EMPIRE ROOFING IS A GAF MASTER ELITE CONTRACTOR

Empire Roofing is one of only two Master contractors for GAF in Canada, which means that Empire is eligible to offer the GAF Diamond Pledge and System Pledge guarantees.

Founded in 1886, GAF has become North America’s largest manufacturer of commercial and residential roofing.  That success has grown the company to nearly $3 billion in sales annually.

Unlike some commercial roofing manufacturers who seem to have a “one-technology-fits-all” mentality, GAF’s goal is to help contractors build their businesses by matching the right roofing technology to their clients’ specific needs.

GAF offers all major low-slope roofing technologies, including repair and maintenance products and roof restoration systems (often at half the cost of a new roof), as well as new roofing systems (BUR, MB, TPO, PVC, and composite systems).

  • The Ruberoid® and GAFGLAS® asphaltic roofing brands are two of the most enduring and trusted names in commercial roofing
  • The  EverGuard Extreme® high-performance TPO is formulated for the most extreme applications (including solar), and was recognized with a Product Innovation Award from Architectural Products magazine
  • The Freedom™ TPO self-adhering roofing systems were chosen Product Of The Year by Commercial Building Products magazine
  • GAF is aggressively expanding our ISO insulation manufacturing capability, with several new state-of-the-art plants currently underway nationwide
  • GAF offers a wide array of energy-smart roofing options, some of which are ENERGY STAR® qualified and/or Title 24 Compliant

Request a free roof inspection and quote to learn if this is the right product for your roof.

 

 

WINDSOR STAR PROFILE – Ken Gascoigne, President Empire Roofing Corporation


When Ken Gascoigne realized he could make more money installing roofs than working in the atomic energy sector, he set his physics degree aside and started his own company.

He began with two employees in 1986. Windsor-based Empire Roofing has since expanded to almost 150 employees. Its clients include Lowe’s Canada, Walmart Canada, Caesars Windsor, Fallsview Casino, McDonald’s Canada, hydro generating stations in Niagara Falls, Atlas Tube, the Southwest Detention Centre and Chrysler Canada.

Back 1993 when his company was just getting established, Gascoigne was recognized as the Young Entrepreneur of the year at the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards.

“It gave us a great boost when we really needed it,” he said.

Gascoigne was the third recipient of the award that was given out annually until 2007. It was revived in 2012 as the Rising Star award to recognize blossoming young entrepreneurs and business professionals.

Some, like Gascoigne, may not have started out with the intention of going into business for themselves.

Gascoigne was attending McMaster University in the mid-1980s when a classmate asked him what he planned to do during the summer.

“I told him I’d probably spend it playing tennis,” he said. “But his father ran a roofing company and my friend said if I was interested he’d show me the ropes and we would work together in the summer.”

Even though Gascoigne’s father and grandfather had both been in the roofing business, “I’d never been on a roof before and never planned to be on a roof,” he said.

But he made more in the summer as a roofer than he would in a whole year working in the atomic energy sector he learned during a job interview after graduation.

When Gascoigne launched Empire Roofing he initially focused on residential projects. He made his first bid on a commercial contract for a flat roof on the Caboto Club in 1988.

“I’d never done one before and I thought, ‘Now what?’ but it worked out and we started marketing ourselves as flat-roof specialists,” he said. Currently, less than five per cent of the company’s business is residential. The bulk of its work is for commercial and industrial clients, most of whom seek Empire out because of its flat-roof expertise.

The company was in the right place at the right time, Gascoigne said. It was able to take advantages of changes in the industry when the focus of new flat-roof technology shifted to thermoplastic polyolefin, or TPO, roofing membranes.

“We’re now one of the most experienced companies in the TPO business and the industry leader,” said Gascoigne. “When anyone wants a large, complex TPO job done, they seek us out.

Empire has also earned master contractor status from Firestone, which is one of the largest TPO manufacturers in North America.

Gascoigne credits his employees with being a major part of the company’s success.

“I didn’t do it alone, the team behind me are the real workhorses,” said Gascoigne, who still puts in up to a dozen hours a day.

