Part of a series: Meet a roofing specialist who’s built a reputation for quality through three generations of ownership.
Editor’s Note: This is part of a “Business Resource Guide” series that highlights several locally owned business-to-business service providers in our region.
Quality work has become a hallmark for McDermaid Roofing and Insulating Company, 1229 Kishwaukee St., in Rockford. After all, that long-lasting work is what’s made McDermaid one of the area’s oldest roofing contractors.
“Our motto is, ‘Above all, a good roof,’” says Paul Naretta, company vice president and head of the roofing division. “I believe we provide exceptional service, and if people need us we can be there almost instantly. When people have an emergency, we’re there.”
McDermaid specializes in roofing, waterproofing and pipe-covering services for commercial, industrial and governmental buildings. The roofing division installs new roofs, does below-grade waterproofing of vaulats and tunnels, provides 24-hour emergency leak service, and offers quotes and budget estimates.
The pipe-covering division serves many of the same clients, satisfying their insulation needs on hot and cold water lines, boilers, ductwork, tanks and vessels, and other piping systems.
“We do a lot of work with food processing places, where they might have a lot of hot and cold lines,” says Naretta. “Food processing requires a lot of pipe covering. You don’t want to drip sweaty water off a pipe into your potato chips.”
Ongoing facility improvements at Rockford’s public schools have been keeping the McDermaid crew busy. It recently completed work on field houses at Guilford and Auburn high schools and is wrapping up an extensive remove-and-replace roofing system at Flinn Middle School.
Replacing an entire roof in one shot is a time-consuming and costly job, so Naretta helps many clients by completing the job in smaller bites over a longer timeframe.
“We set up a reroofing program, so that when their budgets can afford it, we can update just one section of their roof,” says Naretta. “That way, they aren’t faced with the huge cost increase of replacing the roof all at once.”
McDermaid Roofing was founded in 1934 by Don McDermaid and Joe Naretta. Joe’s son, Bill, joined the company in 1961 and currently serves as president. Paul joined his dad in 1989; his son Nick, the fourth generation, pitches in when he’s home from college.
The sense of family at McDermaid even extends to the loyal workforce, which swings between about 40 and 50 workers, depending on the season.
“We have foremen who have retired from here, and now their sons are foremen,” says Paul. “We have employees’ nephews who work here and brothers who work here. We’re a pretty tight-knit family, when it comes down to it.”
Roofing technologies have changed dramatically since the 1930s, and McDermaid continues adapting with new industry standards. Environmentally friendly and energy-saving materials are in high demand, especially with many public entities. So are solar panels, which require special installation methods.
McDermaid is also expanding its reach into air and vapor barriers that help to insulate a building, much like a double-pane window.
“Normally, a block wall goes up, and then we waterproof that wall before the brick veneer goes up,” Naretta explains. “There ends up being a cavity, or space, between the walls. Hospitals, especially, want the building sealed – they don’t want air in, and they don’t want air out unless they can control the flow. We’re able to envelope the building.”
Roofing material makers continue to recognize McDermaid for its quality work, awarding the company with marks such as the Firestone Master Contractor and the Versico Gold Medal Quality Award.
“When the job is completed, the product manufacturer’s inspectors come out and look at every detail, every item on the roof,” says Naretta. “They check the seams, the lapse, the corners, the flashings, the pipes, the boots – everything. Quality contractors don’t have re-inspections and they get high ratings.”
To learn more about roofing, pipe covering and waterproofing services available from McDermaid Roofing and Insulating, visit mcdermaidroofing.com or call (815) 963-8458.