Suncoast Roofers will move base to Pinellas
As part of its expansion, a leader in the industry crosses the bay and will build its new headquarters in an office park on Ulmerton Road.
By CHRISTINA K. COSDON
Published April 25, 2006
Suncoast Roofers Supply, one of the top producing companies in the industry, is moving its headquarters from Hillsborough to Pinellas County, where the business was launched 31 years ago.
"We wanted to get back to our roots," said Bill Tamayo, president and chief executive officer.
The company, in partnership with Haydon-Rubin Development and its affiliate Rubin Real Estate, is building a 46,000-square-foot, two-story office building in the Triad Commons office park at 4592 Ulmerton Road.
Construction is to begin early next month on the $6-million project. Collman & Karsky of Tampa are the architects and Haydon-Rubin Development is the contractor. The completion date is January 2007.
The new headquarters comes at a time of expansion for Suncoast Roofers.
With the company well established in the Florida market - its 2004 revenues totaled $200-million - Suncoast Roofers is embarking on a rapid expansion that includes establishing distribution centers throughout the country. There is a long-established distribution center in Clearwater.
"We have 15 distribution centers in Florida and are expanding by an addition of two this year, in Gainesville and Naples," said Tamayo, who lives in Clearwater. "Within 90 days, we will be in either Raleigh, N.C., or Atlanta."
The company's goal is to have a distribution center in every city of 100,000 or more, he said.
Its newest venture is retail showrooms called Roof Design Centers of America. At the showrooms, homeowners can look at and learn about different types of roofing and roofing systems. They also can view digital pictures of their homes sporting a variety of roofing materials and colors.
The first Roof Design Centers of America is in Mobile, Ala., and is a test market for the retail centers, Tamayo said. "We also have a mini-version of the design center at our distribution center in Clearwater," he said.
At the Pinellas headquarters, near St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, Tamayo said Suncoast Roofers will occupy the entire second floor. The company will start with 45 employees, but expects to double that number within five years. The staff will range from office managerial to sales associates.
Haydon-Rubin Development and Rubin Real Estate will occupy the first floor and lease the remaining space.
A privately held company, Suncoast Roofers Supply offers roofing products and services to residential and commercial contractors. Its Roof Design Group is a free service that includes assisting building and development professionals with roofing design, code review and planning, supply management, cost analysis and general consultation. Its Client Alliance Plan is a program that provides extended products and business and operations services to contractors.