “They are committed to the grind and they lead by example, and it breeds that in everyone who works under them.”
Justin and Mishell’s enthusiasm for and dedication toward Cox’s success is ingrained in their mission to make every customer feel like family. To build client trust and ensure consistent business, Cox strives to always put its best foot forward and provide top-quality service on every project. Treating its employees with that same familial respect and care makes this hard work and consistent quality possible.
It has worked so far, and the relationships that Cox has developed with its clients are exactly what the company set out to achieve — even to the utmost degree.
“We have a running joke that we are not allowed to have meetings with Justin Cox being there, because we are going to end up having to go to Thanksgiving,” Sanson says with a chuckle.
With great success over the last decade, Cox has its sights set high for the near future. The company has taken tremendous steps in expanding its national footprint, having built offices in Florida, Colorado, Kentucky and Wyoming in rapid succession. Cox is eyeing further expansion into Illinois, building the systems and processes to be able to “copy and paste” its operations across the country.
While the company is on track to have more offices than any other roofing company in the nation, Cox is still focused on maintaining organizational standards across its locations.
“Our thing is to have these offices stay small enough to where we can keep our culture, keep our systems and processes, and keep our clients happy,” Sanson says.
Roofing is a service that is necessary year-round, from fixing hail damage in the winter to various remodels and repairs in the warmer months. Cox shines as a prime example of service done with a smile, providing central Indiana and other communities with top-notch roofing while embracing the relationships it builds through its dedication and hard work.
Sanson puts it simply: “We just want to ensure that the homeowner gets what they deserve.”
