Thomas Balkins
Thomas Balkins
Founder, President, and CEO of Westurn Companies
Founder, President, and CEO of Westurn Companies
Thomas Balkins established his career through dedication, practical field experience, and long-term leadership within the construction industry. He did not inherit a company or automatically step into an executive role. Instead, he built his professional foundation over more than 40 years of direct involvement in roofing and business operations. Beginning as a trades apprentice in the 1970s, he developed a working knowledge of construction practices that later shaped his approach to managing people, evaluating risk, and leading large-scale organizations.
Thomas is best known as the Founder, President, and CEO of Westurn Companies and its numerous subsidiaries. Under his guidance, the company grew from a local provider into a national enterprise with active business operations in 26 states and offices in over 40 cities. His leadership emphasized operational discipline, consistent systems, and measurable growth across diverse markets.
He founded Westurn in 1983 and personally performed roles that many executives would delegate. Thomas sold projects, hired employees, purchased materials, dispatched crews, trained team members, and inspected completed work. This hands-on involvement enabled him to create systems based on real job-site conditions. His management philosophy was grounded in practical execution and accountability.
As the organization expanded geographically, Balkins led the development of national sales teams to support new markets. He built teams capable of generating between $28 million and $48 million in annual sales per state or region. At times, he oversaw multiple high-performing markets simultaneously, maintaining consistent standards while managing operational complexity.
By the early 2000s, Westurn reached $48 million in annual sales in Minnesota alone, and later exceeded $94 million nationally. Cumulative company-wide sales across all Westurn companies and subsidiaries exceeded $1.8 billion. In the middle of this sustained expansion, Thomas Balkins remained closely involved in contract negotiations, strategic oversight, and operational planning to ensure structured growth.
Over the course of his career, he negotiated mega contracts and insurance settlements totaling more than $400 million in personal sales. He personally maintained relationships with more than 900 national builder accounts whose trades consistently directed projects to the company year after year. These long-standing relationships were built on reliability, fairness, and consistent delivery across multiple states.
Thomas combined revenue growth with operational structure. He managed national purchasing operations and established direct purchasing relationships with nearly all major roofing manufacturers in the U.S. and Canada. This strategy strengthened control over pricing, material access, and scheduling during both standard production cycles and periods of high demand.
He also implemented proprietary logistics systems supported by fleets of conveyor trucks, boom trucks, tractor-trailers, and forklifts. Balkins ensured that crews had reliable access to the materials and equipment needed to complete projects efficiently in every market. This operational planning supported consistent production year in and year out.
A formal quality control system was introduced and reinforced through direct training. He personally trained employees and contractors to meet Westurn standards for artistry and accountability. These systems contributed to the successful completion of over 243,000 roofing projects across the United States and reinforced consistent performance at scale.
By 1999, Westurn averaged more than 16,000 roofing installations annually. The company was consistently listed among America’s largest residential roofing contractors for 10 consecutive years. Industry recognition included placement on RSI Magazine’s Top 10 Roofing Contractors list, along with interviews and article features focused on disaster recovery and large project execution. Thomas Balkins continued to prioritize operational discipline during this period of recognition.
He emphasized long-term credibility over short-term gain. Westurn maintained an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau for decades. The company earned the BBB Torch Award twice and was placed on the BBB Honor Roll for 18 consecutive years, during which it had zero complaints.
Thomas developed strong working relationships with insurance carriers, adjusters, and property owners through fair and thorough claim negotiation. This reputation enabled the company to operate effectively in both new construction and restoration contracting, including high-volume production during catastrophic response situations.
He describes himself as a builder and teacher. Thomas trained sales professionals, project managers, and operational leaders directly, often working alongside them in the field to reinforce company standards. Many professionals who developed their careers within Westurn later launched their own successful companies using the systems and discipline they learned.
Clear expectations and accessibility defined his leadership style. Balkins ensured that employees understood performance standards, responsibilities, and opportunities for improvement. This clarity supported national expansion without compromising internal culture or accountability.
Thomas studied building trades early in his career and later completed coursework in anthropology and biology at the University of Minnesota Duluth, the College of St. Scholastica, and Hamline University. Although his primary career remained focused on construction and business management, this academic experience influenced how he approached organizational systems and long-term planning.
Outside of business operations, he has supported conservation, hunger relief, and health initiatives. Through Westurn, he helped fund the planting of one million cedar trees in Washington State. He has also supported Feed My Starving Children and advocated for health and wellness initiatives within his professional community.
Thomas Balkins built a national construction enterprise grounded in disciplined execution, structured leadership, and measurable growth. His career reflects active operations in 26 states, offices in over 40 cities, cumulative sales exceeding $1.8 billion, and more than $400 million in personal sales negotiations. He continues to be associated with operational accountability, respect for skilled trades, and long-term performance in the roofing and construction industry.