While building the company, Gascoigne realized he needed union involvement if he was going to be able to bid on some of the largest industrial projects in the province. So he contacted the Christian Labour Association of Canada which now represents Empire workers.

“We have a very amicable relationship,” said Gascigne. “I knew we needed that involvement to be able to continue growing. We pay our people above scale and it’s been a good relationship.”

Despite that, the company is struggling to find more workers.

“We could hire another 50 or so throughout our company but the only place we don’t get any applications from is Windsor,” he said. “I don’t know whether or not people have a misconception about the current roofing industry but this is a very clean job in a very clean environment.”

http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2013/04/15/empire-roofing/

ROOF EARLY AND SAVE

Did you know that many suppliers of roofing products provide material discounts during ‘off season’ or just prior peak season?

Sometimes up to 10%

Have the top Firestone Master contractor in Canada and recipient of Firestone’s Inner Circle Award 2013 (the most prestigious roofing designation possible) inspect your roof at no cost or obligation.

Empire roofing will provide all existing and new customers a full color, detailed report of their roof condition at no cost or obligation.

An inspection of your roof during the Spring Thaw will ensure that no issues have accumulated over the winter that you are not aware of such as:

    • Caulking, sealants cracked
    • Damage to the membrane from poor drainage
    • Structural issues – snow is heavy.
    • Environmental debris in roof drains needs to be cleared to ensure proper drainage.
    • Water saturation from thawing that can deteriorate underlying insulation. Left untreated this causes mold and extensive and expensive damage.
    • Open membrane seams which cause severe leaks and is most common to happen during Spring thaw.
    • Degranulation of field membrane which becomes brittle and then less effective/ durable in long run.
    • Loose metal flashings which can fly off of the building causing additional damage.

 

IS YOUR ROOF READY FOR THE SPRING THAW? GET A NO COST INSPECTION AND REPORT

Empire roofing will provide all existing and new customers a full color, detailed report of their roof condition at no cost or obligation.

An inspection of your roof during the Spring Thaw will ensure that no issues have accumulated over the winter that you are not aware of such as:

  • Caulking, sealants cracked
  • Damage to the membrane from poor drainage
  • Structural issues – snow is heavy.
  • Environmental debris in roof drains needs to be cleared to ensure proper drainage.
  • Water saturation from thawing that can deteriorate underlying insulation. Left untreated this causes mold and extensive and expensive damage.
  • Open membrane seams which cause severe leaks and is most common to happen during Spring thaw.
  • Degranulation of field membrane which becomes brittle and then less effective/ durable in long run.
  • Loose metal flashings which can fly off of the building causing additional damage.

Have the top Firestone Master contractor in Canada and recipient of Firestone’s Inner Circle Award 2013 (the most prestigious roofing designation possible) inspect your roof at no cost or obligation.

Just like with a car, a roof that is not maintained or serviced can not only void your warranty but cost more to fix in the long run.

Call today and schedule your Spring Thaw roof inspection and report valued at $1500.

EMPIRE ROOFING RECOGNIZED INTERNATIONALLY FOR STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGIES AND SUSTAINABILITY.

BY CENTRE OF ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION – July 2012 Project: South West Detention Centre – Windsor

Over the past two years, much of the work at the Centre for Environmental Innovation in Roofing based in Washington DC has been focused on RoofPoint TM.

http://roofingcenter.org/
http://roofpoint.org/

The purpose is to educate the market place on the benefits of sustainable roofing technologies that would not have been possible without the support of organizations like Empire Roofing Corporation.

In the last year, RoofPoint has grown to include a database of almost 100 projects throughout North America that demonstrate the best the roofing industry has to offer. With the submission of Empire Roofing Corporation, RoofPoint has been able to travel the world to showcase potential state-of-the-art technologies.



Recently also winning 2013 Master Contractor of the Year from Firestone Building products, based out of Illinois, as well as Master Contractor for 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012, Empire Roofing consistently demonstrates our commitment to our clients and quality of work through constant achievement to be the best in roofing and to provide the very best result for our valued customers.

For a no obligation quote, or free 100 point roof inspection contact us at:

https://empireroofingcorporation.com/contact-us/