Strength Through Flexibility

Merging general contracting and roofing skills brings Consolidated Enterprises success

By Rachael Kvapil

healthy building may start with a solid foundation, but it’s topped off with a robust roofing system. For Consolidated Enterprises, Inc., the roof isn’t the final touch to a commercial building project—it’s a component that should be planned for alongside every other aspect of building design. And given the vast differences across Alaskan regions, that design will need to be tailored to the building’s location.

As a general contractor, Consolidated Enterprises is well-versed in construction management. It’s also known as one of the best roofing companies in Alaska. This strategic blending of talents makes the company more competitive and also reflects its history.

Shortly after the 1974 incorporation of Consolidated Enterprises, the owners of Pacific Roofing and Interstate Construction Company ramped down their operations and began running new contracts under this singular entity. Consolidated Enterprises has always been a part of President Destry Lind’s life. His father ran the roofing side of things in the ‘80s and ‘90s and was president until 2008. Lind helped on the jobsite during his youth, joined the company as a paid employee in 1985, and became its president in 2013. For the past twelve years, Lind has successfully guided the company through natural disasters, a pandemic, economic uncertainty, and now a workforce shortage.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to roofing in Alaska. A system that works well in extremely cold, dry Interior climates may not handle the snow loads and winds of Southcentral or the significant rain in Southeast. Lind says assessment is key in determining the right type of roofing system for a particular building. It’s easier to make the right roofing choices on a new building than it is to change systems during roof replacements, as Consolidated Enterprises can work with an architect during the design phase to select a system that meets both the preliminary parameters and the budget. For a replacement, Lind says his team relies on its certified inspection team to assess the building and determine the cause of the roof’s current issues.

“A roof is your first line of defense in harsh environments,” says Lind. “Alaskans experience up to 100-degree temperature swings. Once installed, a roof can last over thirty years with proper upkeep and maintenance.”

Unfortunately, Lind says he has seen many buildings go unmaintained to the point that roof problems begin to affect the integrity of the rest of the structure. By then, it will be too late to take immediate action, as most roofing companies in Alaska, including Consolidated Enterprises, are already booked for the upcoming year. With many members of the current workforce retiring, the struggle to recruit people into the trade has limited the number of projects that can be completed each year.

A large part of Consolidated Enterprises’ success is its ability to provide the precise services the industry needs at any given time. During the 2018 earthquake, Lind says the company got entirely out of commercial construction for a while and worked as a subcontractor. Several commercial and school roofs were damaged by the earthquake. Likewise, extreme winds and heavier snow loads at that time caused outdated designs to fail due to how the roof connects to the load-bearing wall. It didn’t take long to realize the company could complete projects more efficiently as a general contractor.

“We put the team back together and won almost every roofing project proposal we submitted that had some sort of structural component, code changes, or permit requirements,” says Lind.

Ray Amsden, former Facilities Director at the Anchorage School District (ASD), worked with Consolidated Enterprises for decades, stretching back to when Lind’s father still ran the company. He said Consolidated Enterprises was the general contractor on many ASD projects, including Alpenglow Elementary in Eagle River, built in 1982. The company also maintained and rebuilt a number of roofs for the school district.

“It was always a good experience working with them,” says Amsden. “They have always delivered a quality project, and everyone was cooperative and easy to work with. Every project was successful and to satisfaction.”

Consolidated Enterprises has been an Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Alaska member since 2019. Lind says the advocacy work AGC provides at the local, state, and federal levels greatly benefits Alaska, particularly in ensuring that workers receive a high, competitive wage.

“They make sure people receive a wage that is livable for Alaskans,” says Lind. “It’s one reason I’m thankful for AGC.”

Consolidated Enterprises has completed a variety of projects in the past five years. It recently completed a $10.5 million 240,000-square-foot re-roofing project for the USPS Processing and Distribution Center, Air Mail Facility, and General Mail Facility in Anchorage. It also wrapped up a five-year Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract for Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) to maintain and replace roofs in Anchorage and Fairbanks. Lind says of the sixty-eight contractors across seven regions competing for $430 million in allocated funds from the $650 million US Air Force funds available, Consolidated Enterprises has been awarded about 10 percent of the allocation to date. Although that particular project is complete, Consolidated Enterprises is currently working on additional JBER projects.

Lind says he plans to continue efforts to recruit the next generation of workers into the industry. He and his team frequent job fairs and find other opportunities to introduce people to the trades.

“There is a lot of work on the horizon,” says Lind. “The state is poised for a huge boom, and now is the time to get into the trades.”