Tory’s Roofing & Waterproofing Inc.

Tory’s Roofing & Waterproofing Inc. (TRW) is a family-owned and -operated exterior construction business, providing roofing and building envelope services to customers in Hawaii. Louis Tory Jr. established the company in 1972. He started with little more than a hammer and hard work, beginning by repairing and replacing residential roofs. Today, TRW is one of the oldest and largest roofing contractors in Hawaii, serving a range of commercial and residential customers all over the island of O’ahu.

Louis still operates TRW today; his children are involved in the family business, too: Mike Tory, vice president of TRW; works alongside his sister, Sandra Tory, general manager; as well as Bryan Tory, who works in residential sales; and Brandon Tory, the supervisor who oversees TRW’s production.

After 40 years in business, the family keeps an evolving legacy of hard work, quality construction and leading customer service.

“Our niche is roofing, although waterproofing is also a big component of what we do,” Sandra explains. “We have 40 roofers on staff and an administration team of 15 people. We really love what we do and our experience and dedication shows in our work.”

The team’s target market includes general contractors, as well as building and homeowners. TRW prioritizes relationship building and repeat customers make up a large portion of the company’s volume.

A growing portfolio

The company has built up a strong portfolio of experience, with projects ranging from houses to institutions of higher education and museums. Over the years, many of TRW’s customers have come to rely on the crew for dependable scheduling, efficient performance and a quality end product. The team has built a lasting reputation for diverse exterior work that keeps the weather out and maintains the aesthetics that customers strive to uphold.

Over the years, TRW has been busy taking on new challenges for a diverse market in Hawai’i. One of the company’s most interesting developments has been a new relationship with the Doris Duke Foundation for the Islamic Arts. The foundation’s founder, Doris Duke, was a renowned actress, heiress and philanthropist. She passed away in 1993, leaving her fortune to the foundation. The money launched the Doris Day Academy for the Islamic Arts, which the company performed a full new construction roof contract on. Her home was turned into a museum and the foundation asked the team to perform this contract, as well.

Another repeat customer is the University of Hawai’i. TRW has performed several contracts over the years for the school. Most recently, the crew went to work on the university’s athletic center. Scope of work on this project included teardown of the existing roof down to the concrete decking. TRW applied layers of waterproofing material, base sheeting and cap sheeting, topping it all off with a Hydrostop Roofing Coating System.

TRW has also performed several contracts for local Sheraton Hotels. The company performed re-roofing projects on both the Sheraton Moana Pacific and the Sheraton Waikiki. The Moana Pacific project involved the removal and replacement of a membrane roof system, pitch pockets and lead flashing, as well as waterproofing at the walls. The Waikiki contract required removal and replacement of worn out shakes and replacement with new Certainteed Landmark TL Shingles.

Weatherproofing the future

While the market is steadily recovering across the United States, Sandra and her team face challenges like any other contractor. “We are in a competitive industry,” she explains. “It is really less about the money and more about reputation. We work to build relationships with our customers and our strategic partners, which helps us keep our volume up.”

While many of TRW’s projects are performed as a subcontractor, the crew also takes the lead frequently, serving as general contractor for a range of complex projects. As a subcontractor, the company typically self-performs a majority of the scope of work.

As a general, TRW frequently works with subcontractors that take care of gutters, sheet metal, painting, plumbing and other specialty trades. Relationships with these subcontractors are vital to performance and the company has built a strong network of reliable partners over the years.

In the coming years, the team is looking to branch out, leveraging these relationships to break new ground as a business. “We are looking to diversify our service line a bit,” Sandra notes. “We are building relationships now that will allow us to take on maintenance contracts and perform work for insurance companies.”

Roofing and waterproofing will remain the bread and butter for the team. The Tory family will continue to press on with hard work, safety and integrity as Tory Roofing & Waterproofing Inc. expands into new markets.