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Charles Valone
(wife Patrina) were born in palermo, Italy, in the late 1800's.
They were blessed with 10 children, 5 girls and 5 boys.
They came to the U.S. in early 1900's where they raised there
family in Westfield N.Y. on a farm. Raymond P. Valone their 3rd
oldest decided to leave the farm and came to Buffalo, N.Y.,
looking for employment. He took a job as a roofer's helper at
Brown Roofing Company in the city of Buffalo. |
In 1924 at the age
of 19 after 2 years of roofing and learning the trade, he wanted
to start a business of his own. In 1926 Raymond went into
business with one helper and himself. The first thing he had to
do was find a name for his business. Back in those days there
was a shingle called a Try-Lock shingle. Instead of using his
name he thought it would be unique and different and call the
business Try-Lock Roofing Company. That was the start of a
company that to this day has spanned 3 generations. The business
started in a garage at his home at 2523 Main St. in Buffalo.
Then in 1942 when he bought vacant land at 310 Kensington and
Fillmore in Buffalo. This is where Try-Lock Roofing really began
to grow. By this time he had 35 men working for him enabling him
to take on larger jobs.
In 1932 Raymond married Loretta
Benke, and he said he would like to have a son or two to carry on
the business. So by 1951 they overdid themselves and had their 4th
boy but no girls. |
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Don Valone was the 1st boy,
born in 1934. After that came Richard, Robert, and Raymond Jr. All the
boys eventually worked for Try-Lock Roofing, starting at early ages after
school and summer vacations. As the boys grew older and graduated from
school, Richard, Robert and Ray Jr. Decided the roofing was not for them.
They all went their separate ways, and all where successful. Don Valone
the oldest son, stayed on with the company. |
| He served in the Korean war
at age 18 and returned home at 20 years old to resume roofing for his
father. Don Valone roofed for 25 years before taking over the company in
1974 to run the business as his father did for so many years. Raymond
Valone retired in 1974 leaving Don to run the shop. As the business grew
into outer city areas and more central locations, he decided to leave the
office at 310 Kensington and move to a few different areas before finding
a new location at 104 Mill Street in Tonawanda, N.Y. Don Valone married
Faye Ehde in 1965 and had 5 children. |
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Their son Jeffrey joined the
family business and worked on the job for 11 years. In 1994 his father,
Don, retired and Jeff took over the business. With youth being behind him,
Jeff expanded the business Venturing into the newest residential,
commercial and industrial roofing technologies.
Jeff had a vision of finding a large building and taking Try-Lock to a
higher level. In 1996 Jeff found the perfect building at 440 Northwood
Drive. |
| This location was the
perfect complex with 3 large buildings, one of which he turned into a
office and showroom to show all types of roof installations of flat roofs,
shingles, and siding samples. |
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