North Carolina Construction News staff writer
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, EXT Construction, a Raleigh-based commercial builder with deep family roots in Boone, stepped up to help High Country residents by offering free roofing assistance to those without insurance and supporting local recovery efforts.
Company owner Glenn Johnston returned to his childhood hometown to find the cabin he grew up in badly damaged by a mudslide days after the storm. Although the home had since changed ownership, Johnston contacted the new owner and offered to replace the roof at no cost. Unbeknownst to him at the time, the new homeowner is a teacher at Valle Crucis Elementary School—one of the schools that EXT Construction also supported with donated resources during the post-storm response.
The company posted on Facebook to let local residents know they were offering free roofing help to uninsured homeowners, part of a broader effort to provide hands-on support to storm-affected communities across the High Country.
Founded and operated by Glenn Johnston, EXT Construction is a family-run business based in Raleigh, specializing in commercial building projects, including roofing, siding, metal fabrication, and flooring. Johnston operates the company alongside his mother, Margaret Rose, who serves as chief financial officer. The two have worked side by side for more than 14 years, maintaining a close professional partnership that reflects their shared dedication to the business and to the region where their family history runs deep.
Margaret Rose’s father, Wade Brown, served as mayor of Boone in the 1950s and ’60s and was a practicing attorney in the town for 60 years. He played a key role in the development of the Boone Golf Course, Horn in the West, the North Carolina Parole Board, and the local Lions Club, among other initiatives. Rose, who attended Appalachian High School, owned and operated Baity’s, a high-end gift shop in downtown Boone for 12 years and served as president of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, where she helped strengthen the local business community.
Today, EXT Construction continues that tradition of supporting Boone through its work on key local projects. The company is currently completing roofing, siding, and gutter installation on five new buildings at Appalachian State University, which will be used for faculty housing. The ASU project aligns with the firm’s focus on contributing to the long-term development of the Boone area while also showcasing its technical capabilities in large-scale commercial construction.
Though based in Raleigh, EXT Construction remains closely tied to the North Carolina High Country—through both its projects and its people—and continues to play a meaningful role in the region’s resilience and growth.