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Mariano Renteria: No Place Like Home

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

SAN JOSE — After leaving his family’s trade to pursue a different career, it didn’t take long for Mariano Renteria to realize there’s no place like home. “After high school, I did a little bit of roofing, but I wasn’t sure it was for me,” he remembers. “There were a lot of roofers in my family, so it made sense to follow in their footsteps. However, I wanted to try something different, so I became a truck driver. I liked it at first, but after a while I grew tired of being on the road for weeks at a time. The idea of doing roofing became more appealing—after all, I could sleep in my own bed every night. I decided to give it another try, and this time I realized that I liked it.”

In 1995, about a decade after restarting his roofing career, Mariano founded Falcon Roofing. Today, he says his favorite part of his job is the interpersonal aspect. “I enjoy meeting different people and helping them with their roofing needs.”

A resident of San Jose (where he lives with his wife, Beatrice), Mariano likes to spend his free time relaxing and visiting with family. “I have two grown kids: my son, Christopher, who works with me at the business, and my daughter, Melissa. They’re both grown up now, but family remains a very important part of my life. I like ocean fishing, too. Also, we organize a yearly trip for all of our workers, so I always enjoy that.”

In regard to a professional philosophy, Mariano espouses the importance of a good reputation. “Over time, I’ve learned the best kind of advertising is word of mouth,” he explains. “In order to have that, you need to have a good reputation that’s based on treating customers honestly and fairly. So, that’s what we do—we take care of our customers and make sure they’re happy with the results of our work. Sometimes we end up losing money in order to please a client, but I know it’s always worth it because it helps maintain our reputation and they might refer us to someone else.”

When asked about the prospect of future retirement, Mariano says he’s in no hurry. “At this point, I don’t know about retirement. Some people have hobbies or want to travel, but honestly, I enjoy working. I’ll probably continue to stay involved in the business as I get older, at least part-time just to stay busy.”

Ask Me Anything!

Q: Are you an early bird or a night owl?
A: A night owl.

Q: What’s your favorite local restaurant?
A: Taqueria Tlaquepaque in San Jose.

Q: Music or talk radio?
A: Music.

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
A: Costa Rica.

Q: What’s your favorite snack?
A: Apple pie.