As Kris Hitesman takes the reins as president of the Western Roofing Contractors Association (WSRCA) this month, it will culminate in a career milestone nearly four decades in the making. 

Hitesman officially started working in the roofing industry at 13, at a company founded by her father in Utah’s Salt Lake Valley in the 1970s. But her love for the job started even earlier. 

“I have been working in the roofing industry since I was in elementary school,” she said. “My dad's office was just down the street from my elementary school, and I would walk there a few times a month and help out doing whatever assignment I was given. I guess you can say roofing is in my blood.”

Brent Zimmerman, Hitesman’s father, moved to Utah from Southern California in 1978 and started a roofing company with a business partner he would later buy out in 1989. He grew Capitol Roofing Service into a commercial roofing specialist working with PVC, a relatively new roofing material at the time that was gaining traction in the United States. As the company developed experience with the innovative roofing system, it also built a solid client base by consistently delivering high-quality work for customers across multiple industries, Hitesman said.

The focus was on commercial projects, and the familiarity with PVC helped create a niche with new construction in the retail and technology sectors. The timing appeared to be just right. Utah’s population stood at just above 1 million in 1970, toggling back and forth before growing to more than 1.4 million by 1980, according to U.S. Census data. 

The majority of growth occurred toward the end of the decade, as Utah became more attractive to large companies looking to relocate or expand out West. As expected, the people followed, creating plenty of opportunity in both the industrial and light commercial roofing markets.

The state didn’t experience rapid growth again for decades, as it approached 2.8 million people in 2012. By then, Zimmerman was ready to step away from the business and turned the operations over to Hitesman, who became president, intent on continuing her father’s legacy. 

“I have done pretty much everything you can imagine from the bottom up,” she said. “Working in this business has been such a huge part of my life.”

Capitol Roofing Service works internally with employees and externally with customers who have long-standing relationships to provide repeat and referral business opportunities.

Family Style

While still installing PVC, Capitol Roofing Services expanded its offerings and service area over the years. The business is now separated into three divisions: roof installation, metal fabrication, maintenance, and repair. While headquartered in the Salt Lake Valley, crews now service Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming. 

After more than 45 years, it’s still very much a family business. Hitesman’s husband, Paul, joined the company in 1986 and is now the vice president of sales. He, too, has a roofing career that spans four decades, working as a journeyman, foreman, general superintendent and estimator before taking on his current role. In this role, he works closely with the operations team to ensure sales, scheduling, and materials are on track.  

Randy Mellenthin, co-owner and vice president of operations, joins them on the leadership team. He started with the company more than 26 years ago as a journeyman and served as foreman and superintendent on his way up. He’s led Capitol’s safety program for the past decade and is a certified safety trainer. He coordinates weekly toolbox talks with crews, monthly company-wide safety meetings, and daily safety inspections. 

“Safety is super important for me,” said Hitesman, who recently chaired the WSRCA’s safety committee. “During our employee orientation, we stress that if they don't feel safe doing something, don't do it!”

Ensuring high-quality workmanship also begins with the investment in training. 

Hitesman said Capitol’s training program is evolving into a pillar of the business. The company consistently brings in different manufacturers that crews regularly work with to do specific product training several times a year. Under Hitesman’s and Mellenthin’s watch, crewmembers never waste a rainy day, using that time to enhance installation techniques. 

“We have a group of contractors that appreciate the attention to detail and quality work that we provide, and we are always trying to add contractors and show them the quality work that we can install,” Hitesman said. 

Regarding the job site, crews complete a pre-punch list inspection before an inspector visits the site to ensure the installation meets the manufacturer’s specifications.

Job site performance is also becoming a critical business differentiator in a growing but volatile roofing market. A few years ago, the Utah State Legislature deregulated roofing, removing testing components for contractors. While appearing to be a pro-business measure, in roofing circles, the change allowed virtually anyone to become a licensed contractor without having any genuine business or roofing background. The timing is critical as Utah again experiences another big population boom. No state grew faster in population from 2010 to 2023, and Utah maintains a growth rate of about 1.5%, nearly triple the national average, census figures show.  

“It’s a threat to the integrity of our industry, and I’m one of Utah's contractors who are trying to change that,” she said regarding the regulatory change. 

Company leaders said they hope to do so by being actively involved in multiple professional organizations. Capitol Roofing is a member of the Utah Roofing Contractors Association (URCA), the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) and WSRCA.

Members of the Capitol Roofing Service team, including Hitesman and her husband, Paul (far left).

Thankful and Forward Thinking

Looking ahead to her time as WSRCA president, Hitesman reflected on how involvement on the executive board showed her the value of belonging. She firmly believes that contributing to associations is a great way to ensure that a roofing business stays updated on safety, technical and legal issues. But she’s a bigger advocate of the accountability leadership requires and learning how to navigate the evolving roofing business with other like-minded contractors.

She is not the first female president of the WSRCA — Scott Roofing Company's Linda Scott-Harder (1988) holds that honor — but she is the first woman to hold the position since Sharon Keppler of Evergreen Roofing in 2007-08. Lowe Roofing Inc.’s Connie Douglas (2001-02), andCarole Lowrance of the Reinhardt Roofing Company also led the association in 2005-06.

“Being a woman and mother gives me a different perspective on how to resolve conflict and demonstrate empathy,” Hitesman said. “My goal as president is that I want everyone to feel accepted and supported.” 

The strategy involves working internally with employees and externally with customers who have long-standing relationships and provide critical repeat and referral business opportunities. In addition to working on their relationships with manufacturer and distribution partners, equipment and tool providers, and associations, Hitesman said the leadership team recently hired a firm to help realign the organization with its mission and goals.

“Our team plays such a significant part in achieving them,” she said. “We are more focused on our long-term strategy and the team we need to have in place to make that happen. It's an exciting time at Capitol these days.”