Kirberg Roofing doubles capacity in relocation

Market growth has spurred St. Louis-based roofing contractor Kirberg Co. to relocate its Springfield operations to a larger space more than double the size of its previous location.

Recent data from the company show that sales figures for Kirberg Co.'s Springfield operations, which began in 1995, have increased 35 percent to $4 million in the last three years.

"There are several reasons for that rapid growth," said President and CEO Douglas Kirberg. "Springfield has always been a vital part of our commercial operation. We've expanded the service market into several surrounding areas, including northwest Arkansas."

Kirberg Co. moved Nov. 1 to 1140 N. Eldon Road from 3251 N. FR 143, where it operated for 13 years. The Eldon Road site - on 7.5 acres purchased from Dan Essary Construction Co. for an undisclosed price - offers 1,156 square feet of office space and 10,650 square feet of warehouse space.

In addition to the Springfield location, Kirberg Co. has satellite offices in Jefferson City and Kansas City, Kan. The company provides roof installation, repair, restoration, waterproofing and related services. The St. Louis site handles residential and commercial projects, but the Springfield site performs commercial roofing only.

Kirberg Co. originally had 12 employees in Springfield, but the company's local work force has grown to 28.

"We haven't stopped growing since we moved here in 1995. We outgrew the old building at least three years ago," said General Manager Darrell Connell. "And the extra warehouse space will give us room for future growth."

Although Kirberg does a lot of work for local contractors, many of its projects are handled by direct bids and contracts. Kirberg includes among its major customers 3M, CoxHealth, Springfield School District, Branson Mall, Wal-Mart, Neosho R-V School District, Kraft Foods and St. John's Health System.

Tom Collins, maintenance manager for Kraft Foods, calls Kirberg his company's primary roofing partner.

"When you've got food in a building you can't afford to have a leaking roof," Collins said. "We found out a long time ago that their employees are the most proficient, most reliable around."

Although roofing materials have changed a lot through the years, the need to conserve energy has produced several new choices.

Kirberg GM Connell said one option for new roofing is a white, single-ply rubber membrane that reflects heat and can cut cooling costs in half. For existing roofs, a spray-on reflective coating works nearly as well. Although this material is primarily used on residences, Connell says similar material for commercial buildings also is available.

Today, a lot of business structures use ballast roofing.

Greg Dye, who handles roofing needs for St. John's, describes ballast roofing as a rubber membrane with a gravel overlay which helps protect the material underneath.

"We've got a million square feet of roof here, and we've obviously got to make sure it stays in good condition," Dye said of the health system's facilities. "With ballast, when there's a leak it's pretty hard to figure out where it is, but the Kirberg crew always finds the trouble spot, fixes it, then looks further to see if there are any other developing problems."

Companywide, Kirberg employs 175 people, and the company logged $20 million in 2007 revenue. Even so, CEO Kirberg said plans for any future expansion are on hold.

"The economy right now is so shaky that it's impossible to predict what will come next," he said. "But I'll be satisfied if we can just maintain things the way they are now and keep people on the job."