Product Feature: LMCurbs®️

McElroy Metal is proud to partner with companies such as LMCurbs^®️. We recently spoke with Clint Funderburk, Vice President at LMCurbs. Clint told us about the family-owned company’s long history, how they have evolved, and what sets them apart.

Take us back to the beginning…tell us how your company started.

LMCurbs is a family-owned business started by my grandfather, Sam Funderburk, in 1966. The company began as Longview Mechanical Contractors and was involved in various projects, including hospitals, schools, apartments, industrial and commercial buildings, and retail. In 1979, David Funderburk, my father, recognized the need for a better roof curb than what was being offered to the metal building industry. David started working with a local roof panel manufacturer to supply roof curbs for local projects. Before he knew it, he pulled trailers full of roof curbs behind his four-door sedan to Dallas, Houston, Louisiana, and other job sites. Those were double-duty deliveries sometimes, as they also acted as our family’s summer vacations. Shortly after seeing initial success, LMCurbs was born, still thriving to this day, with plans to continue to grow and expand.

What was your first product?

Roof curbs were LMCurbs' first product, all aluminum (.080” or .125” thickness), fully welded construction, insulated, with upslope crickets. Much consideration is given to the type of roof system on a new building or re-roof. Equal consideration should be given to roof penetration and the type of roof curbs used. LMCurbs can design roof curbs for the most challenging standing seam roof applications and correctly match your roof system. Allowing the highs to fit under the roof panel on the upslope and over the roof panel on the downslope to create a continuous water flow is critical to the function of the roof curb. Unlike our competitors, our curb base sides extend to the next natural seam of the roof panel, allowing the cap strips to seal the seam. This installation method makes the curb an integral part of the roof system. For R-Panel applications, we use the same design techniques as curbs for standing seam roofs, whereas the upslope/downslope highs fit the same as our standing seam curb. Here again, the curb base sides extend to the next natural seam and mates to the roof panel by lapping over the rib, making the curb an integral part of the roof system.

How has the direction of your company evolved over the years?

LMCurbs evolved from the mechanical contracting business working with various trades (plumbers, electricians, pipe fitters, sheet metal workers), and almost all our products are made with hand tools, hand breaks, hand rolls, metal shears, etc. Then, in the early 1990s, CNC machines were purchased to speed up production, tighten up tolerances, and to be able to keep up with the demand for roof curb needs on a national basis. Many machines have been purchased since, and we will continue to invest in technology to further our product offerings.

The shop and office staff have increased over the years and, at the same time, transitioned from fieldwork to becoming a manufacturing and distribution company focused on diversification. LMC also supplies the local area with special metal fabrication, guards, tanks, satellite components, and parts for the oil and gas industry – basically, any metal part we can laser cut, plasma cut, form, weld, or assemble. This division is operated under the company name LMC Fabrications, which Randy Funderburk, my uncle, built from the ground up. We have grown to LMCurbs, LMC Fabrications, and LMCurbSolar but maintain the foundation and the name’s sake of the company, L (Longview), M (Mechanical), and C (Contractors).

Tell us about the products you offer to metal contractors.

Since the early 1990s, LMCurbs has been adding various offerings from S-5®! Snow Guards, S-5! Utility Clamps, Solar Attachments, Roof Walkways with Handrail Systems, Roof Hatches, Skylights, Exhaust Fans, Louvers, Ridge Vents, etc. Each product spawned from a customer calling for a quote and asking if we can also supply X product. As any small business does, we say yes and find X products and either start manufacturing them in our facility or partner with a reputable company with the capabilities.

What is your top-selling metal roof-friendly product?

Clay Funderburk, my Brother, laid the initial groundwork that David started and has kept and continues to keep Roof Curbs as our top-selling product. Clay has been selling curbs since the late 1990s, but before he started selling them, he made them. He has more hands-on knowledge and real-world experience that he carries over into sales. So he knows roof curbs, specialty flashings, escutcheons, merging slopes, partitions, supporting units, repair caps, and the list goes on, and he can relate to the contractors that call him for the typical and off-the-wall questions and concerns.

Do you have any new products being released?

We do not have any new products ready to release, but something is always in the works…

What are you most proud of about LMCurbs?

We are proud that we are now a third-generation family-owned company and look forward to the fourth generation joining us. But all of this is not possible without every single employee who has chosen a career here with us and shared their knowledge, experiences, dedication, and daily hard work to ensure that all our customers are taken care of. Customer service, quality products, and personal relationships make this all possible. The concept is pretty simple – take care of your customers the way you would want to be treated. The words of Sam Funderburk still echo in me when he said the simple words – Take care of the customer that is spending $200 the same way that you would take care of the customer spending $20,000 because you never know when the $200 customer turns into your $20,000 customer.

What makes your LMCurbs stand out?

Our customer service, fair prices, quality products, on-time deliveries, industry reputation, and personal connections. Many years ago, the company's direction was set: manufacture and supply only the best products and align and partner with only the best in the industry. You build your reputation by only having the best products that will last, and the industry will respect that.

Any additional information you would like to share?

Every roof curb we supply automatically comes with a 20-year warranty at no charge. We are confident that our roof curbs will not rust, fail, or leak as long as they are installed correctly. Not many companies can stand behind a roof-mounted product that is exposed to weather conditions every single day, from extremely hot to cold, winds, rain, hail, and snow.

What has been your experience working with McElroy Metal?

Working with McElroy Metal has been a great experience. LMCurbs^®️ began working with McElroy over 30 years ago, whether directly or indirectly, through various roofing contractors, and it has been an excellent experience. Partnering with McElroy was an easy decision since we have the same core values – take care of the customers, expand with the times, and stay focused on quality products.

Thank you to Clint and the LMCurbs^®️ team for your continued support, and we wish you continued success.