As
Kris Hitesman takes the reins as president of the Western Roofing
Contractors Association (WSRCA) this month, it will culminate in a
career milestone nearly four decades in the making.

Hitesman
officially started working in the roofing industry at 13, at a company
founded by her father in Utah’s Salt Lake Valley in the 1970s. But her
love for the job started even earlier.

“I have been working in
the roofing industry since I was in elementary school,” she said. “My
dad’s office was just down the street from my elementary school, and I
would walk there a few times a month and help out doing whatever
assignment I was given. I guess you can say roofing is in my blood.”

Brent
Zimmerman, Hitesman’s father, moved to Utah from Southern California in
1978 and started a roofing company with a business partner he would
later buy out in 1989. He grew Capitol Roofing Service into a commercial
roofing specialist working with PVC, a relatively new roofing material
at the time that was gaining traction in the United States. As the
company developed experience with the innovative roofing system, it also
built a solid client base by consistently delivering high-quality work
for customers across multiple industries, Hitesman said.

The focus
was on commercial projects, and the familiarity with PVC helped create a
niche with new construction in the retail and technology sectors. The
timing appeared to be just right. Utah’s population stood at just above 1
million in 1970, toggling back and forth before growing to more than
1.4 million by 1980, according to U.S. Census data.

The majority
of growth occurred toward the end of the decade, as Utah became more
attractive to large companies looking to relocate or expand out West. As
expected, the people followed, creating plenty of opportunity in both
the industrial and light commercial roofing markets.

The state
didn’t experience rapid growth again for decades, as it approached 2.8
million people in 2012. By then, Zimmerman was ready to step away from
the business and turned the operations over to Hitesman, who became
president, intent on continuing her father’s legacy.

“I have done
pretty much everything you can imagine from the bottom up,” she said.
“Working in this business has been such a huge part of my life.”

Family Style

While
still installing PVC, Capitol Roofing Services expanded its offerings
and service area over the years. The business is now separated into
three divisions: roof installation, metal fabrication, maintenance, and
repair. While headquartered in the Salt Lake Valley, crews now service
Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming.

After
more than 45 years, it’s still very much a family business. Hitesman’s
husband, Paul, joined the company in 1986 and is now the vice president
of sales. He, too, has a roofing career that spans four decades, working
as a journeyman, foreman, general superintendent and estimator before
taking on his current role. In this role, he works closely with the
operations team to ensure sales, scheduling, and materials are on track.

Randy Mellenthin, co-owner and vice president of operations,
joins them on the leadership team. He started with the company more than
26 years ago as a journeyman and served as foreman and superintendent
on his way up. He’s led Capitol’s safety program for the past decade and
is a certified safety trainer. He coordinates weekly toolbox talks with
crews, monthly company-wide safety meetings, and daily safety
inspections.

“Safety is super important for me,” said Hitesman,
who recently chaired the WSRCA’s safety committee. “During our employee
orientation, we stress that if they don’t feel safe doing something,
don’t do it!”

Ensuring high-quality workmanship also begins with the investment in training.

Hitesman
said Capitol’s training program is evolving into a pillar of the
business. The company consistently brings in different manufacturers
that crews regularly work with to do specific product training several
times a year. Under Hitesman’s and Mellenthin’s watch, crewmembers never
waste a rainy day, using that time to enhance installation techniques.

“We
have a group of contractors that appreciate the attention to detail and
quality work that we provide, and we are always trying to add
contractors and show them the quality work that we can install,”
Hitesman said.

Regarding the job site, crews complete a pre-punch
list inspection before an inspector visits the site to ensure the
installation meets the manufacturer’s specifications.

Job site
performance is also becoming a critical business differentiator in a
growing but volatile roofing market. A few years ago, the Utah State
Legislature deregulated roofing, removing testing components for
contractors. While appearing to be a pro-business measure, in roofing
circles, the change allowed virtually anyone to become a licensed
contractor without having any genuine business or roofing background.
The timing is critical as Utah again experiences another big population
boom. No state grew faster in population from 2010 to 2023, and Utah
maintains a growth rate of about 1.5%, nearly triple the national
average, census figures show.

“It’s a threat to the integrity of
our industry, and I’m one of Utah’s contractors who are trying to
change that,” she said regarding the regulatory change.

Company
leaders said they hope to do so by being actively involved in multiple
professional organizations. Capitol Roofing is a member of the Utah
Roofing Contractors Association (URCA), the National Roofing Contractors
Association (NRCA) and WSRCA.

Thankful and Forward Thinking

Looking
ahead to her time as WSRCA president, Hitesman reflected on how
involvement on the executive board showed her the value of belonging.
She firmly believes that contributing to associations is a great way to
ensure that a roofing business stays updated on safety, technical and
legal issues. But she’s a bigger advocate of the accountability
leadership requires and learning how to navigate the evolving roofing
business with other like-minded contractors.

She is not the first
female president of the WSRCA — Lowe Roofing Inc.’s Connie Douglas
(2001-02) holds that honor — but she is the first woman to hold the
position since Sharon Keppler of Evergreen Roofing in 2007-08. Carole
Lowrance of the Reinhardt Roofing Company also led the association in
2005-06.

“Being a woman and mother gives me a different
perspective on how to resolve conflict and demonstrate empathy,”
Hitesman said. “My goal as president is that I want everyone to feel
accepted and supported.”

The strategy involves working internally
with employees and externally with customers who have long-standing
relationships and provide critical repeat and referral business
opportunities. In addition to working on their relationships with
manufacturer and distribution partners, equipment and tool providers,
and associations, Hitesman said the leadership team recently hired a
firm to help realign the organization with its mission and goals.

“Our
team plays such a significant part in achieving them,” she said. “We
are more focused on our long-term strategy and the team we need to have
in place to make that happen. It’s an exciting time at Capitol these
days.”