At 17, Ken Duval literally had no roof over his head. But thanks to risk-taking on an unwanted property, the sacrifice of a place on an Olympic-bound team and a lot of determination, Ken has developed an industry-leading small business in North Reading, Mass.
Duval Roofing now stands out as the only contractor in the area with its own waste transfer station, and Ken employs a tight-knit team of roofers with such great organization and leadership that they finish installing most new roofs in an astonishing 8-hour day.
Ken’s story and his hard-earned success caught the attention of the editors at Roofing Contractormagazine, the industry’s leading trade publication, and they put Duval Roofing on the cover of their magazine with an in-depth article about his humble beginnings and savvy business practices. Here’s a summary of that story.
An Unlikely Foundation
Living in his brother’s basement age 17, Ken couldn’t afford college, and instead went to work for a large roofing company.
After he was laid off during the late 80’s recession, Ken poured all of his funds into one truck and used it to take odd fix-it and roofing jobs. He spent his weekends kayaking, white water rafting and ice climbing. He even made the US Kayaking team after placing first in team trials, but had to forego training to qualify for the Olympics to devote time to his growing business.
Back then, OSHA regulations weren’t in full effect. Roofing was more like rock climbing – covered with adrenaline and danger. Ken’s day job was almost as adventurous as his hobbies.
Going The Extra Acre
Having saved up enough money for a small home, Ken found a one-acre property in historic North Reading (where he was born) that was commercially and residentially zoned. The house wasn’t much to live in, but the zoning regulations meant the Duval team could store trucks on the land.
A few years later, 2 adjacent acres became available. Ken added them on as part of his commercial property, making Duval Roofing the only roofing contractor in the area operating from a large piece of commercial land. The commercial property now houses a waste transfer station and roofing materials, which Duval can buy in bulk to save time and money.
Saving Green By Going Green
Unlike other roofing companies, which must pay to transport most waste to commercial transfer stations, Duval’s transfer station allows the company to recycle 90% of their debris, saving the environment (and dollars) on each project.
While other roofers have to go to the warehouse and pick up the materials for the day or have the materials dropped off, the Duval team can be flexible based on weather or customer needs.
Sky-High Tech
Ken’s eco-friendly practices also extend to his customer quote practices. Duval Roofing embraces EagleView’s Technologies’ aerial imaging and measurement technology to map roofs for pricing and materials. Thanks to the accuracy of EagleView, Ken doesn’t have to rely on guesswork for pricing. He can also assign specific worker roles based on EagleView’s diagrams so the crew works as efficiently as possible.
Duval’s take on new tech extended all the way to Minnesota, where Ken purchased a roof ice steamer in early 2015 after successive blizzards created a record number of ice dams on Boston-area roofs. Steam machines are the only way to remove ice dams from roofs without damaging shingles, decking or gutters.
The Duval Philosophy
Ken’s personal commitment to roofing craftsmanship is evidenced by the slate roof he installed by hand on his own home during evenings and weekends. He even added custom-made gargoyles and dragons for visual interest and to entertain the kids.
Ken uses EagleView maps for labor division, making sure work assignments are fair to the square foot. That may be part of the reason many of Duval Roofing’s employees have been with the company for more than 10 years.
Ken’s management philosophy explains the rest: “I’m part psychologist, really,” he says. “Without my team, where would I be?”
Get A Free Estimate
Call 978-664-2557or fill out the form below to request your free estimate for a roof replacement.
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Get A Free Estimate
Call 978-664-2557 or fill out the form below to request your free estimate for a roof replacement.
I went with Duval Roofing knowing they were by far the most qualified and reputable roofers in the area -- not to mention seeing them do most of the roofs around town. Everyone I asked gave high praise for his operation and efficiency. I am happy to be added to their referral list!
Duval's crew showed up at 7:30am and by 7pm I had a brand new roof on my 1872 home. They were true pros in every aspect of the job...I would recommend Duval Roofing to anyone I know!!
Huge shout out and THANK YOU to Duval Roofing today for a fantastic job, friendly, hardworking crew, professional service, accommodating all my requests, and immaculate clean up at the end of the day too! Job done right and they were the lowest price out of 4 bids! Call Duval out of Reading if you need a roof replaced.
I had Duval Roofing give me an estimate on stripping and shingling my roof. Ken was very professional and described what would take place while they were there. The job was done when he said it would be and it looks great. The cleanup was done as if they were never there . . . I could not even find a nail on the ground. My hat goes off to the Duval Roofing gang for a great job!!
I live in Lynnfield and must say they are the BEST Roofing Company in the area. They completed my house a few years ago and it has been perfect since. I have referred 3 families on roofing and they were glad they talked to me. They told me that they were very satisfied--which is hard to come by in the contractor business.
Duval roofing was on time, professional and efficient. It was quite interesting to see this group of guys show up and move around like everybody had a specific job, continuously working until the roof was completely done and everything picked up. Nice Job!!
Duval Roofing did my roof in Burlington and I am very fortunate that I chose Duval. I had been looking for a good company that could help me with the work that I need and the budget that I had. Also, the workers that they have are very responsible, organized, and polite. The supervisor was very educated to answer every single question and concern that I had.
Living in the area I have seen these guys’ trucks everywhere, so I called him and was surprised at the price compared to his competitors, who seem to lack the experience of Duval. Not only did I save a big chunk of change, I got the best roof by a guy who seems like he will be around for a long time to come.