Rick Hinkson, third from left, and some of his staff in front of their historic 19th-century building.
Making changes: Eureka Contracting uses tech to get through COVID-19
Technology has been a boon to the folks at Eureka Contracting during the pandemic.
“When it comes to meeting with people, doing estimates, we’ve done quite a bit virtually,” said owner Rick Hinkson. “We can get measurements from satellite images, then we can talk to people on the phone or on Zoom.
“We stay out of homes as much as we can, and when we do go out, most of our business is done in the front yard. And, of course, we wear masks, have hand sanitizer, do social distancing.
“We were down a little, but we’re steady now.”
Navy veteran Hinkson has been in the industry 35 years, and started Eureka Contracting eight years ago.
“The building was a log cabin built in 1886,” he said of the company headquarters at 128 S. Virginia St. in Eureka. “It’s one of the oldest in town.”
The company offers no-obligation inspections of residential and commercial buildings, and helps customers coordinate with insurance companies. They offer traditional shingle roof repair and replacement, as well as commercial roof coatings.
“We can do a coating on an existing roof for about 40 percent the cost of a new roof,” Hinkson said. “It’ll give you another 10 years on your roof.”
Hinkson is proud of his company’s recycling efforts.
“We recycle shingle to St. Louis Shingle Recycling,” he said. “They grind up shingles to make asphalt; then any metal goes to a local metal recycling center.”
Eureka Contracting is active with a number of community charities.
“We sponsor golf tournaments for the Elks and for Sacred Heart,” Hinkson said. “We do the Run for Sight with the Lions and the Harvest Moon Walk for the Eureka Food Pantry. “We sponsor just about all the booster clubs for sports at Eureka High School – football, baseball, basketball, volleyball, soccer, wrestling.”
For information or to schedule a free consultation, visit the website at www.eurekacontracting.com.