Three-generation business reaches final chapter with retirement of founder’s grandson

After 50 years and countless completed projects, Rick Larson called it a career on July 1, closing the book on a three-generation business responsible for the construction of numerous homes in the Rhinelander area.

“There’s probably not a roof in Rhinelander I haven’t been on and repaired or re-roofed over the years,” Larson said, adding that he knew the time had come to retire when he started to feel less comfortable on ladders and roofs.

“I used to be a squirrel,” he said. “I’m not a squirrel anymore. I’m older.”

The family business, Larson’s Roofing Inc., started in 1940 with Rick’s grandfather, Bill, opening Northern Insulation.

Eventually, the insulation business grew to include construction and roofing. It also moved from Bill’s leadership to his sons, Randy and Clyde. 

“I think the biggest key to our success was we were very diversified,” Larson said. 

“We did building, we did roofing, we did siding. You name it, we did it,” he continued, noting that his father, Clyde, was known to  take jobs that others had turned down.

“My dad would take hard jobs, and I’d say, why did you take that?” Larson recalled. 

The answer was “it needs to be done and we can do it.”

“If you get one-dimensional and you can only do one thing, and that one thing isn’t happening, well then you’re not working,” he added.

And busy they were. From 1958 to 1980, Larson estimated the company built at least one house in Rhinelander per year. There were also plenty of projects in neighboring communities like Three Lakes, he added.

Rick Larson joined the team in the mid-1970s. He was newly married and living in Michigan when he was laid off from his job at a power plant. 

His father told him he would give him a job if he came home.

“He told me I can’t promise you much but if you work hard and stick it out someday this’ll be yours and 50 years later that’s what it is,” he said.

Another business decision that set Lar-son Roofing apart was its embrace of hot tar roofing at a time when  few others were interested in doing that type of specialized work.

Larson candidly admitted it was a “miserable” experience for those on the roof crew, but it was “black gold” for the business. 

With age starting to catch up to him, Larson said he tried to retire a year ago but there were too many loose ends to tie up. This year, he knew it was time to follow through. 

“I had to learn the word no,” he said. “That’s a hard word.”

He chose July 1 as his effective date of retirement as it completes a full circle, exactly 50 years since he moved home from Michigan.

He said he has plenty of projects to work on at home and has the satisfaction of knowing he did his part to continue the family legacy. 

“It’s family ethics, family working together,” he said, noting that he’s grateful to all of the customers who put their faith in the company over the years and the employees who worked on his crews. “It just shows you what a family can do.”

Heather Schaefer may be reached at [email protected].