Yearly Roof Maintenance Program an Asset for First Industrial Realty

Central Roofing Company's preventive inspections are key to maintaining the roofs of First Industrial Realty Trust properties.

From the Best Buys® warehouse in Bloomington to General Pet Supply in Burnsville, First Industrial Realty Trust relies on Central Roofing Company to maintain the roofs on 17 of their properties in the Twin Cities area.

This includes the recent roof replacement on the Continental Distribution facility in Shakopee, MN.

“We’ve used Central Roofing Company since 2014 for roof preventive maintenance on our properties,” says Jeff Tuchtenhagen, senior facilities manager with First Industrial Realty Trust out of Eden Prairie, MN. “We’re a leading owner, operator and developer of logistics real estate. That brings with it a responsibility to maintain our properties. In the Twin Cities area, all of our distribution centers, research and development properties and warehouses are on this program to assure the roofs on our structures stay safe and secure.”

Time for a New Roof

During the regular Preventive Maintenance Inspections, Central Roofing’s Jon Meyer closely watches the roofs on all 17 facilities. He’s been doing this once a year for the last decade.

Meyer had the roof on the Continental Distribution location on his top priority list in recent years. The 22-year-old ballasted roof was starting to have a significant amount of leaks. The facility, which is leased to BakeMark USA, is a wholesale bakery distribution center. Tuchtenhagen and the First Industrial Realty team agreed with Meyer’s recommendation to have a new roof installed so that materials within the facility were not potentially damaged with water leaks.

“Central Roofing’s work is always top notch and very professional,” says Tuchtenhagen. “They inform us when they’ll be on site. Then they keep us updated of any concerns that may come up with the roofs. They’re exceptionally good at identifying potential future roof problems. This gives us time to make decisions on how to repair those roofs before we have major issues.

“In the case of the Continental Distribution facility, we were able to plan for the roof replacement because Central Roofing was carefully documenting the deterioration of the roof over time. That’s where the preventive maintenance really pays off.”

Maintaining Roofs

In 2019 Central Roofing replaced the failing roof on the Continental Distribution location. The 203,280 square-foot industrial property, which was originally built in 1997, now has a new fully-adhered EPDM roof system installed.

“We covered the equivalent space of 4.6 acres on this roof,” says Jon Meyer, project manager with Central Roofing Company. “That’s a massive undertaking, but our team was able to complete the work in less than four months.

“The Preventive Maintenance Inspections allow us to identify and address the normal wear and tear on the roof before it becomes a major issue. This structure is now more secure with a dependable roof that will last many years into the future.”

That’s good news for the management team at First Industrial Realty Trust.

“We’re responsible for every aspect of the buildings we lease,” says Tuchtenhagen. “It’s very important to have the Central Roofing crew on our roofs so we can watch the progress of our roofs over time. This way, we can stay on top of any major issues. This keeps our tenants happy with the buildings.”

The 10 properties that Central Roofing Company performs preventative maintenance inspections and work on in the Twin Cities area include Aldrin Distribution Center, Best Buy Warehouse, City West, Continental Distribution, General Pet, Interstate Distribution Centers I, II and III, Lone Oak I and II, Nathan 54, Park 2000 I and II, Rivertown Distribution Center, Technology Park I, and Valley Oak Distribution Center.

Central Roofing Company is a nationally-certified woman-owned and operated private corporation based in Minneapolis, MN. Established in 1929 the company has more than 200 union employees. Central Roofing Company focuses on projects for commercial roofing, exteriors service, and metal wall panels.

For more information, visit www.CentralRoofing.com.