Roofing School: How a Russian Specialist Became One of the Best in the Construction Market

Andrey Denisenko was born in a small Belarusian village of Dubovka and began his professional path during his university studies, taking on various jobs such as a mover, construction worker and even installing fences in cemeteries. Today, Andrey is the founder and owner of a successful construction company, a multiple laureate of the international contest “Best Roofer” and, in fact, the creator of his own unique installation technique in the roofing industry. At the moment, Andrey Denisenko plans to continue pursuing his passion in the United States. The builder shared his success story in an interview with ForumDaily.

Photo from the personal archive of Andrey Denisenko

First Venture

His first serious professional experience, Andrey gained while studying to become a construction engineer in his third year at Polotsk State University. Back then, in the late 1990s the financial situation was quite dire. Andrey teamed up with a construction group of 30 people, and set about building houses for residents of a nearby village during the summer break.

«As a child, while visiting my grandmother in the countryside, I often worked around the house and also assisted my grandfather in repairing pitched roofs of yard structures. Furthermore, before entering university, I had completed vocational school and obtained a specialization in electric welding which also proved beneficial in my work. However, our living conditions were Spartan, as we stayed in a building that housed a store”, - he recalls.

In the end, the students built several houses and were happy to put their knowledge into practice.

Photo from the personal archive of Andrey Denisenko

Through trial and error

In their fourth year at the University, the group had already established a sort of informal construction team undertaking various projects. Then, in 2006, they officially launched their first company.

«We had to learn on the fly. At that time, there were no assistance centers for entrepreneurs, so we had to study accounting, tax legislation and everything else ourselves', recalls Andrey.

Right around that time, the roofing industry began transitioning from old technologies to the new ones. According to Andrey, new materials were just starting to enter the market, and even many professionals who had been in the construction industry for years, didn’t know how to work with them. The company ‘Zelenaya Krovlya’ where Andrey Denisenko was employed at the time, was among the first to adapt the new approach.

«We had to learn through experimentation, through trial and error. At that time, there were no YouTube channels, so finding the necessary information wasn’t that easy. The problem was further exacerbated by the fact that in the late 1990s and early 2000s, there was essentially no quality education available in this field. Additionally, each material required a specific professional approach to installation. Each type of roofing also required its own unique approach. Having gained some experience, we began training our workers ourselves and then established a comprehensive training program for new personnel", - explains Andrey.

According to Andrey, his trainees are now passing on this knowledge. Essentially, the entrepreneur created a roofing apprenticeship school. Over the course of several years, ‘Zelenaya Krovlya’ has become a successful company, with a continuously growing number of clients.

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Best in Europe

In 2018, Andrey Denisenko established the company ‘Siti Krovlya’ [City Roofing], where he became the founder and CEO. According to him, his new company surpassed his previous employer in terms of workload within a relatively short period of time.

In early 2021, Andrey Denisenko became the author of a unique project involving a non-standard roofing assembly method. His drawings were utilized for the installation of the roof for the Skolkovo business park. Andrey’s innovative design solution allowed for the division of the an area of ​​55-square-meter parking roof into sections, a concept unparalleled in the world. As explained by Andrey, such roofs fall into the category of ‘exploitable’, where a real park with trees, alleys, and lakes was created on the parking lot roof, just like on the ground.

Skolkovo. Photo from the personal archive of Andrey Denisenko

Andrey’s new company ‘Siti Krovlya’ has garnered numerous appreciation from clients throughout its relatively short history.

«We began collaborating with the company ‘Technonicol’ which is regarded as the best in Russia for producing roof materials. We tested new products, had the chance to work at their factories, and jointly adapted new technologies. It was this company that established the ‘Best Roofer’ contest, enabling us to assess different aspects of the industry’s progress”, explained Andrey.

The contest eventually became international, attracting companies from post-Soviet countries, as well as Belgium, Germany, Poland, Sweden and other European countries. In 2021, ‘Siti Krovlya’ won the first place in the ‘Best Roofer’ competition’s polymer-bitumen roof category, and the following year received the Grand-Prix. This year, Andrey participated in the competition as a member of the judging panel.

Photo from the personal archive of Andrey Denisenko

American Dream

Today, ‘Siti Krovlya’ has more than 12,7 employees, and its last year revenue was almost one billion rubles ($XNUMXm). Still, Andrey doesn’t plan to stop there, he intends to conquer the US market

«Sure, the construction market in the United States is very different from Russian, where we primarily installed flat roofs and focused heavily on designing roof assembly and underground waterproofing. Here in the US, low-rise construction is mainly prevalent which requires different types of roofs. Nevertheless, we are actively studying this market and collaborating with local leading roofing material manufacturers. My friend has already established a company here called ‘CK Roofing’, following the same analogy as my company ‘Siti Krovlya’ ([City Roofing]), and as soon as I obtain a work permit, I will join him, and we will officially establish a partnership. I hope that here too we can become market leaders”, noted Andrey Denisenko.

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