D.R. Kidd Co. Inc.

Growing Profits Through the Roof

In the roofing game, D.R. Kidd Company Inc. is among the top of the toppers. The Round Rock-based firm performs around $10 million worth of commercial and residential jobs per year with expertise in all roofing systems except foam. Kidd also enjoys a reputation for its expert work with copper roofs and panels.

The firm ranked 80 on Texas Construction's list of the state's top specialty contractors. Kidd is a full-service roofer with three divisions under the company umbrella: commercial, single-ply and residential roofing as well as an architectural panel forming shop. Recent jobs range from the clay tile atop the San Jacinto Residence Hall at the University of Texas at Austin and the dome and mansards system on the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum to the copper panels and roof gracing the new Austin City Hall and the rubberized asphalt roof on the highly moisture-sensitive Tokyo Electron clean room assembly plant in Austin.

RSI (Roofing/Siding/Insulation) magazine, published by Questex Media, ranks Kidd as one of the top 60 largest roofers in the nation, and in 1999 the firm was named "Most Intriguing Contractor" by Roofing Contractor magazine, the official publication of the International Roofing Expo. Vice president and Treasurer David May attributes the company's accomplishments and reputations to its staff. "We feel like if we have any expertise, it's that we recognize good people and give them the support to do their jobs as best they can."

The firm was founded in 1982 by David Kidd. Known in the Austin area as "The Roof Doctor," it specialized in leak repair and eventually expanded into residential re-roofing. The company was bought from Kidd in 1994 by Elizabeth May, a former psychotherapist with no prior construction experience.

"We wanted a bread-and-butter business, whether it rained or not, whether economic times were good or bad," said David May, Elizabeth May's husband, whose background had been in oil and environmental drilling and investment banking. "We figured everyone needs a roof,"

Before buying Kidd, "We had no earthly idea about what this business entailed. I'd never been on a roof," David May said.

Kidd has since grown from a $250,000 per annum enterprise to its current level. By 1996, it had expanded into commercial work doing modified bitumen, built-up and single-ply roofs.

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In 1997 C&C Roofing and Sheet Metal merged with Kidd, bringing more than 15 years of metal and built-up roof experience and a fabrication shop. The full-service roofer is now a certified installer of most major commercial and residential roofing systems.

Major jobs performed by Kidd's commercial division include the four-ply and gravel built-up roof for the expansion of Lamar Middle School in Austin. Its single-ply division recently roofed a 330,000-sq.-ft. facility for the Texas Department of Corrections in Huntsville. The residential division roofs some 400 homes a year for Del Webb's Sun City Georgetown and works with many custom builders in the Austin area.

Kidd fabricated copper panels for the Austin City Hall, Austin City Lofts and the Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art at UT Austin. The firm recently installed the copper roof and accents for the first building at Texas State University's new Round Rock campus.

The firm has done numerous jobs for the University of Texas. David May attributes the repeat business to favorable bids and performance. "We have done some really tough work out there. They are constantly evaluating your work." he said. David May stresses employee involvement as a key factor in Kidd's growth and success. Kidd currently employs around 75 people. Ownership has been expanded to include former C&C owners Augie and Anthony Carrasco and two of Kidd's commercial estimators. "We set up a profit-sharing plan for the managers and superintendents so that they have a piece of, a hand in or a result from everything they do," he said.

The firm is certified by the state as a Historically Underutilized Business through the Texas Building and Procurement Commission due to its female and Hispanic owners.

Customer satisfaction and standing by its work are hallmarks of the Kidd professional philosophy. "We have never been sued in 21 years," David May said. "If we have a problem, we take care of it." The company has never had any liquidated damages or other penalties imposed.

The company has enjoyed the luck of timing in addition to its reputation for quality work. When Elizabeth May bought Kidd in 1992, Texas was just starting to rebound from an economic downturn. "We had no idea that Austin was poised for such growth," said David May.

David is proud of what he, his wife and their employees have achieved. "We've done a pretty good job of building it up from nothing to an interesting company that does quite a few things."