To see the future of roofing, look at Greta Bajrami. In just eight years, the 29-year-old Albanian immigrant has carved out not only a growing business, but also a growing respect among her peers and industry partners. In addition, she has assumed key leadership positions as chair of the Massachusetts National Women in Roofing Organization and a board member of the New England Roofing Contractors Association.

“I have fallen in love with the world of roofing,” says Bajrami, the company’s CEO and co-founder. “Every day when I come into work, it’s like a Willy Wonka moment for me. I get so excited about the product and the client. People really don’t realize how important we are.”

And to think, all that passion was nearly funneled into a coffee shop. That’s what Bajrami was planning to open after college when a roofing company asked her to be a construction supervisor. It didn’t take long for the then-21-year-old to assess the opportunity roofing represented.

“As I sat there and saw all the sales and products and how things were done, I had this ‘aha’ moment. ‘What is this guy doing that I don’t have? A coffee shop barely hits $1 million. Why do that when I can do this?’” she recalls thinking to herself.

What gave her so much confidence? The roofing industry itself. After doing her due diligence, Bajrami noticed that most companies barely had functioning websites let alone sound business practices.

“There’s every other business and then there’s roofing,” Bajrami says. “People ask all the time, ‘What are you doing that’s so different?’ But all we’re doing is implementing procedures you’d see in normal corporate America to construction.”

Bajrami breaks down those procedures into two steps. First is what she calls “hands of the roof,” an acknowledgment that workers are the key to success and a commitment to make them feel empowered. How? Teams are trained four times a year with OSHA standards and manufacturer certifications. “We’re always trying to promote our labor,” she says.

Second is customer communication. From videos to emails to photos, Golden Group keeps a constant stream of communication flowing to customers. When the job is finished, they get a complete package of their project including videos, photos, contracts, and warranties.

“We’re just using business principles you’d see at other five-star businesses,” Bajrami says. “We realize people are spending $15,000 to $20,000 on a roof, so why shouldn’t they get the same level of service?”