Roofs by Kevin on the top of its game

RBK delivers an A+ service, according to the BBB, and that’s not just alphabet soup. Roofs by Kevin consistently ranks high with the Better Business Bureau and its customers, said owner and founder, Jose Parra, whose bottom-line philosophy is that exceeding customer expectations with long-lasting quality work is a top priority.
“We take customer satisfaction very seriously,” Parra said. “If a client is not happy with even just a small, minor issue, we do everything we can to make sure that when we leave, they have a smile on their face.”
Specializing in residential and commercial roof replacement and repair, RBK is licensed and insured. Its 10 highly skilled workers stay up-to-date on the current local, regional and state codes and regulations. Labor and materials are warrantied. The company covers roofing needs across the Coastal Bend with occasional jobs in South Texas and Louisiana. 
Parra founded RBK 17 years ago, but his work experience began much earlier with his own beginnings in Monterrey, Mexico.
“I had earned an electrical engineering degree in Monterrey but wanted to improve my English so I could land other opportunities in the United States,” he told Corpus Christi Business News. “I started taking English classes, and that's where I met my wife, Martha.”
They married in 1990, relocating to San Marcos, Texas, where he went to work in construction. A few years later, he took a construction job in Boston.
“My wife hated the snow, even though the East Coast was more lucrative,” Parra said. “So when another job became available in Corpus Christi, we jumped on the chance.”
After moving to the Coastal Bend, Parra took on subcontract work whenever his full-time work experienced down time. He went door to door introducing himself and drumming up customers. As he acquired work, satisfied customers did the rest. 
“Word of mouth spread, and I was able to acquire many jobs just from referrals of customers who really like the work I did,” Parra said. “Many have said that the quality of my roofing jobs outlasted the competition.” 
Wife Martha Parra, who currently oversees office functions as well as supplies and inventory management, takes pride in being a locally owned and family-operated business.
“Corpus Christi has been very good to us,” she said. “The weather, the community and the people!”
According to family friend and Corpus Christi native Paul Teltschik, the Coastal Bend is a good market for roofing services. Teltschik serves as head of sales and helps with onsite construction for RBK.
“The weather here is unpredictable,” he said. “Being one of the windiest cities in the U.S., combined with the frequent rain and humidity, roof shingles get knocked out and leaks break out. One of the things that help us stand out from other roofing companies, even those from out of town, is that we are strictly compliant with all the local and state regulations and codes, including the Texas Windstorm Inspection program, which applies to the Coastal Bend area.”
Another family member, daughter Andrea Parra, also works for RBK, taking on front desk duties, booking appointments, processing orders and managing the company’s social media marketing.
“I became more interested in pursuing a business marketing degree when I started working for my dad,” she said. “I recognized how what I’m learning from school could help further my dad’s business. When I first started working here, my dad guided me. Now, I’m guiding him on the value of social media and technology and how our company can grow even more in the future.”  
Rounding out the family-based staff is son and future heir to the company, Kevin Parra, for whom Roofs by Kevin is named. For the past two years, Kevin Parra has been helping his father with onsite construction and has since been promoted to salesman in training. A 2017 Carroll High School graduate, Kevin is 17. 
“My dad’s company was originally called Andrew’s Roofing, named after my dad’s middle name, which is Andres,” Kevin Parra said. “When he decided to name it after me, I felt really proud because I wanted to work for my dad someday. Now that I’m getting older and doing more jobs with the company, I feel the burden of needing to live up to that responsibility and reputation of quality.”  
Martha Parra fondly recalls the day that led to renaming the company. Even as a child, Kevin had a passion for construction, building things with leftover word scraps from job sites. One day, he told his father he wanted to work for him when he grew up. 
“I’ll never forget the day when my husband said, ‘No, son. I don’t want you to work for me. I want to be the one to work for you,’” Martha Parra said. “As a parent, this summarized how we want to sacrifice for our children so they can succeed in their futures.” 
Jose Parra suggested his son go to school to become a civil or architectural engineer before deciding he wanted to work for the family company. Kevin agreed.
“I don’t want to force my children to be in the family business,” he said. “In fact, of our four children, the two eldest daughters have careers in medicine and education. It warms my heart to know that my two youngest are passionate about helping with our company.”
As for the company’s long-term goals, Jose Parra hopes to expand services northward toward San Antonio and Austin. RBK is currently finishing renovations on its office building on Baldwin Boulevard.
“In addition to our quality work, people also see how our company takes care of both its clients and employees like family,” Jose Parra said. “We believe that’s what has led us to be so successful. Over the years, we have learned to become more united and individually learned the value of school, hard work and customer relationships. Our parents left that legacy for us, and we want to continue that legacy for them.”
Roofs by Kevin is located at 3918 Baldwin Blvd. in Corpus Christi. For more information, call (361) 414-9347 or visit roofsbykevin.com.