Sheltering the world
Mari Madrigal
Age: 36
Title: Founder & President
Organization: Foremost Improvements/Foremost Roofing Solutions
Mari Madrigal is a trailblazer in the roofing industry. Born in Panama to a Panamanian mother and Costa Rican father, Madrigal’s upbringing was marked by her parents’ full-time volunteer work for a humanitarian nonprofit. That took them to Mexico where she grew up as the oldest of five children.
From a young age Madrigal learned project management skills as part of her family’s humanitarian work in Mexico and Central America. Her upbringing instilled in her a desire to constantly learn and evolve, which led her to become bilingual, eventually teach English to business professionals, and learn other languages.
After immigrating to Illinois in 2013, Madrigal discovered a passion for roofing and construction while working in sales for a residential roofing contractor. She quickly gained extensive knowledge of the construction industry by working directly with crews, and her drive to excel pushed her in 2018 to launch Foremost Improvements Inc., a residential exterior renovations company. Madrigal’s commitment to quality and client satisfaction helped her grow the company, which evolved into Foremost Roofing Solutions, a provider of roofing solutions for commercial and industrial properties.
Her company is a certified women’s business enterprise and minority business enterprise firm, and she is an active committee member of the national and Chicago chapters of Women in Roofing, among other industry associations. Madrigal is looking to expand Foremost Roofing Solutions to other states, and she hopes to inspire other women to become more involved in the construction industry. She recognizes the unique strengths that women bring to the table and is eager to see more women thrive in this and other traditionally male-dominated fields.
Words of wisdom: If you’re going to do something, give it your all, or don’t do it at all.
