This Roofing Manufacturer Has a Long History of Sustainable Practices

By Evelyn Witterholt, RCS Reporter. 

Ben Rucka from Malarkey Roofing highlights the impressive history of sustainable practices in his company. 

In Season 3, Episode 59 of Roofing Road Trips, Heidi J. Ellsworth speaks with Ben Rucka, Southern California district manager at Malarkey Roofing. The two discuss the smog-reducing granules that the company has been incorporating into their shingles in their ongoing effort towards sustainability. These efforts are not new for the company, as Ben highlights Malarkey’s long history of caring for the environment. 

Malarkey Roofing initially started out as a paper company more than 60 years ago, but soon became the roofing manufacturer it is known as today. Former President Michael Malarkey had been making strides in being more sustainable as far back as the 1980s. Not only did he reuse methane gas from the Portland landfill to power the facility, he once travelled all the way to Europe research way to change the shingle making process. 

“You have to do something to raise the melt point temperature [of traditional asphalt] to be able to make a shingle,” Ben said. “Michael Malarkey went over to Europe and found out that there were a couple chemicals you could mix with that asphalt to raise the melt point temperature without having to put all that energy into raising the melt point temperature.” 

Along with their smog-reducing granule technology, Malarkey Roofing combines high-grade asphalt with virgin rubber polymers, and recycled rubber and plastic polymers. Their proprietary NEX® Polymer Modified (Rubberized) Asphalt technology chemically strengthens and rubberizes the asphalt core of the shingle for superior all-weather resilience and longer product life, all while reducing landfill waste. This asphalt is the foundation for the brand’s popular roofing offerings, such as  the Legacy shingle. “That architectural shingle has really been part of the expansion of Malarkey from west to east,” Ben says. 

Their most recent effort to offer sustainable products is their incorporation of smog-reducing granules into all of their shingles. Ben says that Malarkey was so excited when they were able to use the granules in their shingles. “This has not been someone sitting behind the curtains like the Wizard of Oz coming up with this,” he said. “This has been revolution by evolution and trial and error and all the experience of all those years coming up with the shingle and now to be able to offer this smog-reduction feature is an amazing, amazing achievement.” 

Listen to the entire podcast to learn more about the smog-reducing granules and the other sustainable practices of Malarkey Roofing. 

Learn more about Malarkey Roofing in their RoofersCoffeeShop® Directory or visit www.malarkeyroofing.com. 

Photo credit: Malarkey Roofing