Thomas Balkins

Thomas Balkins established his career through consistent effort, hands-on experience, and disciplined leadership within the construction industry. He did not inherit a company or automatically move into an executive role. Instead, he built his expertise over more than 40 years of direct involvement in operations, sales, and management. Beginning as a trades apprentice in the 1970s, he gained practical insight into construction processes that later shaped his approach to workforce development, risk management, and long-term growth. Thomas is best known as the Founder, President, and CEO of Westurn Companies and its numerous subsidiaries. Under his direction, Westurn expanded from a local contractor into a national enterprise with active business in 26 states and offices in over 40 cities. His leadership centered on clear operational systems, accountability, and consistent performance across every region served. He founded Westurn in 1983 and personally carried out responsibilities that many executives delegate to others. He sold projects, hired employees, purchased materials, dispatched crews, trained staff, and inspected completed work. This direct involvement allowed processes to be designed from field experience rather than theory. As the company expanded geographically, those systems enabled reliable, scalable operations. Balkins drove national expansion by building sales organizations capable of supporting $28 million to $48 million in annual sales per state or region. He often managed more than one high-performing market simultaneously. His approach balanced revenue growth with operational discipline to ensure long-term stability. Thomas Balkins led the company through significant financial milestones. By the early 2000s, annual sales reached $48 million in Minnesota alone, more than $78 million nationally, and later exceeded $94 million. Cumulative sales across all Westurn companies and subsidiaries surpassed $1.8 billion. Over the course of his career, he negotiated mega contracts and insurance settlements totaling more than $400 million in personal sales while maintaining relationships with more than 900 national builder accounts. Thomas strengthened purchasing and logistics operations to maintain efficiency across markets. He managed national purchasing programs and developed direct relationships with nearly all major roofing manufacturers in the U.S. and Canada. Logistics systems included conveyor trucks, boom trucks, tractor-trailer trucks, and forklifts to ensure consistent material access and job-site readiness. He implemented structured quality control standards and personally trained employees and contractors to meet established expectations. These systems contributed to the successful completion of over 243,000 roofing projects across the U.S. By 1999, annual production averaged more than 16,000 roofing installations. The company was consistently ranked among America's largest residential roofing contractors for a decade and received recognition, including a spot on RSI Magazine's Top 10 Roofing Contractors list. Balkins maintained a strong commitment to reputation and accountability. Westurn held an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau for decades, earned the BBB Torch Award twice, and was placed on the BBB Honor Roll for 18 consecutive years, during which it had zero complaints. The company became known for fair and thorough claim negotiation in both new construction and restoration contracting. Thomas Balkins also valued education and community involvement. He studied building trades and completed coursework in anthropology and biology at the University of Minnesota Duluth, the College of St. Scholastica, and Hamline University. Through company initiatives, he supported the planting of one million cedar trees in Washington State and contributed to Feed My Starving Children and health and wellness causes. His career reflects disciplined execution, operational growth, and respect for skilled trades.