At Rose & Walker, LLC, we are not just a business; we are a family. For half a century, we have been proudly serving the Bloomington and broader Monroe County community, providing unparalleled expertise in drywall and insulation services. Our roots run deep as a locally owned family establishment, and our commitment to our craft and our community is unwavering. Specializing in both residential and commercial projects, we offer a comprehensive range of services including drywall installation, hanging, finishing, and a variety of insulation solutions like Closed Cell Foam, Open Cell Foam, Attic and Side Wall Blows, Batt Insulation, and more.
In entrusting your drywall and insulation needs to Rose & Walker, you choose quality, reliability, and value. Our team of skilled professionals is equipped to handle projects of any scale, ensuring timely and efficient completion with the highest standard of quality. We take pride in our work, and our long-standing presence in the community is a testament to our commitment to excellence. Whether you’re looking to renovate your home or embark on a new commercial construction project, our doors at 5100 S Rogers Street are always open for a free consultation. Let us help you make your next project a success, with Rose & Walker, your trusted specialists in drywall and insulation.
The History of Rose & Walker
Rose & Walker was founded in 1966 by Dave Rose & John Walker. Hanging and finishing drywall was the only service offered. The business was started in the basement of Dave’s home. Dave and John soon hired a few friends to help service customers quickly. By 1970, their business had outgrown Dave’s basement, and bought a house on Rogers Street. Rose & Walker became a company with about ten employees. Their wives became instrumental in managing the finances and customer communication, handling the books, and overseeing phone correspondence. As the business grew, so did the loyalty between the employees, Dave and Johnny.
By 1972, Rose & Walker doubled the space of its building and bought a vacant lot behind the shop to park company cars and trailers. The building business was so in demand, that insulation contractors could not keep up with drywall hangers. In response, Rose & Walker began offering insulation services. Dave and Johnny were offered a chance to buy an insulation business from a local builder who just couldn’t keep up. Johnny liked finishing drywall, so Dave became the insulation installer and salesman. They had a one-and-a-half-ton 1959 Ford truck with an old insulation blower in the back. Dave hired some more friends to help him install side wall batts, crawl spaces and blow the attics. In those first few months, Dave often wondered if they made the right decision. They did – in only three years, Rose & Walker insulation became Bloomington’s largest insulation contractor.
By 1979, Rose & Walker became incorporated, and once again outgrew their location. The business had two full-time estimators for drywall and insulation, a full-time secretary, and around twenty-five employees at this point. Rose & Walker bought a ten thousand square foot building where our partner Foundation Building Materials is today. All the insulation that used to be stored off-site could now be brought into the new warehouse. At the time, Bloomington drywall supply yards were busy supplying drywall to local contractors. Rose & Walker Inc. began stocking drywall for their jobs. Soon after, those supply yards went out of business.
We expanded once again in 1982. Rose & Walker purchased the property located next door on Country Club Drive to construct more buildings behind the main warehouse for storing drywall and supplying all builders’ needs in Bloomington and the surrounding Monroe County. The building doubled as a carpet store.
By 1986, Rose & Walker Inc. had grown to around forty employees, a showroom with all the tools for the drywall and insulation industry, two boom trucks, two insulation blowers, as well as a tractor and trailer rig to haul their materials.
1988 brought yet another year of expansion. Brenda Conner, a long-time sales representative for Gold Bond Building, came to Rose & Walker with the vision of adding a vinyl siding supply yard to the R&W building product line. Rose & Walker Siding Specialties soon followed. In 1992, John J Walker’s health began to decline, so he sold his part of the business to Dave. In 1995, Rose & Walker purchased 298 Country Club Drive, what’s now our partner American Roofing Supplies.
In January 2015, Dave Rose decided to retire and handed the reins over to Mike and Susie White. Now, after nearly a decade of successful leadership, they continue to uphold the same standards of service and quality that have defined Rose & Walker’s reputation for close to half a century. While the owners may have changed, the dedication, hard work, and expertise of our exceptional team remain the cornerstone of Rose and Walker.
Mike & Susie White
Owners of Rose & Walker, LLC.
