Auburn roofing contractor Guardian Roofing on Thursday announced its recent acquisition of Seattle-based roofing contractor competitor Jorve Roofing.

As Guardian’s first acquisition, the purchase represents a shift for the local company into a strategy that focuses on expanding its footprint across Washington State and into Oregon and Idaho, say roofing industry veterans and husband-and-wife team, Lori and Matt Swanson, who cofounded the firm in 2005 and lead it today.

“As an iconic Pacific Northwest brand with a strong reputation, Jorve was a natural fit for acquisition to help us grow our local footprint,” said Matt Swanson. “We’ve always had a strong presence in Pierce County, and Jorve has the same strong brand awareness in King County, which made the acquisition a great fit.”

“We’ve been looking for the right opportunity to expand our business, and when we learned that Jorve’s owner was thinking about transitioning out of the roofing industry, it seemed like the perfect fit,” added Lori Swanson. “We’re committed to providing excellent ongoing care to Jorve’s customers and have welcomed their talented team members to ours.”

Employing 50 full-time technicians, sales professionals and staff, Guardian specializes in roof repairs, roof replacements, inspections, maintenance and moss proofing.

With the acquisition, the company gained 25 new full-time team members and is hiring for its sales, service and replacement teams. While the companies have been operating as separate brands, over time the two businesses will begin to operate solely under the Guardian brand. The firm is considering expanding Guardian’s line of services.