06/08/2026
- Signature Project Spotlight
In August 2016, a tornado tore through Windsor’s industrial corridor, leaving the Kautex Textron facility on Kautex Drive severely damaged, exposed, and unable to operate.
The initial restoration timeline was estimated at eight weeks — eight weeks of lost production, disrupted schedules, and ripple effects across the automotive supply chain.
Empire understood the importance of getting the facility protected and helping Kautex move toward reopening as quickly as possible. Our team took on the challenge, mobilizing crews from Windsor, London, and Toronto and working in shifts around the clock to complete the extensive roof restoration safely, with quality workmanship, and within two weeks.
Empire Roofing was proud to be part of this large-scale recovery effort alongside companies including BELFOR Property Restoration and Rosati Group.
“Nearly ten years later, this is still one of those projects that reminds you what our industry is really about. When a facility is damaged like that, it is not just a roof that is affected — it is people’s jobs, production lines, customers, families, and an entire community waiting for things to move again. Our team understood the urgency, but they also understood the responsibility. They showed up around the clock, worked through incredibly difficult conditions, and never lost sight of safety. Looking back, I am still incredibly proud of what our crews accomplished and the role Empire played in helping Kautex get back up and operating.” — Nada Tayar, VP of Service, Empire Roofing Corporation
For National Roofing Week’s Signature Projects Day, we are proud to look back on this project because it represents what commercial roofing is really about: protecting buildings, restoring operations, supporting local industry, and showing up when it matters most.
