George Covington Jr. is the president of Covington Roofing Co. and a partner in Covington Cos. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics and business with an emphasis in accounting from Hendrix College in Conway in 1993.
He joined the family enterprise full time, overseeing the roofing business as well as working with its renovation and leasing ventures. Covington started Covington Real Estate Group with his brother, Jason, and sister, Stephanie, to manage nonfamily properties and handle third-party sales in 2015.
Covington Cos. owns and manages commercial property in Conway.
What is your favorite part of doing what you do at Covington Cos.?
I thoroughly enjoy interacting with customers, architects, owners, employees and family. I take pleasure in unique projects, including incorporating recycled materials into the evolving garden roofs we have installed on numerous projects ranging from the University of Arkansas to CARTI. I also enjoy the excitement of revitalizing an old roof or facade on a building to the point where the looks change so drastically that people often think we built a new building.
With roots dating back to 1923, Covington Cos. has a long history as a family business in Conway. What have been the most significant changes in your lifetime?
The roofing company has evolved from the main question being how many layers of hot asphalt to install with a smelly kettle — I’ve always told my kids, “It smells like money” — to a company installing single-ply roofs with concrete pavers and garden roofs on top. My dad often comments, “My grandfather would be rolling over in his grave seeing us put 2 feet of dirt with grass, plants and trees over a perfectly good roof.”
The commercial property rentals aspect started out remodeling a 1,000-SF building compared with now having over 1.4 million SF in rental space.
Is Conway growing too fast? Have city planners been ahead of the curve or running to catch up?
Conway was growing fast a few years ago; the residential growth slowed due to the economic downturn, the passing of impact fees for sidewalks and parks and increasing the installation cost for sewer and water. Conway was fortunate to have the oil and gas boom when the economic downturn occurred. Commercial growth is still doing well.
What are the biggest changes you’ve seen in Conway?
Downtown has changed from a relatively dead area to a vital part of the community. Restaurants and retail shops flank the streets of downtown. People can enjoy walking downtown to eat and shop at various stores, ranging from furniture to prom dresses to antiques. I constantly receive calls from people looking to start or relocate their businesses to Oak or Front Street to be a part of this vibrant downtown.
Who are your mentors, people who made a difference in your life?
I think my family has definitely had the greatest influence on me. They taught me the value of honest hard work and respecting everyone I deal with. They taught me the value of relying on God for everything. When I am looking at a job or a piece of property, I will often pray that if it’s God’s will let it happen. I work daily with my family and look forward to teaching the next generation those same values.
What was your most important mistake that has helped shape your career?
When I was a teenager and working in the business, my dad told me I needed to take more responsibility. So, I walked into our shop and started telling the employees what to do. Big mistake. There was an uprising. I learned the lesson of respecting all people and treating everyone as I would want to be treated.