Roofing billionaire dies after fall through roof

[Academia Nut]

From MSNBC

Roofing billionaire dies after fall through roof
Wisconsin mogul had net worth of $3.5 billion, according to Forbes

Dan Lassiter / AP file
Ken Hendricks seemed unfazed by the value of his roofing company. "It doesn't make any difference to me: I can't spend it," he said.
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updated 11:25 a.m. MT, Fri., Dec. 21, 2007
BELOIT, Wis. - The 91st richest man in the U.S., a roofing company billionaire, has died after falling through his home garage's roof, local authorities said Friday.

Ken Hendricks, 66, was checking on construction on the roof over his garage at his home in the town of Rock Thursday night when he fell through, Rock County Sheriff's Department commander Troy Knudson said. He suffered massive head injuries, according to his company, ABC Supply Co.

Hendricks' wife called authorities and attempted CPR on her husband, he said. Hendricks was taken first to a Beloit hospital and then transferred to Rockford Memorial Hospital in Winnebago County, Ill.

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He was pronounced dead there early Friday morning, Winnebago County coroner Sue Fiduccia said. An autopsy is planned for Friday.

Hendricks was the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of the company, the self-described nation's largest wholesale distributor of roofing. The Beloit-based company does about $3 billion in business a year.

Hendricks had a net worth of $3.5 billion in September, according to Forbes magazine. That made him the country's 91st richest person, according to the magazine's ranking of American billionaires.

But he seemed unfazed by his wealth.

"It doesn't make any difference to me: I can't spend it," Hendricks said in an interview with Inc.com in September 2006. "I'd have to sell the company, and I'll sell the company over my dead body."

Hendricks, the son of a Janesville roofer, worked side-by-side with his father growing up. A high school dropout, he started his own roofing business at age 21, according to his biography on ABC Supply's Web site.

Tired of having to deal with multiple suppliers scattered around the country, he and his wife, Diane, started a national supply distribution chain in 1982.


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The company celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, with 6,000 employees in 390 locations nationwide.

"This is an enormous tragedy and a great loss to the family, associates and the community," ABC Supply said in a statement.

Hendricks and his wife also owned a variety of companies through the Hendricks Holding Co. and a property development group with more than 25 million square feet of industrial and commercial real estate.

The couple had seven children, according to their biographies.

I believe that this is in fact, the definition of irony. It is of course the darker kind of irony, but irony nonetheless. A pity, there are many people far more deserving of ironic deaths.

[Havok]

From MSNBC

*snip article*

I believe that this is in fact, the definition of irony. It is of course the darker kind of irony, but irony nonetheless. A pity, there are many people far more deserving of ironic deaths.

Irony isn't the Force... It's either ironic or it's not

Too bad for the guy's family and company, but what I want to know is who installed HIS garage roof? They are most certainly in the shit can right now.

This is like the guy that started Runner's World dying of a heart attack while running, or is that just an urban myth?

[The Yosemite Bear]

I am so waiting for Coffee to post in this thread, even though he does flooring.

no, Jim Fixx died of a heart attack at the age of 54, taking his daily 5 mile jog. preportably electrolyte imballance from being too lean.

[Mr. Coffee]

I am so waiting for Coffee to post in this thread, even though he does flooring.

Now, I wonder why...

Well, the article seems to suggest that the roof over the guy's garage was new (he was checking it's construction). That tells me that someone fucked up big time and in a big way. I mean, I've seen some worthless sacks in the local roofing buisness, but at least these assholes make a product you can safely walk across. I mean, falling through your fucking roof is one of those things thta should never happen in the US (or any other developed nation).

I'm willing to bet money that the general contractor orobably 1. skimped on materials (like very thin/cheep plywood for the roof sheathing), 2. hired an inexperience crew to build the roof (like people who nail once without making sure they're hitting the joists), and/or 3. tried to dodge building to local code in order to save on construction costs (I see that shit a lot. Guys that will build sub-code shit because the housing inspector is their wife's cousin, and then they pocket the money that the didn't spend on materials/labor). I'll also lay even odds that both the general contractor the built the house and the roofing sub-contractor that built the roof aren't members in good standing with any of the local or national home building associations.

But yeah, Sweet Mother Of Irony...

See folks, this is what happens when you hire the lowest bidder.

[Mr Bean]

But yeah, Sweet Mother Of Irony...

See folks, this is what happens when you hire the lowest bidder.

See that's the thing to, he has his own company that does this, I'd assume he's not hiring anyone for anything but simply ordering it done and some-how the work crew did not get the memo that they were working on the big-big bosses house and they better not fuck things up so help them.