Upon eclipsing the $100 million mark in annual roof sales revenue in 1994, CentiMark Corporation Founder Ed Dunlap began to realistically entertain the thought of becoming the industry’s first billion-dollar roofing contractor.  

“A lot of the employees that were around at that time are still here or still working at the corporate office, and they all thought he was crazy,” quipped son and current President and CEO Tim Dunlap, who was just fitting into his role in leadership at the time. “It may at that time have been only a dream, but it was something that he pushed within the organization and reinforced over the last 27 years.”

Many people thought the same thing when the elder Dunlap, a roofing materials salesman by trade, converted the janitorial supply business he started in the basement of the family home into a roofing service and maintenance company in 1968. That company was the foundation for the commercial roofing force that would become CentiMark in 1968, and helped revolutionize the industry as it consistently grew in markets from coast to coast.  

Now, as heads of one of the leading commercial roofing companies on the continent for decades, both Dunlaps can celebrate accomplishing what most said was once unthinkable: operating a billion-dollar roofing company.  

The company, which also has a flooring division, announced the achievement in late December, after it became clear they would far exceed 2020’s “paltry” $813 million in revenue, which was good for the top spot in RC’s annual Top 100 List.  

That type of growth was part of Dunlap’s plan all along and he even rebranded the company name to set the bar high.  

“When we changed the company name to CentiMark in 1987, ‘Centi’ represented 100, and that was my goal — $100 million in sales,” recalled the elder Dunlap, who generated $98,500 in sales in his first year in business during the Nixon administration. “I always knew that we could ultimately achieve $1 billion dollars in sales and become the first roofing and flooring contractor to reach that marker.”  

Other notable sales milestones include: $1 million in 1974; $10 million in 1984; $500 million in 2012; and $800 million in 2020.

Another change to the CentiMark logo in 2002 incorporated a subtle reminder and motivating symbol of the billion-dollar goal. The capital ‘M’ with the double lines above represents the Roman numeral for one billion, officials said.

“I have to thank my son, Tim, for his leadership of the company since 2003,” said Ed Dunlap  front left), now ompany chairman. “I’m grateful to all CentiMark associates, vendors and customers who have worked hard and supported our business for 53 years.”

The Climb Up

Both Dunlaps credited one another for their respective roles in helping steer a company of loyal employees to success. This achievement wouldn’t be possible without those employees and their efforts over the years.  

“I have to thank my son, Tim, for his leadership of the company since 2003,” said Ed, now company chairman. “I’m grateful to all CentiMark associates, vendors and customers who have worked hard and supported our business for 53 years. They’re dedicated, hard-working and loyal. And, we have the best salesforce in any industry.”

That high-octane sales operation took its lead from the founder, the younger Dunlap insisted.  

“We’ve worked hard to achieve our goal of $1 billion dollars in sales,” Tim said. “Almost every sales associate at CentiMark has learned how to sell roofing and flooring from the ultimate salesman — my dad. Our success is driven by him and all of the hard work of our CentiMark associates over the years.”

John Godwin, CentiMark’s executive vice president of sales and marketing, said they projected breaking the billion-dollar barrier in early 2022, but sales started to climb over the summer. As the fourth quarter developed with more contracted sales, he said it became clear they could reach the milestone by the end of 2021.  

“Being an employee of the company for 32 years, this is really a dream come true,” Godwin said. “I think the thing that I’m really most proud of is that this represents more than 15,000 projects that are over $25,000, so we're doing a ton of business, and it is a company-wide effort.”

Getting buy-in from employees to reach the goal was easy. CentiMark remains family-owned, but workers are also part owners through an employee stock ownership plan established in 1988 to reward associates for their dedication and hard work.  

Godwin said the company’s business model built through organic growth rather than acquisitions also plays an important role.

“When you grow an organization organically there is common vision and common direction the whole way through. It’s kind of a philosophy of a one-team goal,” he said.

A timeline of CentiMark's history, from its founding to earning $1 billion in sales.

Growth and Giving

CentiMark’s growth over the past seven decades is a result of organic geographical expansion of office locations, starting with the first office in Pittsburgh, Pa., to 95 offices throughout North America. CentiMark’s “mark” in the roofing industry has been a single source warranty for workmanship and materials; a National Accounts Program; an exceptional regional salesforce; a technology-driven customer service program with 24/7 emergency roof leak service; distinct crews for reroofing and roof leak service. There's also an innovative commercial flooring division, QuestMark, featuring polished concrete, urethanes, coatings and resurfacers.

CentiMark is as passionate about its growth as it is in giving back. CentiMark and the Dunlap family are well known for their philanthropy; CentiMark associates volunteer in their respective communities throughout North America, enhanced by CentiMark’s financial success.

In 2021, CentiMark and its philanthropic arm, CentiMark Foundation, donated to numerous nonprofit organizations throughout North America, including several Pittsburgh-area medical centers, Make-A-Wish; Ronald McDonald House Charities; The Salvation Army; The Red Cross; and Goodwill Industries. Charitable contributions also reached local food banks, homeless shelters and domestic violence programs; veterans organizations; senior citizens programs; animal humane societies; student scholarships; and school supplies and backpacks for students.

As many in the industry know, though, working with family can be challenging. The younger Dunlap shared his advice on working in the roofing industry while navigating a family dynamic that can sometimes put a strain on the workplace/family balance.

“It boils down to separating business and the family stuff, which is usually the toughest thing to do,” Dunlap explained. “It’s all right to bicker and challenge one another at the office, but at family functions it doesn’t work. Believe me, sometimes it’s tough to do, but we’ve been doing a pretty good job of it for 53 years, I’d say.”