Founded in 1951, IKO began as a small manufacturing plant in industrial Calgary. A family-owned enterprise, we made waterproofing materials the old-fashioned way: by soaking kraft paper with asphalt and by applying asphalt to paper-based felt.

There was an immediate demand for our products. With the post-World War II building boom, young families flocked to the suburbs to fulfill their dream of homeownership. We knew they deserved the very best roofing materials so just two years after opening, we introduced rolled roofing and later, asphalt shingles.

Customers loved our high-quality shingles. We expanded across Canada, continuously investing in our employees and technology to improve our products and modernize our business. By the late 1970's, our operations extended throughout Europe and the U.S.