Ontario Construction News staff writer
Windsor-based Austin Roofing & Waterproofing says it is expanding operations with a new building in Windsor to serve as the company’s national headquarters.
Austin has grown roughly 50-60 per cent in 2020, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, requiring the move into the new 8,500 sq. ft. space, the compay said in a statement last Tuesday (Dec. 8). The office will provide room for growth and warehousing and allow the company to expand its team.
“We really had no choice but to expand operations as it was becoming extremely difficult to manage from a smaller location,” said company vice-president Patrick Austin. “We are growing our fleet on almost a monthly basis and we need additional space for equipment and vehicles. Another reason to grow is to accommodate more staff so we can manage the growing volume of requests. In addition, we have our eyes on a second location in the Toronto region.”
Austin plans to add engineers and estimators who have experience in the commercial and industrial waterproofing space. In 2021, with current projected sales, the company believes it will add an additional 15-20 employees.
“When it comes to a flat-roof restoration, the customer has a decision to make, tear off the existing roof or install a retrofit,” Austin said. “We believe we’re right in the middle with the best option, which is a key reason for our growth.”
Once an existing roof is cleaned and prepped, Austin installs a fully adhered, 3-ply flexible rubber coating directly over the roof’s surface creating a seamless membrane across the roof. As each application is installed, the process fills every crack and split throughout the roof avoiding the need to install thousands of fasteners through the roof deck like a retrofit option requires.
“In the long run, traditional retrofit options do not benefit the client whatsoever, and it becomes clear to the client that our fully adhered system is the commonsense solution,” said Austin.” Roofing and waterproofing technology continues to evolve, and it’s something we devote a lot of time learning about, and furthermore, passing information onto clients so they have the knowledge to make an informed decision.
“We have invested tremendous time and resources expanding our operations throughout the Ontario region, and we are experiencing a great return on our investment. We have also received several requests from clients to expand into Montreal-Ottawa, which is exciting news.”
The company started rebranding in 2016 and initiated its first expansion beyond Windsor. While Austin Roofing serves the Windsor area, additional opportunities continue to come from Toronto GTA and Ottawa regions with requests to go farther and service more markets, the statement said.