Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Low near 65F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..
Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Low near 65F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Rende Langlois, pictured with a Langlois Roofing truck, is celebrating the business's 60th anniversary.
Rende Langlois, who has helmed Langlois Roofing for decades and expanded its scope, is celebrating 60 years of the business.
Rende Langlois, pictured with a Langlois Roofing truck, is celebrating the business's 60th anniversary.
Rende Langlois, who has helmed Langlois Roofing for decades and expanded its scope, is celebrating 60 years of the business.
KANKAKEE — Rende Langlois knew one thing for sure when he gained his diploma from Westview High School in 1978.
He was not going to be a roofer like his dad. He was thinking about a potential career as a chiropractor. Maybe a physical therapist.
Whatever his eventual career path ultimately might have evolved into, it would not have anything to do with a ladder, roofing shingles or a hammer.
“Not a chance in the world. I was going to go away to school and see the world,” the now 62-year-old businessman said.
But events have a way of changing one’s direction. The path Langlois had begun to lay out for himself was dramatically altered when his now-late father, George, suffered a heart attack at the young age of 42. The event forced Rende to step to the plate and help run the family business.
While the circumstances were far from what any member of the Langlois family ever would have wanted, it would be fair to say the company did not miss a step.{
In fact, under the direction of Rende Langlois, Langlois Roofing did not just survive, but it thrived.
Now celebrating its 60th year, this Kankakee-based business has become not only just a regional go-to company but a Midwestern go-to contractor.
”I had to step up and do what I had to do. This was not my chosen profession, but it was what I had to do.”
Mainly a roofing company for residential properties under his father’s direction, Rende slowly shifted the business to commercial roofing.
Despite all the changes that have taken place at the roofing company since Rende’s graduation from Westview, there is one truism that remains near and dear to him: “Without the community, we never would have made it. We have been extremely blessed.”
Located at 1850 Grinnell Road, Kankakee, Langlois is the area’s premier roofer when it comes to major projects. Langlois roofers, Rende noted, probably have been on top of every large commercial building in Kankakee County, either installing a roof or repairing one.{/div}{div} {/div}{div}They’ve worked on both hospitals, the Kankakee County Courthouse, the Kankakee County administrative building and the old Daily Journal building.
What residents might not know is the firm is national in scope. The company does work throughout Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. One of their projects was the air traffic control tower at O’Hare International Airport. As they were working, Langlois said, the airplanes were coming in, not above them but below them.
Langlois Roofing now has the contract to install all the roofs for Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, a national fast food franchise headquartered in Baton Rouge, La. Raising Cane’s, founded in 1996, has some 600 locations and 50,000 employees.
The Langlois firm was started in 1962, founded by George Langlois, Rende’s dad.
George, a native Kankakeean, had been a paratrooper with the 101st Airborne unit. He served in the timeframe between the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
The service link also helps to explain how Rende, certainly an unusual name, got his first name. It’s an Italian name. Salvatore Rende was one of George’s friends in the service. Years later, Rende Langlois arranged for a tearful telephone call reunion between the two.
Coming back to his hometown after the service, George worked for Regnier Brothers Roofing before striking out on his own.
Rende, who had been a star football player at Westview, had opportunities to play football on full scholarship in college. He had offers to play at Olivet, Mississippi State and Dartmouth. But his choice was to enter the family business and buy his dad out.
In 1979, George had the heart attack, a year after Rende graduated high school. He would live to age 66. Rende came up with a new business slogan, “We’re on top of our work,” and steadily moved the firm into doing more commercial work.
The business’s annual revenue grew from $200,000 in 1979 to $7 million to $10 million today. Langlois has 14 to 20 employees year-round and 30 to 40 in summer. The firm’s website explains it has handled more than 1,000 commercial jobs, totals 400,000 square feet of roofing per year and has won 27 industry awards.
The firm does all sorts of roofs, working with architectural plans. There are EPDM roofs, a sort of black rubber; Thermal Poly Olphin, a white plastic; and sheet metal. The sheet metal roofs are completely fabricated at Langlois.
It is a union shop, Langlois said. He said the firm is the only union roofing contractor in a 50-mile radius. Union designation means his employees have a much higher level of training, The training means a much greater emphasis on safety. It also means workers stay with him. The average employee has been with Langlois for 15 years, and he has some with 39 years on the job. “The loyalty factor is huge,” he said.
Langlois, who has been at work for 43 years, has another generation coming up. “I’ve got to let some things go,” he said. Yet, he does not really have any hobbies. “Work has been my hobby.”
The third generation includes Langlois’ son, also named Rende, as the current president, and son, Andrew, now vice president. Dad Rende also has daughters, Sara and Beth. Langlois has a proud picture of 13 grandchildren, ages 3 to 19, in his office.
His wife, Wendy, is active as the owner of OnTop Exteriors at the Grinnell Road address.
Langlois, along with his workers, does give back to the community. A couple of years ago, it came to Rende’s attention Harbor House, the shelter for victims of domestic violence, needed a new roof. The firm donated it. Ten workers from Langlois stepped forward to donate their time to install it.
Now 62, Langlois plans to step away from the business’s day-to-day operations at age 65. The title of “consultant” is in his future.
But what that future holds for the roofer who began at age 8 by picking up roofing shingles torn off a house by his father is not yet certain.
”It’s a scary thought. I golf and I fish but not every day. I don’t know. I’ll figure it out.”
But his vision on the company’s future is clear.
”It can be a business that has a history of at least 100 years.”
Journal reporter Lee Provost contributed to this story.
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.
Please disable your ad blocker, whitelist our site, or purchase a subscription
Would you like to receive local business offers? Sign-up today!
Receive our daily headlines. Sign-up today!
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Invalid password or account does not exist
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account.
Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
A receipt was sent to your email.