MR. GOODROOF has been a part of the Hendersonville community for years, providing residents with roofs, windows, gutters, and more. Alongside all those services, Mr. GoodRoof has been consistently helping other less fortunate community members. Owner Mac McRae has been in the construction business since 1995, remodeling houses, building houses, and eventually focusing on roofs and windows as Mr. GoodRoof. McRae said the company gives things away year-round to different organizations and families in need.
“We’re a [very] giving, family company,” McRae said.
Mr. GoodRoof was founded by father and son team Mac and Tommy McRae. Since its beginning as McRae Enterprises, the company has been supporting the Hendersonville community through programs like Habitat for Humanity, as well as through discounts for veterans and seniors and donations to churches. Mr. GoodRoof is also involved with four different chambers of commerce in Hendersonville, Portland, Madison, and Gallatin.
For the past eight years, however, they have added a new way to give back: the Shingle Bells Roof Giveaway. From November to December, eligible residents of Middle Tennessee can submit their stories for a chance to receive a free roof. The recipient is selected by an independent panel and informed around Christmastime.
“A lot of people have a real need for a roof, and they don’t have any insurance or didn’t have insurance when the catastrophe happened,” McRae said. “We try to take care of them.”
When the Shingle Bells Roof Giveaway first started, anyone in the community could apply. Manager Holly Gugenheim said that last year, the giveaway focused on veterans. This year, the giveaway will focus on first responders, including police officers, firefighters, EMT’s, and nurses.
“We just wanted to give back to our veterans because they are very important to us,” Gugenheim said. “We’re kind of changing it up a little bit again this year.”
The company’s ultimate focus, however, is supporting families battling cancer. McRae said he is especially sensitive to those struggling because three of his family members, including his son and business partner, Tommy McRae, have died from cancer. Beyond that, he said it’s an issue everywhere.
“We have a lot of people in the area that are hurting with cancer,” McRae said. “So some of every dollar we take in, we give back.”
Mr. GoodRoof supports families directly, as well as with their roofs. The reasoning behind this giving is straightforward: they love the community, and, as a Christian company, they are motivated to tithe and serve where they can.
“We’re old Hendersonville people. I’ve lived in Hendersonville over 50 years, so I’m really embedded with the community,” McRae said. “We want to give back.”
Often, McRae said, they just see needs on TV or hear them in passing, and it is in those situations that they try to help.
The company is very successful, and it is that success that allows them to be so generous. Mr. GoodRoof’s history of giving has been a blessing to their community in the past, and there is no doubt they will continue to be a blessing in the future.
“In the long run, if we’re all happy, and we’re all making a good living… that’s all we’re interested in,” McRae said. “We love Hendersonville, and that’s the main thing. And we also love all of Nashville, but Hendersonville’s been really kind to us.”GN
