Details

Duarte

What is your position within your company?
I am president and co-owner of Florida Quality Roofing Inc., Miami Gardens.

What is the most unusual roofing project of which you have been a part?
The most unusual roofing project of which I've been a part involved working on a 6,000-square-foot low-slope roof that was going to be outfitted with photovoltaic panels. My company had to seal and waterproof more than 1,100 penetrations created by the stands for the railings on which the photovoltaic panels would be mounted. We performed more than 6,600 cuts through two layers of insulation and four plies of polymer-modified bitumen. The project took more than four months to complete.

Why did you become involved in the roofing industry?
My dad was a tile subcontractor during the mid-1980s through the early 1990s, so I was exposed to the industry as a child. When I was 19 years old, I decided to start my own company, and here I am.

What was your first roofing experience?
When I was 12 years old, my dad took me to a job site during the summer where I helped pass sand to the roof mechanic who was mixing the tile mortar. Back in those days in southern Florida, tile was installed with mortar, and it was mixed on-site with sand and cement.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Why?
My dream travel experience isn't necessarily visiting one place. I'd like to get an RV and experience the open road while traveling through South, Central and North America.

What is your roofing industry involvement?
My partner, Stella Amador, and I are members of NRCA and the Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association Inc.

What quality do you most admire in a person?
Perseverance—the will to strive no matter what obstacles are put in your path

What's your favorite roofing material to work with? Why?
I love using clean self-adhering, multi-ply products that bring value to customers and provide a safe working environment for my employees.

People would be surprised to know …
Although I was at the top of my academic class and accepted to many universities, I chose to start a roofing company and work with my father instead of going to college.

What's the most exciting/adventurous thing you've done?
One of the best trips I've had was a road trip with my dad in 2006. We drove from Miami to Costa Rica in a green Volkswagen Beetle. We traveled through five countries in eight days, and the best part was trying all the different foods.

What song are you listening to over and over?
"Cheap Thrills" by Sia featuring Sean Paul

My favorite part about working in the roofing industry is …
I love being able to build on my father's foundation of hard work and dedication while bringing roofing to the 21st century through the use of energy-efficient roof systems and technology.

What do you consider your most rewarding experiences?
My most rewarding experiences include spending time with Stella, my girlfriend and partner in life; my family; and my 4-month-old nephew, Jonah. I believe spending quality time with family is one of the most rewarding experiences anyone can have.

If you could meet any historical figure, whom would you meet? Why?
As a self-proclaimed history buff, I would choose to meet Abraham Lincoln because of the significance of the Emancipation Proclamation.