As anyone who has had to move a desk to dodge a leak while chasing a deadline, as I had to do recently, can tell you: if you don’t have quality, weatherproof roofing, you don’t have much.
The team at Ohio and Indiana Roofing knows that excellence and attention to detail in roofing excellence is critical for its clients. Fortunately, the firm embodies the expertise of three generations in the industrial and commercial roofing business and even more in its team of associates’ collective experience, skills that are suited to installing quality roofs that last and music to the ears of Ohio and Indiana Roofing’s longstanding customers across a host of industries.
Founded in 1986 as Michaels Insulation with little more than some money and a lot of grit, the company merged with Bruns Construction Enterprises (BCE) in 1996. Beyond its water-tight, two-year quality warranties, its workmanship is further fortified with fabricator warranties that last between one and a half and three decades.
Diverse services
With a culture of personalized, professional service, its team of around 60 associates welcomes projects of all sizes, especially on high-rise buildings where Ohio and Indiana Roofing’s roofing standards are second to none.
The company provides roof replacements, repair work, and preventative maintenance. That includes drone inspections, thermal imaging, new roof construction, fixed ladders, fall protection systems, and ice and snow clearing. It also installs vegetation and patio roof systems and skylights. The final flourish on its list of services includes emergency repairs and roof coatings.
Its approach to its work is as detail-oriented as the work itself. Welcoming customers to its facilities in St. Henry and Springfield, Ohio, and two satellite facilities in Toledo and Columbus, the company is seasoned in adapting to the demands of each new project. As a result, creativity leads the way in achieving the best results in even the most complex challenges.
Having earned its colors across a multitude of roof types, the company has also established itself as a trusted platinum-level partner with several premium suppliers like Duro-Last Roofing and Fibertite. It has also been honored two years in a row with a Partner in Quality award by Elevate, formerly Firestone.
There are many perks to collaborating with industry leaders. As a trusted collaborator, the company is often privileged to have the first pick of new products developed by its fabrication partners. That commonly includes having access to formulations that expedite applications or installations, translating into saving time and money for customers.
But there’s more to Ohio and Indiana Roofing’s work than meets the eye. As a division of Bruns Construction Enterprises (BCE), established in 1951, it is also a supplier of choice on parent company projects alongside its sister companies Bruns General Contracting (BGC), Rockford Construction Services (RCS), Bruns Building and Development (BBD), and Bruns Industrial Construction (BIC), amongst others.
Driven by people
The success of the conglomerate firm is ascribed to its people’s commitment to good old-fashioned hard work, transparency, time-honored craftsmanship, their sense of family, and their faith.
“Our associates work together; we all work as a team, and we are all willing to help others when they need it. Our associates are very driven, dedicated, and loyal,” says Neil Bruns, Estimator.
As a means of investing in its people, the company takes personal development and continuing education seriously. “The biggest way we invest in our people is training and schooling for their particular position. We also celebrate often and recognize it is the entire team that makes a successful workplace and company,” he says.
To this end, the company is upgrading its safety equipment across its facilities together with a recent investment in purchasing its own land and establishing a new facility in Springfield, complete with metal fabrication equipment.
There are also social responsibilities the company holds dear. The team is proud of the work it has done to support a breadth of rescue missions—like dispatching construction vehicles to Haiti, school supplies and support to Jamaica, and donations to a New York youth facility and schools and other organizations in Chicago and locally.
Its company president also traveled to Tanzania in Africa to assist the Ursuline Sisters and the Precious Blood Seminary in their work, while maintaining a close relationship with Saint John’s Institute (SJI) and Eagle Eye Ministries in Denver, Colorado.
Responsible roofing
The company is also keenly aware of how it approaches its environmental responsibilities. “The vast majority of all the materials we install are LEED-certified products. We also offer our customers the most premium membranes on the market for longevity, which saves costs in the long run and helps eliminate landfill waste because it’s on their roof longer,” Bruns explains. Alongside this, the company recycles metal and reuses old roofing membranes to protect materials from the weather.
