Hurricane Sally

Mr. Benton first discovered EC Malone through a Google search for commercial roofing companies a couple of years earlier while developing a plan to reroof a large 80,000 SF department store in Tallahassee, FL. Malone Roofing was ultimately awarded the contract and delivered expert craftsmanship and project management, earning the respect of Bruce and his team. Having worked with Malone Roofing before, he knew they were close to Perdido and had the resources to get the temporary roof done right – and quickly.

Bruce got in contact with Roman Malone, the President of the company, who personally came out to survey the damage on the roof and got the ball rolling in developing a plan. The first order of business was getting a temporary roof installed to prevent any further interior damage from occurring due to wind and rain exposure. After that, a plan to install a permanent roofing system would then be developed. Malone Roofing, having always been on the cutting edge of smart roofing techniques, used an innovative strategy to hold the temp roof down. The technique, held as a trade secret within the company, enabled them to successfully secure the roof without the need to transport heavy anchor weights up to the top of the building. Then the unthinkable happened. Shortly after the temporary roof was applied, Hurricane Zeta hit Orange Beach and added insult to injury. Making landfall further west in Louisiana, Zeta was less powerful than Sally. However, it still had the power to destroy the temporary roof that had just been completed.

EC Malone quickly mobilized their crews once again and in a matter of days re-installed a new temp roof. The quick response and the confident measure in which Malone operated while performing the roof repair to the temp roof heavily influenced Bruce’s decision to hire Malone Roofing to install the permanent roof for the Perdido Beach Resort.For the permanent low slope roofs, EC Malone installed a Duro Last PVC membrane because of its extensive track record against the long term effects of heat aging and UV’s of the sun and the corrosive, salty air from the coast. On the steep slope portions of the roof, they chose Eagle Tile, a concrete tile that’s long-lasting and environmentally friendly. Careful consideration went into all materials that were chosen for the job. All of the roof components that were selected were required to meet the minimum 160 mph wind ratings considering the Gulf coast’s susceptible to tropical storms and hurricanes each year. While a building can’t fully evade intense natural disasters, it can do its best to fortify its defenses with top-of-the-line building materials.

In the end, the permanent roof on the Perdido Beach Resort was completed in 100 days; from early January until its completion in mid-April. With multiple roof sections, different roof types (both steep and low slope), and additional safety measures in place, as well as reroofing on multiple elevations throughout the property, the timely finish was a major accomplishment.

Things like Brad Farinelli’s success are credited to Malone’s commitment to quality control, in the end, says Mr. Benton. He can’t stress enough how important the people involved are to the process of a major roof replacement project. Always looking for different ways to help, Roman Malone and the team were adamant about securing additional funds from the insurance claim to properly replace the roof. Having decades of experience in negotiating with insurance companies, the Malone team was able to secure an additional $900,000 for the project, bringing the total amount earmarked for the roof to $2.7 million dollars (the entire Perdido insurance claim was nearly 10 million dollars).

When asked, Roman Malone said “helping is just what we do. If we have a special way of doing something that will help our client or our community, we do it.” With all of the devastation surrounding Orange Beach, there was understandably some chaos in the local relief efforts. There were families and businesses who were waiting days if not weeks to have their property inspected for hurricane damage that would support an insurance claim. The local roofing contractors were, in fact, overwhelmed and needed assistance from those who could lend a helping hand. EC Malone Roofing was able to come in and offer their support, helping make a difference however great or small to the residents who had just lost so much.

Mr. Benton believes that Malone’s ability to mobilize their assets, strategize a relief plan, and implement forward-thinking roofing solutions was the key to their success at Perdido Beach Resort. After already partnering with Malone Roofing twice with excellent results, Bruce has continued to work closely with Malone Roofing at the Perdido Beach resort as the locally-based preferred service provider to address unforeseen emergency leaks, general roof maintenance, and roof inspections. He is confident he will always call on them again in the future when the right opportunity arises.