Jim Bork first learned about metal roofing while on an elk hunting trip in Colorado, where he saw a lot of steel roofing. He was told it was because homeowners and building owners wanted the massive amounts of snow to slide off the roof. Bork thought that should be a selling point in his native Wisconsin as well.

The first JJJ Construction metal roofing customer was a homeowner who had holes in the roof of his big old farmhouse. “He couldn’t get the asphalt shingle guys to come and give him an estimate,” Bork says. “I asked him if he ever considered steel roofing and he said he didn’t care what the roof was made of, he was just sick of watching birds fly in and out of his house.”

In addition to building “almost anything,” JJJ Construction worked its way into the residential re-roofing business. Bork estimates JJJ has installed metal roofing panels on 150 rural homes in a 25-mile radius, centered in Lookout, Wis.

“It’s almost fun to sell metal now,” he says.

And Bork, a customer of ABC, sells his share of Imperial Rib through-fastened panel roofing, mostly for residential re-roofing projects in west central Wisconsin. Most times, it’s installed directly over the asphalt shingles.

Problem: One man’s problem … can be fixed by another man with a ladder, screw gun and two able-bodied sons.

Homeowners here are finding themselves replacing the asphalt roofing on their homes every 10-15 years — and these are sold to them as 30-year or even 40-year shingles. Those living in their homes for a long time are looking to invest in a better product. For the same cost, Bork offers a “lifetime” product with metal roofing.

“I’m not looking to become a millionaire with this stuff,” Bork says. “I’m trying to give people a good deal and still make a little money. Except for buying my guys jackets for Christmas one year, I’ve never spent any money on advertising, and I’m proud of that. I’ve lived here my whole life, people know me and they know I’m a hard worker and a fair man.”
How much of JJJ’s business is from repeat customers? “Pretty much all of it,” Bork says.

Options: Homeowners can allow history to repeat itself by purchasing asphalt shingles, or they can choose a longer-lasting product like metal. Bork says the product is better than it was 10 years ago and it’s better than asphalt — it’s really an easy decision.

Selling point: Bork and his sons Jake and Joe, have been solving the asphalt roofing problems of homeowners for years by installing Imperial Rib panels on top of failing asphalt shingles (some less than 10 years old). “We can beat asphalt on price,” Bork says. “When you take into consideration the labor cost to tear-off and the cost to dump it, it’s a pretty easy sell. It’s going to last longer, it sheds snow and it looks great.

“The colors are attractive and in the last 10 years or so, they’ve perfected the paints. They don’t fade and chalk like they used to.”

Verdict: The fact that Bork keeps drumming up business proves his success, which is directly connected to the success of the product.  MR