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Professional Roofing: What is the most unusual roofing project of which you have been a part?
Blanchette: One of my clients is the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. I still can remember my first visit to Phase I. After walking the various roof levels for hours, I could find no roof drains. Finally, at the end of the day, I located two large roof drains at the rear of the facility. The building has only two roof drains to carry off water from a more than 200,000-square-foot (18580-m²) area. I discovered the facility had been directed not to spill any water into the city storm water system, and the two drains, which are each 8 feet (2 m) in diameter, empty straight into the Mississippi River.

Why did you become involved in the roofing industry?
My current business partner, Bob Alford, asked me to do some part-time drafting at a firm called Roof Consultants Inc. when we both lived in Detroit. I was just out of the Navy and going to college, and the drafting work helped supplement my limited income. The roofing industry continued to be a good fit for me, and the rest is history.

What are the most challenging aspects of your job?
Making sure we have sufficient funds to operate and, most important, a good environment for our employees are probably at the top of the list. A close third is the need for company growth—but at what speed? It's never easy.

What is your favorite vacation?
A week with my family at a warm, sunny beach resort. Nancy and I just did two weeks in Europe on a Mediterranean cruise, and that was one of the best, as well.

What was your first roofing experience?
While a draftsman at my first consulting job, I was dispatched to core a roof at an automotive facility. I cut the roof, patched it and brought back the sample. When asked what kind of deck was in place, all I could do was explain that it looked like some sort of bird's nest. It then became a show-and-tell event with a lot of looking in catalogs to help me learn about decks to which I soon would be exposed.

What was your first job?
My first job was working for my father as an auto mechanic while I was in high school.

What do you consider your most rewarding experiences?
Getting a job done right. If we get a client that has a roof we deem to be a real "dog" and we turn it into a real "lady," I'm always gratified.

If you could invite any three people to dinner (dead or alive), whom would you invite and why?
Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code—what a researcher. Tom Selleck—he seems like a guy you'd want to know and who could have a good time. Plus, if you scheduled the dinner at a restaurant, talk about a chick magnet! Henry Ford—I always considered him a genius. That's the Motown thing rubbing off on me.

What is your favorite stress reliever?
Sitting out by my pool after work with Nancy and our dog Bohnie and "dumping" my crappy day on them. Nancy listens, advises at most of the right times and, in general, puts up with me. The dog just waits for scratches and dinner.

What is your roofing industry involvement?
The Roof Consultants Institute (RCI) and its foundation are my main involvements. I work on task groups with NRCA and currently am involved with the Professional Criteria for Constructed Roof Systems (PCCRS) task group. I have served as a board member for the North Texas Roofing Contractors Association and am a member of NRCA, Western States Roofing Contractors Association and Roofing Contractors Association of Texas. I also enjoy my membership and involvement in SPRI.

People would be surprised to know ...
I someday would like to own and manage a junkyard (currently called an "automotive recycling center"). I always have thought restoring cars would be a great hobby.