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Duro-Last® Company History

Duro-Last® Company History

The Duro-Last Story

After working as a lumberjack, carpenter, tool and die maker and soldier, among other jobs, John R. Burt got into the swimming pool business. After a liner he had purchased failed, he recognized the importance of vertical integration to control quality and founded Tri-City Vinyl to manufacture his own pool liners. One day it occurred to him: If his product could keep water in, it could keep water out. In 1978, that insight became the Duro-Last Roofing System.

The majority of roofing system failures then (and still today) are not due to the product itself, but to workmanship on-site. To solve this problem, Duro-Last developed custom prefabrication methods and specialized equipment that allows us to complete nearly 100% of the difficult roof details and up to 85% of field seams under ideal factory-controlled conditions. The result is lower on-site labor costs and better installation quality. Learn more about our prefabrication benefits here.

Duro-Last is now the world's largest manufacturer of custom-fabricated roofing systems. Duro-Last Roofing Systems, our contractor installation team, customer service and best-in-class warranties all set the quality standards for the roofing industry.

How it All Started

At 58-years-old, our founder, John R. Burt, started a small business that would grow into the multi-million dollar company it is today. John's unique skill set and entrepreneurial spirit eventually led to success, but not without some struggle along the way.

History Highlights

See a timeline of the biggest moments in John R. Burt Enterprises' history.

John R. Burt Quotes

Through the years, John's employees, friends and family remembered some of his most memorable, inspirational and humorous quotes.