After 25 years of working on roofing, restoration and construction projects in Ouray County and beyond, Dave Manes decided it was time to re-open an office in Ridgway.
Manes is the owner of Skyline Construction Roofing and Restoration, based in Nebraska and overseeing construction and roofing projects in the Midwest and Colorado.
The company has worked on commercial and residential projects in Ouray County, Telluride and beyond for decades, but that work waned after Manes suffered a heart attack eight years ago and forced the Ridgway office to close.
But while he’s rebounding, Manes has also rebuilt his operations in Colorado, reopening an office at 101 US Highway 550 nearly a year ago.
Manes said he keeps working in Colorado for two reasons: good people and good business.
“The whole west slope is slower, although we are very busy. It’s easier to visit people and I can do that myself. I don’t have people walking around selling a job like I do in (Nebraska),” Manes said. “It’s all storm related back there, but on the western slope it’s more of a personal scenario with a handshake, ‘Hi, how are you, and let’s take a look at your project.'”
And while the pace of life may feel slower, projects in Colorado tend to move faster than other states, Manes said, likely because the market isn’t oversaturated with construction and roofing companies.
“I’ve never had a problem raising money and everyone is generally pretty happy with our work,” he said. “It’s a small town, so if your work ethic isn’t great, the jobs are lengthy, or you don’t show up on time, word gets around. People won’t use you.”
Skyline employs 200 to 300 people a year, ranging from carpentry teams to commercial roofing teams, Manes said. Roofers are typically based out of state and travel to projects, while more specialized teams are based locally, he said. Typically, 30 to 50 Skyline employees work in Colorado at any one time.
In addition to roofing commercial and residential buildings, Skyline crews handle restoration work on log homes, concrete work on sidewalks and driveways, and even building mountain roads and ponds.
“If you’re having any issues and we can help you with that, we’re more than happy to help or we can point you in another direction,” Manes said.
And while a shortage of contractors in the Skyline area is keeping the skyline busy for now, Manes said he expects rising material costs, and therefore project costs, to continue to weigh on the industry.
“It’s almost embarrassing to offer someone a roof because it costs so much,” Manes said. “Things have really, really slowed down on the residential side. Projects that are currently being implemented are mostly leftovers from the last few years.”
Skyline’s Ridgway office doesn’t have consistent hours because crews are so busy, Manes said. Project inquiries can be sent to sales@skylineconstinc.com or by calling 909-900-6889.
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