Mike Clark started roofing back when he was fifteen. At age sixteen he was doing tile roofs in Palm Springs and realized the art of clay tile, especially the uniqueness of the old kind. Inspiration came to him while working on the historical La Quinta Inn and the Mission Inn in Riverside. Here he decided to make this his living, starting at the bottom as a roofer. In his training with Century Roof Company he worked on all different types of roofs, from hot tar to shake.

In 1983 he met Dawn in Clearlake, where they had both grown up, becoming each other's best friends. Soon they were roofing together as a team, and they were very good at it. In 1986 Holly was born, followed by Brandi two years later. Wanting to escape Southern California, they moved to Rocklin in 1989.

While Mike was recovering from open-heart surgery he worked as an independent roofing consultant, noticing that there was an inadequate working force in the area. They finally decided that the smart way to go was to own your own business and started M.S. Clark Roofing in 1990.