Roofer of the Month September 08

John Crookston
Roofer_of_the_Month_September2008

As the RCS'er of the Month Feature continues we would like to introduce you to Mr. John Crookston. He is also known on the RoofersCoffeeShop.com as "Old School". With a name like that how can you not learn something from him? He is a very important contributor to the RCS and we are honored to feature him as our September RCS'er of the month.

RCS - Old School... ?
OS - There are a lot of Crookstons and we have all be involved in roofing for a LOOONG time. My Grandfather was a union carpenter as was my father and I am a third generation union carpenter. Shingling has always been considered Carpenters work and I guess my Grand dad had a bunch of it to do way back when and he was forced to invent a hatchet to make it easier. The "AJC" hatchet was the result. (Anthony Joseph Crookston).

RCS - How can you not be a roofer with that pedigree?
OS -My Uncle Jim bought the company years ago, and my cousins still make the hatchets and other roofing equipment and they are sold around the world.

RCS - Who taught you to roof?
OS - I started working with Dad when I was very young; actually, I can never remember not being on a roof. I am sure they would call it child abuse now-a-days, but I remember carrying shingles for dad when I was about 5 years old. My older brother was nailing in front of dad and I got to nail a bit when I caught up. I would break open the bundles and carry 9 shingles at a time and set them on his knee. About 20 squares in a day, 9 shingles at a time! I just turned 56 the other day, so I guess I have been "roofing" for over 51 years now.

RCS - How long have you been contributing to the Forum?
OS - I guess I have been on the Forum for over 5 years now. It was a hoot at first to find all of the guys complaining and talking about all of the same things I had been through so many times. It made be proud to be a roofer!

RCS - So, How's business?
OS - My wife owns the business, and I and my step-son are leased employees from a union leasing company. We get extra help as needed and currently have 5 of us working, so business is good. That is saying a lot in Michigan, but I know a lot of people, and all of our work is referrals. We don't advertise at all, and I like it that way. It cuts way down on the overhead, and if we get slow, I just have to go and beat the bushes a bit more. It works for us anyway!

RCS - What was the most valuable lessons you learned about roofing?
OS - I started out as a roofer, and then became a "Roofing contractor". We got very large and did a lot of work, but I hated it! I couldn't control the quality with so many jobs going at once and I couldn't do the work either. I admire Mike (Forum Contributor) and some of the others that operate large organizations, but I like to work on the roofs and so I choose to be small and do the work myself. We do a lot of building and re-modeling now too though a lot of it has to do with roofs and fixing peoples water problems in one way or another. I am just the foreman and chief estimator so I get to figure the jobs and then do it. It is a wonderful life!

RCS - What is the st thing you ever did for your business?
OS - The best thing I ever did fo