Isaac “Ike” Glowinsky of Elite Roofing has been in the roofing industry for over 65 years, gaining a hands-on perspective of the work from his father Abram, of blessed memory, when he was just 10 years old. He’s proud of his work in roofing, but he holds something even more dear to his heart: his 59-year marriage to wife Ruth. In fact, the couple, married in 1966, just celebrated their anniversary last week.
This is just one of the many things we found out when we sat down with Ike, who worked alongside his father in the Elite Roofing business in Toronto. The company is certainly a family affair, now in its third generation. Ike took over from his dad who passed away in 1972, and now that he’s getting on in years himself, his son Howard has been carrying the torch while Ike consults and guides our team with his wisdom.
With such a broad perspective of life and work experience, we asked Ike how the roofing industry has evolved, from Elite’s humble beginnings in 1956 to today’s modern approach. He came from a generation of hard workers and has since passed on that same work ethic to his own son.
The result? A commercial and industrial roofing company, now well-established in Toronto for decades, that was built on a foundation of tenacity, resilience, and time-honoured values. The customer is king – that much hasn’t changed. But the road along the way certainly has.
A history rooted in family
Ike grew up in the roofing business. His father Abram was a roofer, and taught him everything he knew about the industry. As a kid, Ike remembers his dad taking him out on jobs in Northern Toronto, home of a famous industrialist named E.P. Taylor. He had a horse that ran in the Kentucky Derby called Northern Dancer, who in 1964 became the first Canadian-bred horse to win the famous race.
Over the years, the big farms in that area were soon developed and converted into residential homes. Ike worked with his dad on that project, and as he entered his teens, the focus in Toronto became centered on apartments and high-rise development (five to six stories at that time).
When his dad Abram z’l started suffering from health issues, Ike stepped up his game to help out even more, even though he was still in school. He developed the ability to do estimating off of blueprints, a valuable skill in any contracting business back then. This was important, because without the help of today’s technology, they had to break the job down into sections, tacking the blueprints up on the wall and planning it out step by step.
To further augment his skill set, Ike attended a technical high school, where he dabbled in six or seven trades, from electrical and plumbing to drafting and mechanical.
It was good training, Ike recalls, for managing many aspects of his dad’s roofing business. He did go to college, but ended up joining the family business in the early 60s. Ike was in college when his dad faced even greater health challenges, prompting a sit-down of the family to discuss plans for the business going forward.
A fork in the road
This was a crossroads where Ike was asked which direction he wanted to go in: join the company and grow it, or close it? Since he already knew the roofing business inside and out and enjoyed construction, Ike decided to stay and expand the company further.
While Abram helped out with guidance and consulting where he could, he wasn’t as involved in the daily operations due to health concerns. When he passed away in 1972, Ike took over, working alongside his brother Harry z’l, and his sister-in-law, Sarah, who acted as bookkeeper.
They retired and, at that time, Ike’s son Howard took joined the business in 1995. Now Ike helps out here and there where he can, but largely he has taken a step back from the day-to-day goings-on. It leaves him some time to spend with family, help out with local charities, and reflect on how the roofing business – one he nurtured a love for as a small child – has evolved over the decades.
An evolution of a company
Roofing, like all aspects of construction, has grown in leaps and bounds since the early days. Elite Roofing was founded in 1956, and as such has gone through a lot of changes of its own to keep pace with industry trends.
Back in the 50s, things were much simpler. While he doesn’t recall his very first roofing project at Elite, he does recall the everyday work ethic his dad instilled in him as a young boy before the company proper came along –basically to “get-out-there-and work”.
Ike recalls early mornings when everyone showed up for work. His dad drove a ‘52 Chevy pick-up truck with three seats in front, and the open bed in back. His dad had a rule: “If you’re here at 7 a.m., you get a seat in the front, but if you come one minute after 7 and someone is sitting in the front, you’re in the back.” There was no preferential treatment. However, once Ike learned how to drive, he earned a permanent spot in the front seat, to his relief.
A labour of love
Back when Ike started out in this business, everything was done by hand, from loading and unloading the trucks to pulling materials onto the roof by rope. Nowadays, you have a variety of mechanical equipment and hoists that can do the work for you. Back then, the work was more physical, says Ike.
The roofing materials themselves are different and more complex today, from membranes and insulation with R-values to green and sustainable options.
While one would assume things were more dangerous back then with all the heavy lifting, Ike says in fact he found it to be quite the opposite. Not as many people got hurt back then because they were more physically fit. You didn’t have to depend on a machine to do the work for you.
“When you’re lifting 100 pounds working all day long, you don’t have to go to the gym,” he quips.
This makes sense when you’re hauling 70-pound bundles of insulation and pulling up 50 tons of gravel on one building, one pail at a time.
Now, production per day is a lot higher now than it was then, says Ike, and it doesn’t take as long. Back in the day, roofing involved a lot of back breaking work – something he believes builds character and vitality. “We came home and we were tired,” said Ike. “But that’s what gives me my energy today at 83.”
Over the years, the buildings got higher and higher, stretching 25 stories or more. Back then you had to walk the stairs, he points out. There were no elevators, so workers would have to walk up and down the stairs four, five times a day. Nowadays, he ganders, if you told workers they had to walk up and down the stairs with equipment and materials five times a day, they’d walk off the job.
Digitization in roofing for better accuracy
Advancements in technology have made the roofing business easier and safer. Drones, for instance, have transformed the way inspections are done on steep sloped roofs. Instead of having to get up on the roof, contractors can remotely control drones that snap photos for evaluation – from the safety of the ground. This saves time – and money — that would otherwise be spent sending a worker up onto the roof to do it all by hand.
From digital roofing tools and software to GIS (geographic information systems) and 3D modeling, there’s no doubt the roofing industry is along for the ride when it comes to technological advancement. Rather than be housed in dusty file cabinets, drawings, specifications, and site instructions can be stored on the cloud for easy retrieval by multiple parties. Drones can be sent over hard-to-reach areas on complex roofs to collect enhanced visual and thermal data. And AI algorithms can help roofers with anything from predictive maintenance to enhanced worker safety.
Embracing change with a nod to the past
Even Ike knows you have to evolve and change in this trade — and all trades for that matter – if you want to grow and expand your business. That means embracing technology for how it can help not only roofers but offer value to clients as well.
As for his own role in the company, that has evolved as well. Ike no longer gets up on roofs, but instead has opted for the four walls of an office. Here, he still gets calls from long-term clients who value his advice and opinion, and he has been known to hop on video calls now and then to solve problems remotely.
He understands that embracing technology helps Elite Roofing remain competitive in the industry. But by the same token, he can’t help but think back to a simpler time. A time that even technology can’t replace: good old fashioned hard work.
Learn more about Elite Roofing’s history and give us a call to schedule a consultation today!
