From Roofer Chick to Roofer Chicks: Ami Feller's Journey

Vintage Blacktop Co. was founded in New Braunfels, Texas, so if you live anywhere around the area, chances are you've seen Roofer Chicks. Between the bright pink wrapped trucks rolling through town, the billboards scattered across the region, and a brand that's impossible to mistake for anyone else's, Roofer Chicks has become one of the most recognizable names in Central Texas.

What many people don't know is that the company behind those pink trucks was never part of a carefully crafted business plan. For owner Ami Feller, Roofer Chicks began with a joke, survived a family business split, and eventually grew into one of the most recognizable brands in the industry. 

For years, Ami worked alongside her brother in various business ventures. In 2012, she, her brother, and her sister-in-law launched a new company together called Feller Roofing and Remodeling. During that time, she jokingly mentioned that it would be funny if the back of her truck said, "Roofer Chick." She went on vacation shortly afterward. When she returned, her brother had a surprise waiting for her.

"He had gotten 'Roofer Chick' put on the back window of my truck," Ami recalled. "I was both a little horrified and excited. I was not really an attention-seeking kind of girl and now everyone was staring at me."

Over time, people around town began recognizing her as The Roofer Chick. What felt like a funny nickname at the time would eventually become something much bigger. 

In 2016, a split within the family business forced Ami into a position she never expected.

"I never thought it would happen to me," she said. "To be honest, it was a very dark time in my life."

Starting her own company wasn't part of a dream she'd been chasing.

"I wasn't inspired to start my own roofing company. She said. I started my own company in order to survive."

With only ten days to get a new company up and running, survival was exactly what she focused on. She launched Feller Roofing of New Braunfels, hoping to provide continuity for customers while finding her footing during one of the hardest seasons of her life. What started as survival slowly became something more. 

By 2020, Ami found herself thinking beyond roofs and roofing projects. She became passionate about creating opportunities for women in the industry and even attempted to build an all female roofing crew.

"I'm still trying, I think ten years ago I thought any woman could do this if she wanted to, and I've had to learn and accept that that just isn't true. Some women can do this and excel at it, but it takes a very special unicorn."

Rather than focusing on what separates people, Ami came to appreciate what happens when different strengths come together.

"We need men to make this work. I think by integrating both men and women into my workforce, we have created a very strong, unique roofing machine."

In 2021, she made the decision to rebrand. The nickname she once felt embarrassed by became the company name. Roofer Chicks was officially born. Part of the decision was practical. Every roofing company seemed to be someone's first or last name followed by the word roofing.

Part of it was personal.

"I wanted my company to be more fun."

That personality is impossible to miss today. The pink branding that has become synonymous with Roofer Chicks started years earlier when Ami wanted to incorporate hot pink into the family business branding. The answer she received was simple.

"No pink."

When the companies separated, one of the first things she did was put pink streaks in her hair.

"Now it has bled into all aspects of my branding." 

The superhero theme followed naturally.

"As roofers, we often get to save the day, whether that's fixing someone's roof, so the rain stops coming in or helping a customer navigate and understand the insurance process."

"When I'm up on a roof, I feel like I am on top of the world and very much like I am here to save the day."

Even the company's mascot, Lucy, has personal roots. Ami's brothers called her Lucy when she was little, and the nickname eventually became part of the brand.

"I've had some naysayers on my branding ideas, but I think in the long run I was right. People seem to enjoy it and remember it. That's the whole point, isn't it?"

One thing that stands out about Ami's story is that she doesn't view being a woman in roofing as a disadvantage.

"Being a woman makes me different than most of my competitors. In an industry where everyone looks the same and roofing is seen more as a commodity, it makes me stand out."

She's also quick to credit the people who helped her succeed.

"I would not be who I am today, I would not know what I know today, and I would not be as good as I am today if it were not for the amazing men in the roofing industry."

During the busiest parts of the season, Ami is still scheduling jobs, working with customers, ordering materials, supporting crews, and stepping into sales whenever needed.

"I quit doing sales for a while, and I found I lost my joy in what I do. I like being on the roof and with the customer in their home."

More than anything, she values the people who make Roofer Chicks possible.

"My people, employees and subcontractors both, are probably the thing I value the most in my company. I want them to work hard, but I also want them to feel seen, heard and part of."

This summer marks Roofer Chicks' tenth anniversary!

"Most roofing companies go out of business in three years and here we are, still kicking." "It is the hardest thing I have ever done, and to be honest, if given the opportunity, I'm not sure I'd choose this road a second time. But it's the road I am on, and I am happily trudging it."

For women considering the trades or entrepreneurship, Ami's advice is refreshingly honest. Learn the craft, understand the numbers, and don't romanticize business ownership.

"What it really is, is hard damn work. It takes a lot of grit and determination. It takes being willing to fail over and over and over again."

Those words carry extra weight coming from someone who has spent the last decade proving them true. What began as a joke on the back of a truck became one of the most recognizable brands in New Braunfels, Tx. What began as a painful season of survival became a thriving business. And what began as Roofer Chick became Roofer Chicks.

Ami Feller's story is a reminder that some of the strongest businesses aren't built from perfect plans. They're built by people who keep moving forward when life gives them every reason to quit. Ten years after starting over, the pink trucks are still rolling, the phones are still ringing, and Roofer Chicks is still proving that grit has a way of winning.