TAMKO Building Products

TAMKO Building Products is a privately owned roofing manufacturer based in Joplin, Missouri. It was founded on 5 September 1944 by E.L. Craig and Mary Ethel Craig, and is led by the third generation of the founding family.

Name and origins

The name TAMKO is an acronym of five US states, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma, which the founders expected to form their sales territory. Mary Ethel Craig chose the name. The business started in a former streetcar barn in south-west Missouri; E.L. Craig was 69 years old when he launched it.

Development

From its regional start, the company grew to more than 20 facilities across the United States and now sells in all 50 states. In 1981 J.P. Humphreys introduced continuous-improvement management practices based on the ideas of W. Edwards Deming, which the company credits with driving later vertical integration and product development. David Craig Humphreys has served as president and chief executive since 1994. The company marked its 75th anniversary in 2019.

Products

TAMKO's main products are residential roofing shingles. These include laminated and three-tab asphalt shingles, impact-resistant lines aimed at hail-prone regions, and steel shingles. It also makes roofing underlayments and accessories, waterproofing products, and roof cements and coatings. Lines sold under names such as Heritage, Titan XT and StormFighter are marketed mainly to the US residential re-roofing market.

Ownership

The company describes itself as privately owned and operated, with family members in the roles of chairman and chief executive. Its range targets both new construction and re-roofing.