With $23 million in sales last year, D&D Roofing and Sheet Metal of Sparks may rank 41st in size among the nation's roofing companies but the employee-owned company continues to look for diversification opportunities.
The company is launching D&D Solar Solutions, a unit that will specialize in installation of rooftop solar systems, mostly in the residential market.
Herb Dorszynski, a project manager with D&D Roofing, says the company will install solar hot water systems manufactured by SolarRoofs.com of Carmichael, Calif. Residential hot water systems, he says, typically have the fastest payback of any solar installations six to eight years in most cases.
Solar installation is a natural outgrowth for the company, says President Ken Dillon.
"When we're doing a roofing job, it's a perfectly good time to do the solar installation," Dillon says.
While customers have asked whether D&D could handle solar work in the past, it only recently won the additional state contractors licenses it needs for the installations.
Next up, says Dorszynski, is identifying and training existing members of the company's workforce to handle solar installations. Initially, about five workers from the company's 200-person staff will be trained for the work.
The company plans to introduce D&D Solar Solutions in the Reno-Sparks market, supporting it with traditional media advertising and appearances at home shows, before rolling it out to its other locations. D&D operates divisions in Carson City and Elko along with Portola and Susanville, Calif.
