06/25/25
Flagstaff, Arizona is not an easy place to own a roof. At 7,000 feet elevation, the city sees heavy snow, intense sun, monsoon rains, and wildfire risk, conditions that wear down traditional roofing faster than almost anywhere else in the state. For more than 30 years, one local company has been the answer: Arizona Metal Roofing, LLC.
When Jerald Jackson took ownership of Arizona Metal Roofing in 2023, he wasn’t walking into an unfamiliar trade. With two decades of hands-on experience in metal roofing fabrication and installation, Jerald knew the craft inside and out. But owning a business is different from working in one, and the path forward required capital that wasn’t easy to come by.
The company was still relying on outside fabricators to produce the metal panels central to every job. That dependency slowed turnaround times, limited quality control, and made it harder to compete for larger commercial contracts. To grow, and to serve more customers across Arizona, Jerald needed to bring fabrication fully in-house. That meant investing in industrial-grade equipment: a Roll Former machine and a Programmable Brake machine capable of producing standing seam panels, corrugated panels, and custom trim work right at the Flagstaff shop.
At the same time, the business carried acquisition debt from the ownership transition that was putting pressure on monthly cash flow. And like many contractors, Arizona Metal Roofing faced a familiar timing problem: commercial projects require significant upfront costs for materials and labor, but payment doesn’t come until the job is complete.
Finding a lender willing to look at the full picture and not just a snapshot, wasn’t straightforward for a recently transitioned small business in a rural market.
First Southwest Bank (FSWB) was that lender, putting together a financing package that addressed all three needs at once:
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Equipment financing to purchase the Roll Former and Programmable Brake machines, bringing panel fabrication fully in-house
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Debt refinancing to retire the acquisition loan and simplify the company’s obligations
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A working capital line of credit to bridge cash flow gaps during large commercial projects
A key piece of the puzzle was the Navajo Nation Small Business Credit Initiative (NSBCI) — a program designed to expand access to capital for Native owned businesses. Arizona Metal Roofing is a Navajo owned business, holds a Certified Priority One Roofing Contractor designation with the Navajo Nation, and the company cleared all procurement requirements with the Navajo Nation. FSWB’s ability to leverage NSBCI alongside an SBA 7(a) guarantee made this deal possible in a way that a conventional lender likely could not have.
The results have been tangible.
With the Roll Former and Programmable Brake machines now operating at the Flagstaff shop, Arizona Metal Roofing can fabricate panels and custom trim components on-site — cutting lead times, tightening quality control, and reducing material waste. The shop has become a true fabrication and installation hub, not just a staging area.
The debt refinancing cleaned up the company’s balance sheet and freed up cash flow that had been going toward higher-cost acquisition payments. The line of credit gives the team the flexibility to take on larger commercial jobs without waiting on receivables to fund the next project.
Arizona Metal Roofing currently employs 10 people in the Flagstaff area, with plans to bring more workers on as full-time W-2 employees, creating more stable, benefit-eligible jobs in the local economy.
The company has also expanded its geographic footprint, securing commercial contracts in Thatcher, Queen Creek, and Tucson. What started as a Northern Arizona operation is becoming a statewide one.
And as a Certified Priority One Roofing Contractor with the Navajo Nation, Arizona Metal Roofing continues to provide durable, fire-resistant, energy-efficient roofing to one of the largest Indigenous communities in the United States, work that goes well beyond a transaction.