Duro-Last

Raising the Roof One Building at a Time

Duro-Last has experienced rapid growth in recent years, with more than 750 employees across multiple facilities. It maintains its headquarters in Saginaw, Michigan. Tim Hart, Vice President of Western Operations at Duro-Last said that Duro-Last has been particularly successful in Josephine County, Oregon. Duro-Last has been able to recruit highly skilled workers and has no issues with retaining employees in Southern Oregon, which Hart said has been instrumental in the plant’s ability to expand its facilities and grow its business.

The strategic location of Duro-Last in Oregon has allowed the manufacturing plant here to access all of the supplies and human resources that it needs to flourish. Hart said, “This has been a very good location for us. We’ve had difficulty in other areas hiring people, but I’ve never had a problem here.”

Hart also said that he is pleased that Duro-Last has been able to continuously improve its efficiency because it produces so much of its equipment internally. Duro-Last relies heavily on local engineering talent and skilled workers to continue to automate and streamline its production process. Hart said these savings are passed along to Duro-Last’s customers, which is one of the reasons why the company has been able to be such a dominant force in this industry.

In opening its plant in the Rogue Valley, Hart said Duro-Last has everything it needs to succeed. “Having a strong regional airport just 30 minutes away is very convenient,” Hart said. “In addition, Southern Oregon has a good supply of independent and national trucking firms to service our customers throughout the Western United States. That’s a benefit to us here in the Rogue Valley. We don’t really have shipping challenges.”

Duro-Last continues to grow its customer base and retain prestigious national accounts, such as Wendy’s Restaurants. Duro-Last has more plans for expansion around the country. Hart encourages other businesses looking to make the most of their locations and positioning themselves in a way to grow to consider relocation to Grants Pass. In fact, Duro-Last is a member of Southern Oregon Regional Economic Development, Inc. and received Large Business of the Year in 2006. Hart said that he enjoys working with other businesses that come to the area because he is invested in seeing this region continue to grow as an economic powerhouse.

Duro-Last is widely known as the manufacturer of the “World’s Best Roof ®”. Since the company first started designing and manufacturing its unique commercial roofing systems in 1978, it has expanded rapidly all over North America. Its superior quality standards gives Duro-Last a reputation for producing some of the most durable and high-quality commercial roofing systems available today. Duro-Last’s Southern Oregon manufacturing facility has recently been recognized by OSHA with Star Site status in the VPP.

Sustainability is a priority in all of the company’s operations – even after the material has been used. In recognition of Duro-Last’s completely recyclable system and commitment to eco-friendly policies, it was awarded the Sustainability Award from the governor in 2009 and was named Recycler of the Year for Southern Oregon in 2009. Every aspect of the roofing systems produced by Duro-Last can be taken back to a Duro-Last facility by any customer to be recycled into new products.

Duro-Last is continuing to expand its presence throughout North America and is expected to open additional plants, as well as acquire other businesses. Hart encourages any businesses looking to either relocate or expand their operations to consider Grants Pass. As a business leader in the community, he takes pride in helping other businesses and seeing the region grow as an economic powerhouse.

Duro-Last, Inc. | 111 N Valley Dr, Grants Pass, OR 97526 | www.duro-last.com | (800) 356-664

Download the PDF Version Here