In case you missed our series featuring the awesome manufacturers we work with, we’re providing a closer look at Malarkey Manufacturing. In February 2023 our team toured the OKC plant for Malarkey Roofing products. Though we couldn’t snap any photos to share with you, we learned so much during our tour, and we’re excited to tell you more!

About Malarkey

Malarkey Manufacturing was founded by the Malarkey family out of Portland, Oregon. The family sold the company to the Holcim Corporation. Malarkey manufactures their shingles in Oregon, California, and Oklahoma, and they love to show off their facility!

Malarkey focuses on sustainability and recycled materials and even pioneered the use of upcycled rubber and plastic in their shingles. They also launched the first 3M™ Smog-Reducing Granules.

The Tour

We started our tour in a conference room where we learned tons of information about Malarkey products and watched a safety training video before touring the facility. Our team was issued a set of headphones with a microphone, safety glasses, and a bright green helmet.

We were able to see the process of how asphalt shingles are created. As you might expect, there are many steps to manufacturing an asphalt shingle and the process is closely monitored to ensure the highest quality. Any shingle that had imperfections was abruptly removed from the production line before the crew continued manufacturing products. The good news is that all of the imperfect shingles that were scrapped will be recycled. One interesting fact we learned is that Malarkey Manufacturing uses approximately 3000 recycled plastic sacks and three recycled tires in an average roof, keeping those items out of landfills and providing a useful second life.

The Process

One of the more fascinating parts of the process was adding granules to the shingles. The granules give the shingle its color and protect it from UV rays – which is especially crucial for homes that face brutal summer temperatures in Oklahoma. As the shingles roll down the conveyor belt, granules are shot out onto the shingle. Every hour the color of the granules is inspected against the sample granules to ensure the quality of the color is correct. If necessary, the team can stop production and make color adjustments. Each shingle has enough granules to last the expected lifespan.

In addition to the manufacturing lines, there is a separate room that operates as quality control for all of the products made at the plant. The team charged with the task of monitoring the quality of the products conducts tests throughout the day. Our team was lucky enough to see them demonstrate a couple of tests. One of the tests they showed was a heavy, metal comb that rubbed against the shingle sample in a back-and-forth motion. When the test finished they weighed the sample to determine how many granules came off during the test.

The Malarkey quality control team follows standards set forth by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), and their team always sets a goal to exceed the standards. I asked the quality control expert about granules that I have found in my driveway and gutters after rainfall. He explained that it was normal for shingles to shed granules and that they will continue to do so for their lifespan. Malarkey sources all of its granules from the same quarry. Thanks to a consistent supplier, Malarkey can trust they will receive the same color and quality of granules in each delivery. They receive shipments of supplies throughout the day at the plant.

After we watched every step of the shingles being made, cut, and piled together in a bundle, we learned what happens to the newly made shingles. The bundle is then moved down a conveyor belt and wrapped in plastic which is heat shrunk. Finally, the bundles are loaded onto pallets to be sent to the roofing supply houses. Our Malarkey representative informed us that they only deliver newly made shingles to the supply houses. This is important to us because we want to install the best quality materials on our customers’ homes.

We were so fortunate to be able to tour the Malarkey manufacturing plant and take you along on what it looks like to create, bundle, and send out these shingles. If you have questions or want to learn more about the shingles send us an email or call us. You can also visit the Malarkey website to learn more.