Wolkow Braker Roofing Corp.
Wolkow Braker provides quality service for New York’s construction industry, and has built a reputation as the tri-state area’s premier roofing, sheet metal, and waterproofing organization since its founding in 1944.
History of Wolkow Braker
Wolkow Braker started under the name Brooklyn Roofing in 1932. It was incorporated as Wolkow Braker Roofing Corp in 1944 under Isidore Wolkowitz, and experienced substantial growth under his son, Gerald Wolkowitz. Gerald established Wolkow Braker as a superior roofing contractor, developing long-standing, multi-decade relationships with private developers, institutional investors, and public agencies.
There are several big highlights from Wolkow Braker’s years in the industry. In 1958, Wolkow Braker began its relationship with the Local 8 and Local 26 unions. In 1966, Wolkow Braker installed the first IRMA roof in New York, using Dow promotional materials. In the 1970’s, the company expanded markets into NYC high rise construction to include museums, residential, institutional, and commercial buildings. The company also began installing coatings, liquid, and metal roofs.
Over the course of its 75 year history, Wolkow Braker’s has been involved in hundreds of projects throughout New York City. For some of the project highlights, click here.
Current President and CEO, Scott Wolkowitz, took over from his father, Felix, in 2015 and represents the 4th generation of Wolkowitz family leadership. In his 8 years at the helm, Scott led Wolkow Braker through a period of significant growth. Wolkow Braker is now the #1 commercial roofing contractor in New York City.
Merger Expands Company
In March 2022, Wolkow Braker announced that L. Martone and Sons, Inc (L. Martone) was joining their company through the creation of WB Martone LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Wolkow Braker. The companies came together to form one of the largest roofing contractors in the NY metropolitan area, with almost 200 years of combined experience and success under one “roof.” This union increased labor force, operations, and bonding capacity, and expanded the markets and segments of their collective portfolios.
History of L. Martone and Sons
L. Martone and Sons started as a small Glen Cove, NY-based roofing company in 1918 by Lorenzo Martone. Lorenzo’s eldest son Nicholas took over the company in 1932, and during the post-war boom in the 1950’s, the company experienced significant growth. All 5 of Nicholas’s brothers also joined the company after serving in the military.
In 1972, LJ Martone (Nicholas’s oldest son) joins the company as COO effectively managing the company alongside his father until 1998. During this time the company focused on singly ply roofing forging long standing relationships with key manufacturers to become one of the largest single ply installers in New York State. When LJ retired in 2001, his brother Nick took over company leadership and the company became more involved in NYC construction
In 2009, Nate Martone entered the company as a union roofer, rising through the ranks as a journeyman, foreman, supervisor and eventually Vice President. In 2018, L. Martone and Sons celebrated its 100 year anniversary celebrating with 4 generations of family to mark the occasion.