While all its services are popular, preventative maintenance, repairs, and servicing drive the most calls; that’s because not all leaks justify replacing entire roofing systems. “This ties in with two of our core values: integrity and honesty. We’re not here to take advantage of anyone, we’re here to help, which also relates to our purpose of providing for those that depend on us,” Bruns says. As a result, the team operates to a strict policy of, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Sales/Service Advisor Gary Spain, says Bruns, was responsible for building the service department years ago for the company’s St. Henry office, and is “one of the most dedicated and loyal associates one could ask for.”
The approach saves customers money, even in cases when partial or complete replacement becomes necessary. That’s because the team goes all out to maximize material reuse and minimize replacement—especially for customers who prefer not installing 100 percent from scratch due to time or budget limitations.
This approach empowers customers by adding, on average, more than a quarter of the existing age to the ultimate lifespan of a roof while mitigating possible future issues. “Preventative maintenance is also great for the customer because it helps them forecast approximately when they’ll need a new roof. They can begin budgeting for it years in advance,” Bruns notes.
And, as COVID-19 reminded all of us, planning is certainly of the essence. With long lead times for some of the company’s products—up to a year in some cases—the team had its work cut out to keep projects running smoothly during that time. Thanks to its phenomenal team and some impressive strategic planning, the company made it through, in many cases garnering new business based on the fact that it had sufficient material in stock.
Proud portfolio
Ohio and Indiana Roofing’s signature style of positive tenacity has secured it a portfolio of projects that impress with their technical complexity and size. These include an over 300,000-square-foot distribution facility at New Orleans Airport. “We’re proud of this project because of the size and also because we were able to perform the work so far away from our headquarters,” says Bruns. The work of Frank Urwin, Project / Sales Manager, was crucial in this project’s success, from closing the deal to helping manage the project. Urwin traveled to the site several times to help manage the project and ensure the customer’s satisfaction.
Another even larger project, this time in Columbus, came in at an impressive total of 805,000 square feet.
The team concluded another special project in the downtown area of the City of Dayton, Ohio: the Dayton Arcade, dating from around 1904. As a historic local landmark stretching across most of a city block, this fulfilling project is described by Bruns as challenging but personally rewarding for everyone. The commitment of Operations / Project Manager Ted Bruns made a big difference to the success of this very time-consuming and challenging project.
The company is proud to have been a part of the revitalization of the area. Following many economic blows, such as the Great Flood of 1913, followed by the advent of WWI and The Great Depression, the Arcade made a comeback as the region expanded after WWII. Many economic ups and downs later, the center closed in 1991.
A period of failed acquisitions resulted in further decay—until it was purchased and put through a $95 million makeover around 2019. Completing its share of the work in 2021, Ohio and Indiana Roofing was delighted to help preserve this legacy building.
Moving to the modern, the company has also installed roofs on many high-rise buildings in and around Columbus. “We’re proud of these projects because of the challenges the team overcame. And they’re very high-profile projects,” says Bruns. “Sales Manager Kevin Bruns is responsible for closing a majority of our high-rise work due to the excellent relationships he has been able to create and maintain,” and this project was no exception. “Doug Schwieterman is Head of Operations for the Springfield office and he is always willing to take on new and difficult challenges, does it with a smile, and always exceeds expectations.”
Challenge and change
Beyond its commitment to participating in good works, Bruns notes the importance of keeping on top of ever-changing markets in the wake of labor shortages and other challenges. “While we have attracted some fine people, there’s plenty of room for more,” he says, assuring us that, while innovation is driving incredible technological tools to ease the burdens of labor shortages, humans cannot be replaced in this industry.
To this end, the company is planning significant investments in equipment alongside the expansion of its facility in St. Henry next year. Being driven by its mission of doing good in the world means that future expansions will also serve its people better.
“The biggest motivator for our growth is that we are driven by our core values—faith and family; honesty; integrity; hard work; and quality craftsmanship—and we are associate-owned,” shares Bruns. The company presently possesses over 600 years of collective roofing experience and more than 25 million square feet of roof installed, but is not content to rest on its laurels. On the contrary, says Bruns. “We are determined to grow for everyone in our organization.”
Visit www.oiroofing.com to find out more.
Sidebar:
Core Values at Ohio and Indiana Roofing
• Faith and family
• Quality craftsmanship
• Integrity
• Honesty
• Hard working
