John T. Scalo and Richard ‘Duke’ Burns shared a business plan and vision to excel at whatever they did when it came to roofs. Scalo worked for a roofing contractor and befriended the older Burns before entering the U.S. Air Force. In 1956, after Scalo’s service requirement, they opened their own business doing shingle work for home builders in and around Pittsburgh.
Burns & Scalo Roofing grew to be a formidable force in the region’s residential market, and Jack Scalo, one of John’s twin sons, watched the hard work and commitment to quality with his eyes wide open. Spending summers between jobsites and the truck yard outside the family business cleaning debris, he knew as a teen that he wanted to be in business and that roofing was a natural opportunity. But he also learned there were things he didn’t want to do… forever.