Windsor Entrepreneur of the Year Award Finalist – Ken Gascoigne

Ken Gascoigne is President of Empire Roofing Corporation, located at 4810 Walker Rd. Empire Roofing Corporation offers a full line of services including commercial, industrial, metal, and residential roofing as well as metal siding and composite panels.

Gascoigne and his team are in the process of developing a trades school where the curriculum is based on the roofing and metal trades. All new Empire hires receive a complete course in roofing and safety and are certified prior to the first day of employment. Empire also offers refreshment courses for trade veterans and gives new employees a hands-on approach to learning the ins and outs of the industry. Empire Roofing has introduced a full safety program that goes beyond any standards set by the construction industry. They are proud to be one of the first companies in Windsor-Essex to introduce and install Firestone TPO (Thermoplastic Polyolefin single-ply roofing).

In the last two years, Empire has expanded and supplied their shop and equipped their team with the means necessary to fabricate all of their metal products in-house. Empire provides their clients with the most competitive pricing in the industry and has helped turn projects over at a faster rate due to increased manpower which in turn created new jobs in the community.

Each year, Empire donates 5% of their annual profits to local charities such as Hospice, W.E. Care for Kids, Dragon Boats Races, Theatre Alive, and many local sports teams.