The IKO Story

Founded in 1951, IKO began as a small manufacturing plant in industrial Calgary. A family-owned enterprise, we made waterproofing materials the old-fashioned way: by soaking kraft paper with asphalt and by applying asphalt to paper-based felt.

There was an immediate demand for our products. With the post-World War II building boom, young families flocked to the suburbs to fulfill their dream of homeownership. We knew they deserved the very best roofing materials so just two years after opening, we introduced rolled roofing and later, asphalt shingles.

Customers loved our high-quality shingles. We expanded across Canada, continuously investing in our employees and technology to improve our products and modernize our business. By the late 1970's, our operations extended throughout Europe and the U.S.

We put engineering and state-of-the-art technology into every shingle. Although invisible to most people, roofing products have evolved dramatically. Approximately 25 years ago, fiberglass started becoming the shingle mat of choice. For select shingles, we modified our asphalt to make our shingles more pliable and durable. We added special granules to help protect roofs from the damage of UV light. And we introduced computer-aided color design to increase selection and enhance the beauty of our shingles.

At IKO, we believe the success and longevity of our company is attributed to three key ingredients: Top quality products, continuous innovation and state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities.

When the market demanded a more compelling design to the traditional three-tab shingle, IKO was among the first to produce some of the world's finest laminated and architectural-style shingles. Our variety of contemporary shingles allows our customers to select the shingle that suits their individual need and style.

As roofing specialists, we stick with what we do best - roofing. What's more, we are vertically integrated, which means we have control over the entire manufacturing process - from the raw materials to the finished product. You can be assured that IKO is as responsible for the raw materials as the final product, allowing us to provide exceptional quality you can count on. Quality we believe our competitors simply cannot match.

Our strength is our commitment to quality and our passion for setting the standard in the industry.

A family-owned company now for three generations, IKO intends to be around for many more. Our products are found on distinctive residential, commercial and engineering structures in more than 50 countries. We operate over 20 manufacturing plants globally. In fact, at a time when other manufacturers are cutting back, our business is going strong. We plan to invest in additional laminated shingle production capacity and are actively pursuing opening new manufacturing facilities.