Mahlon Lee owns All Star Roofing in Hot Springs, Montana, but spent much of his time in residential construction before finding his way into commercial roofing. He handled mostly metal systems while in residential construction but eventually sold that business to invest in a gutters business, where he was successful for three years before moving to Montana.
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With all options in front of him, the Montana weather finally confirmed his decision to focus on Conklin products and commercial roofing in particular. This uncharted territory felt like a safe leap to him because of the men he trusted who surrounded him and guided him in the process.
All Star Roofing is a family owned and operated business with Mahlon in sales and his sons handling the labor. They strictly keep their season from May 1 to September 30 to protect themselves and their customers. Once Mahlon was persuaded to coat a roof in October but lived to regret it. He is now always upfront with his clients that after doing a coatings job past September puts their roof at risk for leaks, by chance the product doesn’t dry correctly or freezes in any way. Customers appreciate his honesty and he hasn’t lost any job because of this.
Mahlon definitely prefers his time in commercial roofing because it “is professional people who understand business, and there is more money in commercial with less headache.” But also wanting to own a farm (it’s in his blood having been raised on a dairy farm), Mahlon bought 200 acres. In 2015, when he got into commercial roofing, he realized “if I don’t find how to manage my money, uncle Sam will get it.” So, he decided to take his earnings and invest in his farm by adding cattle.
Carrying the farming theme even further, sowing seeds through mentoring young guys is very rewarding to Mahlon. He doesn’t mind the competition but actually finds it beneficial.