Veteran investors join Ozark Green Roofs to drive growth

Fayetteville-based Ozark Green Roofs (OZGR) has announced a strategic expansion in its ownership structure, adding three seasoned investors: Bob East, his son Cash East, and son-in-law Patrick Couch.

Founder Lee Porter will retain her position as the majority partner. Financial specifics of the investment remain confidential. In addition to the four owners, OZGR has three employees.

“We are honored to have Bob, Cash and Patrick join the Ozark Green Roofs team,” Porter said. “Their extensive experience in construction, business development, sustainability and operations will be invaluable as we grow and innovate in the green roofing industry.”

Bob East, a veteran entrepreneur, brings a wealth of experience from his five-decade career. He founded Robert East Co. in 1975 to invest in business and real estate and co-founded East-Harding Inc., a leading contracting firm in Arkansas.

In 1999, he purchased Advanced Cabling Systems when it had three employees and sold the company to ADT in 2019 after growing it to over 200 employees with six offices in four states.

Among his many accolades, East received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas. He has been a long-standing board member of several groups, including the state’s largest bank, Little Rock-based Bank OZK.

“For the past few years, we’ve been searching for a new business venture to invest in that is environmentally friendly and offers the ability to quickly expand,” East said. “Coming together with Lee and the Ozark Green Roofs team was a perfect fit. Its dedication to creating sustainable roofing solutions and commitment to innovation perfectly complement our values and goals. We’re excited to contribute our expertise and work together to propel OZGR’s growth and positively impact the environment.”

Cash East, a sustainability manager and analyst, operates Pivot Analytics in Fayetteville, while Patrick Couch, an industrial engineer, has experience with Halliburton Inc. and Oil States Energy Services.

Porter earned a landscape architecture degree from the University of Arkansas in 2011, is a certified arborist and was the UA Fay Jones School of Architecture Emerging Alumni of the Year in 2021. She is also president of the Arkansas chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Porter’s career path has included working at the Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks, the city of Fayetteville’s sustainability and resilience department and Entegrity Partners. In 2018, she founded OZGR, driven by her interest in spending time outside, being active and designing.

OZGR specializes in the design, installation and maintenance of green roofs. Last year, it was selected as the subcontractor for the over 2-acre green roof project for the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine in Bentonville. Construction on the 154,000-square-foot school building is underway east of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville. The green roof will include stone terraces, pathways, more than 90 native trees, native shrubs, perennials and a water feature.

“We are excited to be part of the team bringing this special green roof to Arkansas,” Porter said. Crossland Construction, architect Polk Stanley Wilcox and design agency OSD are leading the project.

OZGR is also nearing completion of a green roof for J.B. Hunt Transport Services in Lowell, with other notable projects including the Fayetteville Public Library, First National Bank of NWA, Uptown Fayetteville Apartments and the University of Arkansas Adohi Residence Hall.