When the Commercial Roofing Business is in your DNA
My dad began working at Dalbec Roofing (now Mint Roofing) back in 1952 as a sheet metal and roofing laborer working for my uncle, Lester Dalbec. Uncle Lester had started his business just two years earlier. It was a common (and embarrassing) occurrence to have a smelly tar kettle parked in our driveway or a one-ton stake truck loaded for a job starting early the next day. Such is the life of growing up in a commercial roofing business family.
My parents eventually bought the business in 1980, taking it to all new heights (pun intended), and it was a family-run business through and through. My dad worked long hours in the evening in the spare bedroom-turned-office of our home, putting together bids, while my mom learned about bookkeeping, accounting, and general office management.
We kids (there were five of us) had our jobs, too. My parents had no qualms about making the most of their resources! We answered the after-hours phone; counted inventory (learned to write with mittens during the cold months); peeled plastic coating off sheet metal parts once they were bent and ready for a job; washed trucks; and ran errands after school.
It wasn’t all work. Having a family roofing and sheet metal business had its benefits, too. Like the ability to fix the rusted-out floorboard of my 1970 Cutlass Supreme (my dad could fix anything with sheet metal); or have a Go Go’s airband (complete with a toilet bowl scrubber as a mic) with your friends on the back of a flatbed truck for the local parade. And let’s not forget the “free” pop because you knew where the vending machine key was hidden.
Most kids today would probably balk at the expectations of growing up in a family business, but we never thought anything of it. We were proud of our parents, and we wanted them to succeed. Except for the black flecks of tar that appeared on all of my clothing growing up (the drawback of sharing a washing machine with a roofer), it was a great way to grow up.
The business continues to flourish today sans black flecks of tar. It instilled a strong work ethic in all of us, which was at least a part of why my husband (Kevin Krolczyk) and I believed we could make a go of it.
In 1995, my husband and I purchased Dalbec Roofing from my parents, Bernice and Doug. Three generations, the same great company, and still going strong today. The following year Doug & Bernice decided it was time to retire.
As the business continued to grow, Dalbec moved to its current location in Long Lake. In 2012 Dalbec Roofing became Mint Roofing – a fresh new name for a thriving business.
Kevin and I remain passionate about the commercial roofing industry to this day. We are committed to providing an outstanding work-life balance for everyone on the Mint team while providing commercial roofing excellence to our clients.
We’ve built Mint Roofing around 5 core values: Passion, Collaboration, Flexibility, Integrity, and Fun. From the office to the warehouse to the crews on the roof, you’ll find that everyone at Mint Roofing embodies these qualities.
And here we are in 2022, celebrating 72 years since Uncle Lester started this business. Our trucks may have changed (a lot) in those 72 years, but our commitment to our customers has not. I’m sure he’d be surprised (and very proud) to see the way his legacy has evolved and grown.
I’m so grateful for all I’ve learned and accomplished being a part of this amazing company. I hope that our gratitude comes through in the relationships we build with each of our valued clients. Mint Roofing was built on a remarkable history, and we hope that it will see continued growth in the next 72 years.
From our family to yours – thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you.
-Michele Krolczyk