Texas Roofing Co.

Since 1935, Texas Roofing Co. has been providing safe, efficient, roofing services for customers throughout central Texas. Established by Randolph Rampy, the business is in its third generation of family ownership and operation. Rampy’s grandson, Rick Birkman, has worked in the roofing industry his entire life and assumed a leadership role in the family business when he opened a branch location in 1995.

“My family has been in this industry for generations,” he explains. “I was the only grandkid who followed in those footsteps.” As company president, Birkman leads a team of 70 people, mainly longtime employees, who tackle challenging commercial roofing projects day after day. “I’ve got the best team I could possibly ask for,” he notes. “This company couldn’t do what it does without them.”

Committed to customers

Texas Roofing performs new construction, retrofit and maintenance services. On the construction end of the spectrum, the business’ volume is split fairly evenly between new construction roofing and reroofing projects. The team’s portfolio includes a broad range of experience, including public schools, higher education, hospitality, historic renovations and more.

The business also offers reliable maintenance and repair services. Preventative maintenance is particularly crucial to maximizing the life span of a new roof. Texas Roofing extends relationships with customers beyond initial installation, helping them prevent costly leaks and ensuring continued performance of materials.

Customers consider Texas Roofing a trusted partner when it comes to the integrity of their buildings. In order to maintain these relationships, Birkman says having the right team is crucial. “We are always expanding our service department and we are constantly trying to train the next generation that will continue to serve these customers,” he explains. At 58, Birkman is looking at retirement in the next decade and wants to make sure the business and its customers are in good hands.

“My son works here and my nephew works here — he’s training to be an estimator,” Birkman elaborates. “Our general manager is a younger gentleman  and we just promoted another young guy to superintendent. One thing we try to do is provide a lot of training in-house.”

In-house resources, he explains, have become more and more important with a lack of qualified workers in the labor market. To remedy that, Texas Roofing has established an outreach program. “Unlike many contractors who approach recruiting through community colleges, we go in at the high school level,” Birkman explains. “A lot of people in high school don’t want to go to college — they want to get into the workforce.”

The business has worked with one of the local high schools on several projects over the last couple of years. “We taught them how to install metal roofing,” says Birkman. “They build a small house as an industrial arts trade class project and auction it off to use those funds for next year’s project.” The company also approaches potential new hires through high school job fairs and trade fairs, getting the word out that roofing can be a fulfilling and
lucrative career.

Putting the right team to work

With a team of skilled roofers, estimators and project managers on hand, Texas Roofing has tackled a range of challenging projects in recent years. “About four or so years ago, we did the Governor’s Mansion in Austin,” Birkman recounts. “That project was unusual — somebody had firebombed the mansion and fortunately nobody was home. This was a complete rebuild. Because of the historical significance, we had to scaffold the whole building. Security was very tight, with Department of Public Safety officers carrying automatic weapons. The logistical problems were monumental, plus we had to put a roof on while there was a temporary cover over the top of the building. It was interesting walking through mansion after  it had been demolished, seeing all the old rooms and things that belonged to Sam Houston.”

The team is also working on a project for the University of Texas’ Dell Medical School. “There were five buildings under construction at the same time, which made for a lot of logistical problems,” Birkman explains. “The job was in downtown Austin where they don’t have any parking. We have to coordinate materials and personnel carefully. There is also a lot of work that has to be done on the roof itself. We have to install the roof, put a protection layer down over the top of the roof, then all the mechanical trades and plumbing and electrical do the ductwork, electrical and piping, and then we go back up and remove the protective layer and inspect the roof. There’s a lot going on up there so it has been a real challenge.”

Other recent work includes Leander Elementary School, which is nearing completion and the eight-story Sheraton Georgetown Convention Center. The building’s height presents logistical challenges, requiring coordination with the general contractor for crane work.

With a strong portfolio and a growing backlog, the company is headed for steady growth over the coming years. Birkman and his colleagues look forward to new challenges throughout central Texas as Texas Roofing Co. maintains a strong focus on quality, safety and employee career growth.