Roofer Profile: Mike Brennan – Brennan Exteriors

By DaVinci Roofscapes.

Meet Mike Brennan, owner of Brennan Exteriors, the recent winner of the DaVinci Masterpiece Contractor 2022 Project of the Year Award.

After 34 years in the roofing industry, Mike Brennan still gets excited about working on unique projects. When he saw the house plans for a new lakeside retreat in Wisconsin, he knew it was going to be a special project. He was correct. It ended up being a DaVinci Masterpiece Contractor 2022 Project of the Year Award winner for his company. 

“All of the roof lines and different elevation changes popped out at me right away,” says Brennan, owner of Brennan Exteriors, LLC out of Mukwonago, Wisconsin. “I personally worked on this job with one of my roofing crews. We had to configure a way to install the DaVinci Multi-Width Slate tiles on a radius roof. In addition, there are nine separate barrel roofs and a one-of-a-kind mushroom roof. When I slept at night I dreamt about these roof configurations for months! It was very satisfying and rewarding once completed.”

Overview: 2022 Project of the Year

Nothing about the construction of Kathleen Malone’s new home was cookie cutter. Brennan had previously roofed a boat house on the property and was honored to have the chance to roof the new home and detached garage. 

The homeowner went with the recommendation of her builder on the DaVinci product. A freak high wind and hail storm that hit before she moved into the house sold her on the decision. 

“There was hail damage to the area, but not to my roof,” says Malone. “I’m very happy to report that the roof held up remarkably well. I saw firsthand how the DaVinci roof held up to Mother Nature’s wrath!”

From Brennan’s perspective, the project started to visually come together as the roof colors combined with the extensive copper work on the roof, flashing and gutters. “All of these combined accents truly show off the beauty of the DaVinci tiles,” says Brennan. 

Cheering on the roofing team from the sidelines, Malone was just as excited as Brennan to see the roof completed. “It was so exhilarating to see the roof come together,” says Malone. “There were so many details, and Mike and his team mastered them all. Their attention to every aspect of the project was impressive.”

Insights from a winning roofer

Brennan Exteriors has an experienced team with 30 years roofing experience. The company provides residential roofing throughout the Mukwonago, Wisconsin area. Brennan shared some insights about his career and bringing composites into his roofing mix to increase sales.

Q: How did you get started in the roofing business?

A: I started out as a union sheet metal worker. I did architectural metalwork for a commercial company for 14 years. Then I started my own business. I started small and did all the work myself. I’ve grown the business with several employees.

Q: What makes your company recommend DaVinci products over competitive composite products?

A: DaVinci has a long-standing record of providing a quality product. In addition, their variety of colors and styles make them stand out from the competition.

Q: How have DaVinci products helped increase sales for your company?

A: Most of our customer base is larger and “high end homes.” We find that customers interested in a new roof are maybe building a home in the future. They see us installing a DaVinci roof and stop by to ask questions. This gets us a foot in the door for a sales meeting.

Q: When selling DaVinci products to a new customer, what are the features and benefits that customers react best to?

A: Most customers like the fact that DaVinci is maintenance free and cost effective compared to natural slate or real wood shake roofs.

Q: If you had to change professions tomorrow, what do you think you’d do?

A: I’d enjoy being a Park Ranger at a National Park … or a Quality Controller for a company in or industry.

Q: What’s your dream roofing job?

A: Any building at a Disney resort! My daughter’s a big Disney fan. We’ve actually re-roofed an apartment complex here in Wisconsin that is 23,000 square feet and resembles Walt Disney’s style of buildings. She thought that was great!

Learn more about DaVinci Roofscapes here.