Years after launching the company, Empire Pros Roofing celebrated the renovation of its Apopka office Friday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce. 

The company, owned by Ricardo Lopez Sandoval and Amanda Feliciano, moved its office to Apopka two years ago after leasing office space in Altamonte Springs. Today, it employs 25 people and serves homeowners throughout Central Florida. 

For Feliciano, opening the business in Apopka was personal. 

“Ricardo and I met at Apopka High School,” she said. “This has been our hometown forever … We married, we had kids, and then we opened the business and established it in Apopka.” 

The business was registered on Oct. 28, 2019, but its story began years earlier. Lopez Sandoval learned the roofing trade from his father, who introduced him to the industry as a teenager. In the years surrounding his father’s death during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lopez Sandoval pursued his contractor’s license and launched his own company with Feliciano’s support. 

“It was a family business from the beginning,” Feliciano said. 

Although headquartered in Apopka, the company serves customers throughout the region rather than concentrating on one community. 

The office renovation, which took about three months to complete, included fresh paint, updated signage and a company rebranding that resulted in the current name, Empire Pros Roofing. Feliciano said the goal was to create a more welcoming and professional environment for customers. 

“I think to make it more familiar and more welcoming, we wanted to be more professional … whenever any family or anybody from our community come in and feel comfortable in our space,” she said. 

While the office has a new look, the company’s day-to-day mission has not changed. 

Feliciano said Empire Pros Roofing continues to focus on customer service while expanding its presence throughout Central Florida. The company is hiring for office positions and has experienced growth over the past several years, she said, adding that growth is measured not only by business volume but also by the relationships the company has built with customers. 

Looking ahead, Feliciano said the company’s long-term goal is to become more involved in serving the community, particularly after storms and other events that leave families in need. 

“As a family company, we’d like to give more,” she said. “Right now, we are just focusing on giving more … and just help out when Florida is going through the worst.” 

She said homeowners today are looking for contractors they can trust as insurance regulations and the roofing industry continue to evolve. 

“Clarity. They want clarity. They want honesty,” Feliciano said. “A lot of families are scared. A lot of changes are happening. Regulations are happening, and I’m happy they are happening, so families can always get truth and honesty from contractors.” 

During the ceremony, Lopez Sandoval thanked those in attendance for supporting the company and reaffirmed its commitment to serving the community. 

“I want to say that I’m here to serve the community and do quality work for everyone,” Lopez Sandoval said. “Again, thank you everyone for coming today and celebrating this day with us.”