Founded in 2015, TEMA Roofing Services may not be the oldest roofing company in the Youngstown area, but behind its name lies decades of experience in the roofing industry.
Meg and Tom Froelich in the showroom of their Girard, OH headquarters.
TEMA President Tom Froelich, Jr. got his start at Roth Bros. in 1984, where he started in HVAC sales. He worked his way up through the company, and in 2000 became vice president of their roofing division. In 2006 he bought Roth Bros., and then along with his partners, sold it in 2011.
Tom stayed with Roth Bros. until 2013, and in 2015 started TEMA Roofing Services with his wife, Margaret (Meg) Froelich. They initially had trouble deciding on a name for their new company, but Meg proposed a combination of their first and middle names–Thomas Edmund and Margaret Ann.
Meg Froelich not only serves as TEMA’s CFO, but also as majority owner. And, it was at Roth Bros. that Tom was mentored by his father-in-law, Bill Charles, who still acts as a senior consultant for TEMA.
Focused on Quality. Founded on Family.
Initially, there were only five employees: Tom and Meg, their son Adam Froelich, Adam’s wife Sherry, and Dave Pugh. (Adam and Sherry are both veterans of Roth Bros., as well.) Today, Tom and Margaret are joined at TEMA by four of their children (Adam Froelich, Scott Froelich, Justin Froelich, and Tommy Froelich III) and numerous highly-experienced team members. Despite the humble start, growth has been steady and quick.
“It’s just like any other small company–you have to go out and you have to sell yourself and your expertise. You have to develop those relationships, and you have to secure the contracts,” says Tom.
From left to right: Tommy Froelich III, Meg Froelich, Justin Froelich, Tom Froelich, Bill Charles, Adam Froelich, Scott Froelich
For Margaret and Tom, the most challenging aspect of launching their own business was starting off at square one. Relationships with banks and suppliers that had been nurtured over the decades at Roth Bros. had to be re-established.
New 60 mil white EPDM roofing system installed on Charles Schwab data center in Richfield, Ohio in 2020.
Paving the Path to Success
One of TEMA’s early clients was the retail chain Big Lots, a longtime client of Roth Bros. Tom used his familiarity with the account to bring Big Lots over to TEMA, where they have been a satisfied customer ever since. Other notable clients include AIM Transportation Solutions, and a fellow member of the Builders Association of Eastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania.
A recent project that Tom is particularly proud of was for PLIDCO, a company based in Strongsville, Ohio. Through tax credits and government programs, TEMA was able to save PLIDCO fifty percent off the cost of construction, which is a perfect example of the industry savvy and intellectual capital that Tom says TEMA brings to the table for any project.
“As with any trade, the longer you’re in it and the more you’re exposed to it, the better you’re able to help your customers,” says Tom.
One of the central tenets of TEMA’s philosophy is the desire to stay local and always maintain a focus on local projects.
“We’re within an hour of our shop, and that’s by design. We really want to focus on giving back to our community, because our community needs a good roofing contractor,” says Tom.“
New Duro-Last 60 mil PVC roofing system installed on P. Ross Berry Middle School, part of Youngstown City Schools in 2020.
Local school districts are also among TEMA’s many roof maintenance clients, including Austintown, Boardman, Poland, and Youngstown schools. Tom cites membership in the local Rotary and The Builders Association of Eastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania as ways that TEMA Roofing maintains a local community presence. Regarding the Builders Association, Tom says:
“It’s a great place for contractors to come together and to discuss the issues in our industry. We’ve got a very educated, talented staff at the Builders to support us. They take our ideas and our issues and put them together in a manner that can affect a positive result.”
The long term goals for the company remain simple: onward and upward! TEMA is not just maintaining present clients and acquiring new ones, but also busy adding services to their arsenal of offerings, following in the footsteps of the multi-divisional nature of Roth Bros.
“We will continue to expand and grow, similar to what we did at Roth Bros, says Tom.
