Larry Dunn and Mark McCuiston grew up together in Richmond County and recently jumped at the chance to purchase the assets of McCuiston Roofing Co. and re-open the business in honor of McCuiston’s father.

“We needed to grow and we had the opportunity to grow,” Dunn said. “And then this came up.”

Initially looking to open a new office elsewhere, the Richmond County location opened up unexpectedly when its current owner left due to health issues, according to McCuiston.

With new business propositions they plan to hire between 10 and 12 people out of Richmond County to work on three separate crews.

“Right now, we have currently six on staff here including us,” Dunn said.

Incorporating advanced techniques on roofing, it not only cuts costs and maintenance, but time and manpower, according to McCuiston. A job that historically took 10 men to complete, now takes only four.

“These are some hometown folks,” Rockingham Mayor Gene McLaurin said about Dunn and McCuiston. “We really appreciate the investment they’re making in Richmond County.”

Dunn and McCuiston have worked in commercial roofing for several years out of Wilmington.

“We do business all the way from Virginia to Georgia,” McCuiston said.

“So far,” Dunn added. “We’re hoping to expand at some point.”

Locally, McCuiston and Dunn have been contracted to work on businesses including an Alco store on U.S. 1, Glidden Paints and local hospitals.

The Rockingham business originally opened as Rockingham Roofing Company in 1949. It changed names and changed hands over the years, and became McCuiston Roofing in the mid-1970s.

Still retaining the same name, they are now operated by Dunn Builders out of Wilmington.

“It’s good to see the McCuiston name continue on with Mark and Larry,” said County Commissioner Thad Ussery. “This business meant a lot in commercial roofing.”

Although, roofing isn’t the only plan they have in mind.

“When the economy breaks, we’ll be buying land too,” Dunn said.

They plan to begin purchasing land to build homes, which for the past decade, Dunn has been working in on the side.

“We’ll have a fully functioning sheet metal manufacturer here too,” McCuiston said. That is important as it cuts costs since much of the roofing business deals with metal work. “Anything pertaining to roofing, we’ll do it.”

As part of keeping the business in the family, they plan to honor John McCuiston who opened the business in 1949 as Rockingham Roofing.

“We feel like we need to honor him in some sort of way,” Dunn said. “What better way to do so than to use his name.”

For more information on the business, contact www.dunnbuildersinc.com.

Staff writer Bryan Stewart can be reached at 997-3111 ext. 15 or by e-mail at bstewart@yourdailyjournal.com.