History

The company was founded by Dierk D. Peters (1917-2014) in 1958 and we have been in continuous operation using the same general contractor’s license number ever since.  The company started under the name Pacific Roof Structures and started in a Quonset hut type structure in Montebello, CA.  At that time the use of structural wood was limited to bolted trusses mostly for industrial uses and glue laminated beams usually laid up by hand into arch or radius shapes.  During the first ten years the company specialized in furnishing and erecting church arches with solid wood decking as well as wood trusses for industrial buildings. 

In 1967 Judy Braaten was hired and tackled all of the growing company’s finances.  Around that time a new component company was started and alliance was formed and Pacific Roof Structures became the Southern California exclusive sales agent for the then Trus-Joist Corporation.  The additional line of product added to the company’s successes and we were forced to move into a newer larger location.  Dierk Peter purchased property in Orange, CA and built an office/warehouse tilt-up building on four acres of paved and rail served land. 

The move to Orange played into another level of expansion and the new panelized roof system was gaining steadily.  While still keeping to our roots, slowly but surely we became a strong player in the panelized roof market which was dominated by Simpson Strong-Tie Structures, Beven and Herron, and Duke Timber Company.  In 1982 Greg Severson was hired as an entry level draftsman.

In 1985, Pacific Roof Structures acquired the Duke Timber Company and the name was changed to Duke Pacific, Inc.  The name change was meant to appear as a merger of the two companies rather than an acquisition in an attempt to keep the loyal customers that both firms already enjoyed.  So literally overnight, the company doubled in size and another move was required.  Only a few short years prior to that, Duke Timber along with the new company Tobin Steel had purchased 5 acres in Chino, CA and built a 23,000 square foot office/warehouse and steel fabrication shop.  As this was the larger of the two facilities the two companies merged into one at the Chino location.  Tobin Steel shortly thereafter moved to their Santa Ana location.  Duke Pacific, Inc. calls the Chino location home still to this day. 

In 1992, Dierk Peters at the age of 75 decided that it was time for a change as retirement was in the near future.  The company was offered to Judy Braaten, the then corporate Secretary/Treasurer and Greg Severson, the then Vice-President.  In 1993 Greg and Judy, with a combined 37 years with the organization, became the new owners of Duke Pacific, Inc.  Dierk Peters remained as President until his move to Sisters, OR in 2007. 

To this day, Greg and Judy remain business partners in Duke Pacific, Inc. as well as Environmental Management Solutions, Inc. a mold, lead and asbestos remediation company and Sycamore Investments, LLC.