Hemenway’s business corners market on copper roofing

Brad Hemenway has risen to the top of one of the most competitive building trades – roofing – by specializing in copper.

During the past decade, clients have included the owner of a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house in San Francisco and a world-famous Seattle-area resident who insists on anonymity, “although I can show pictures of his house.”

Hemenway began his business with his wife, Jessica – the “J” in BJ Roofing.

It has been years since she climbed ladders to toss shingles to her husband. But on a recent job in Peru, Jessica reprised her role as Brad’s right hand after he broke his arm playing soccer and couldn’t wield a nail gun.

Back in Spokane and on the mend, Hemenway discussed his business during a recent interview.

S-R: How did you get a roofing job in Peru?

Hemenway: Some architects in New York designed the building, which included an 1,800-square-foot cylinder they wanted covered in copper. They contacted Zappone (a Spokane manufacturer of copper shingles) and asked if they knew anyone who could do it. Zappone recommended me, since I did a very similar job on the Starbucks at Francis and Maple.

S-R: Besides referrals by Zappone, how do you get out-of-town work?

Hemenway: I’ve been featured in the Washington Post and a number of architectural magazines, and on HDTV’s “Curb Appeal” show.

S-R: Where did you learn roofing?

Hemenway: I worked full time for a roofer while attending Spokane Falls Community College until I figured out I could make more on my own. I planned to shut the company down after graduating from Eastern, but one day my Econ 201 instructor asked what I planned to do after college, and I said I wanted to get into corporate sales. He said, “Brad, who does your company’s sales now?” That’s when I realized I already had my dream job.

S-R: What special skills does copper roofing require?

Hemenway: Customers who want copper roofs tend to be very successful, Type-A people who demand exceptional craftsmanship. Every line has to be perfectly straight. And because the material is so expensive, we have to do all our mathematical calculations before we lay the first shingle. Most composition roofers run a marathon every day. Copper and metal roofers are more like finish carpenters – they need to know where they’re going to end up before they start.

S-R: What’s the difference in material costs?

Hemenway: Composition is about $65 a “square,” or 100 square feet. Copper is about $950 a square.

S-R: How long will copper shingles last?

Hemenway: I tell my customers 200 to 300 years.

S-R: What distinguishes you from other roofers?

Hemenway: I’ve always had a long-term outlook, which is both a blessing and a curse. The first year I installed copper, I sometimes earned less than minimum wage. But I knew if I could make a name for myself, people would fly me all over to install copper. And it’s paid off. I’ve worked in New York, Virginia, Washington, D.C., numerous jobs in Hawaii. I’m doing a big art museum in Las Vegas, N.M., this fall. It’s aluminum, but it’s the same process. It’s probably going to be the hardest and most beautiful job I’ve ever done.

S-R: Do you install all your company’s copper roofs yourself?

Hemenway: For years I didn’t trust anyone else, which is why it took me four months to do Glover Mansion. But now I have two employees who have a machinist’s brain and a finish-carpenter mentality, and they do 70 percent of that work.

S-R: What do you like most about your job?

Hemenway: Being able to put something down that my grandkids will be able to say their granddad did.

S-R: What do you like least?

Hemenway: Dealing with homeowners who have unrealistic expectations.

S-R: When you travel for a job, what’s your schedule?

Hemenway: We usually work 10 to 12 hours, six days a week. When we do jobs in Hawaii, I always put in the contract that we can stay an extra week at the customers’ expense.

S-R: What qualities do you look for in potential employees?

Hemenway: I look for foresight – someone who wants a savings account, because that means they’re thinking about the future. I want employees who see beyond what’s right in front of them, because in roofing you have to look ahead – what’s going to happen in winter when snow builds up.

S-R: How has the recession affected your business?

Hemenway: We’ve definitely felt it. Years ago, I downsized to more fuel-efficient vehicles and paid down our debt, so we’ve weathered the storm pretty well. But if it weren’t for the out-of-town copper jobs, I don’t know how our business could stay afloat, because we don’t make enough money on composition roofs here in Spokane.

S-R: What’s your outlook?

Hemenway: I’m pretty nervous. Americans are resilient, but I think we’ve got a few more tight years ahead of us.

S-R: What’s the biggest challenge your business faces?

Hemenway: Getting homeowners to understand that cheaper isn’t always better. Compared with people who do the same quality of work as we do, we’re probably the cheapest. But we won’t be the lowest bid, if that makes sense.

S-R: What should customers consider when hiring a roofer?

Hemenway: Look at how long a company has been around, or will be around. Someone can give you a 30-year warranty, but if they go out of business and you have a problem, you’re left with nothing.