Growing up, the Hargrove brothers were practically inseparable. They shared everything: a bedroom, a closet, a bathroom . . . even friends. Clyde (pictured at right) graduated from Caddo Magnet High School in 2001 while Billy was a Byrd High School Class of 2003 graduate.
They lived together at LSU, forming a band – The Sidewalks – in 2003. Success followed as the band was signed to a Grammy-winning producer’s label in Los Angeles and the brothers embarked on a nationwide tour. Ultimately, Billy left the band for architecture school.
While on tour in 2007, the band – now called The Terms – was in a devastating car wreck, all but putting an end to their budding careers. Clyde and Billy formed another band a few years later – Super Water Sympathy (aka Hydrogen Child) and success followed again as the band was signed to a Portland-based indie label and began to tour the country.
Billy left that band in 2013 to get his architecture license and a year later Clyde signed with Warner Bros. Publishing as a songwriter and musician.
They couldn’t be separated for long, however. This time, they united to form Hargrove Roofing and success has followed them again. For the second year in a row, the local company has been named to the LSU Top 100 fastest growing businesses in the country owned by LSU alumni.
How did the two of you decide to go into the roofing business together?
Billy: Clyde and I are very different people. So, if you’d told me 10 years ago that we’d be in business together – not a rock band, but an actual business — I probably wouldn’t have believed you. Growing up, we were practically inseparable. We shared everything: a bedroom, a closet, a bathroom . . . even friends.
Clyde: After a while my friends became friends with Billy’s friends, and vice versa. It was just one big group.
Billy: In 2009, we began working alongside each other at the Brennan Family’s reputable restaurant Commander’s Palace in New Orleans. I really enjoyed working there. I didn’t know how to cook, and they let me learn. It wasn’t really Clyde’s thing, though.
Clyde: In 2016, I started working for a roofing company in Shreveport. I don’t know how many people go from music to roofing, but it made sense to me. Our professional lives remained separate until 2018, when our father unexpectedly passed away. Following his death, we found ourselves wondering what to do next. We wanted to stay close to our loved ones and give back to Shreveport, as our family had done for generations. But this time we wouldn’t be sharing a bedroom, or closet, or bathroom. Instead, we’d be sharing a company. With Billy’s background in both architecture and development, and my roofing experience and strong relationship with clients, we united to form Hargrove Roofing. It finally came full circle. We continue to argue and love each other in addition to giving clients 100 percent effort and service, day in and day out. In addition to the company, we also share a genuine excitement for the future.
What a long, strange – and wonderful – trip it’s been.
Your business has grown tremendously and expanded outside of Shreveport? Where else do you have offices?
Clyde: Yes, it has. Our Louisiana offices are in Shreveport, Natchitoches, Lafayette while our expansion into Texas includes offices in Texarkana, Tyler, Austin, and Houston.
What is the secret to your success?
Clyde: I’m not sure if it’s a secret . . . but it’s all about communication. Our mission statement is “Good Communication Leads to Great Quality.” Our clients’ experience, our construction quality, our employees’ retention and happiness, our morale and energy . . . it’s all determined by communication.
This is not the first time y’all have worked together, having been in bands together. Are y’all getting to play any music these days?
Billy: Clyde still writes professionally with producers all over, mainly in California. He is still signed to Warner Bros. as a writer. I’ll sometimes give Clyde some beats to see if he wants to use them, but he is really the musician. I play guitar for my three girls!
If you could put a new roof on any building in the world, which one would it be?
Billy: Either the New Orleans Saints’ Superdome (or) Houston Astros’ Minute Maid Park!
Contact Harriet at sbjharriet@gmail.com
