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The Tile Doesn’t Fall Far From the Tree

How Independent Roofing Made a Business into a Family

Article by Taylor Henderson

Photography by Shel Francis Creative

Originally published in Greeley Lifestyle

Unless your roof is damaged, leaking, or falling in, you probably rarely think about it in your everyday life. For the family behind Independent Roofing, replacing tiles and protecting your home is their life, and has been for generations. 

Keith Montey Jr. founded Independent Roofing in 1973. He operated the business out of his house. was truly local and familial from the beginning—with only a tiny trailer and an old pickup truck liable to backfire more often than not. The first employee to join the Independent team was Tim, who at that time a junior in high school. Soon after, Tim’s wife Jo became the third member of the company. After Keith’s wife joined, the four young entrepreneurs, and former high school classmates, formed a legal partnership and moved their burgeoning business into an office building. It was, as Jo describes it, “the epitome of an American dream.” 

Sixteen years after Keith created Independent Roofing, he resigned. Tim took his place as president and served as sole shareholder. Following the pattern of worker-progressing-to-senior-management, Steve Cooper joined the team and quickly became vice president. What had once been a single-man company grew to be the largest residential roofing company in Northern Colorado. 

By 2008, Tim had a thriving business and growing family. His daughter, Jonde, had earned the title of favorite phlebotomist at NCMC’s blood donor room and laboratory, while his son Kaleb ran a photography business. But the world, and the weather, had plans to bring the family back together. The Windsor tornado wrecked homes across Northern Colorado, and with hail storms pounding houses, the Independent Roofers received non-stop requests for repairs. Jonde started working in the office between her shifts at NCMC, and Kaleb fully stepped away from his photography to help, too. 

Tim’s children—who grew up reading weather reports, watching storm clouds, and climbing ladders—took on larger roles in the business. When Tim stepped down and Steve retired in 2022, Kaleb and Jonde became the new president and vice president of the company. It’s been seamless for Jonde to transition into management, and she took after her father’s example to be a servant to those around her. As hard as the Independent family works, they play even harder and make sure to take care of each other. Jonde says, “We all take pride in our job, but our family unit always comes first.” Independent Roofing is proud to call Greeley home and continues to help serve the community. The family is thankful for their community, and continued support from Greeley. They look forward to growing even more and are excited about what the future holds for their family and business. 


 

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