Focus

The roofing industry united to celebrate the second annual National Roofing Week

As with all membership organizations, one of NRCA's top objectives is member engagement. With a diverse membership spread throughout the world, NRCA faces unique challenges with achieving this goal.

But during July 5-11, the roofing industry came together in many ways to celebrate the second National Roofing Week.

First, H&E Equipment Services, Baton Rouge, La.; Johns Manville, Denver; OMG Roofing Products, Agawam, Mass.; Roofing Supply Group LLC, Dallas; and Rmax, Dallas, donated materials to reroof the Momentous Institute, a Dallas-based organization that serves more than 6,000 children from struggling families. King of Texas Roofing Co. LP, Grand Prairie, supplied a crew of eight laborers for a week, and Jim Whitten Roof Consultants LLC, Austin, Texas, provided the design services.

In addition, for NRCA's Children's Art Contest, children were asked to illustrate what they think roofs do. Fifty-two children entered the contest, and more than 3,000 votes were cast online to determine the winners. Sponsored by A.C.T. Metal Deck Supply, Aurora, Ill., the contest doubled in size this year compared with 2014.

NRCA also launched a social media campaign, asking members to post photos of roofing projects while holding a card that read: "Proudly installed by a roofing professional" and included the NRCA member logo. The campaign generated hundreds of posts from throughout the U.S., as well as a post from a member in Mongolia. Contractors shared stories of charity work they completed throughout the year, posted ways they demonstrated employee appreciation throughout the week and urged customers to celebrate National Roofing Week with the industry. During that week, NRCA reached nearly 10,500 Facebook users, a record for the association.

National Roofing Week is about celebrating an incredibly hardworking, generous industry, and it ignited a spark not often seen in trade associations. If you haven't yet watched the National Roofing Week videos NRCA produced, I encourage you to do so. The inspiring videos demonstrate the power of an industry united.

Ambika Puniani Bailey is editor of Professional Roofing and NRCA's vice president of communications and production.

More From This Issue

  • Positioning to win

    Roofing can be an intensely competitive business with many contractors fighting to win each available job. Companies must decide how to compete for customers, and there only are two ways to compete: be cheap, or be different. Companies who choose to be different should understand the concept of positioning. If implemented correctly, positioning can lead to improved marketing efforts, revenue growth and profits for your company.

  • A hybrid solution

    Built in the 1960s, the DePuy Synthes manufacturing facility was designed using a built-up coal-tar pitch roof system. In 1998, it was re-covered with coal-tar pitch and gravel. Not long after the re-cover, the roof system began to leak. In 2013, the facility's management team decided it was time for a new roof and selected Advanced Roofing Inc., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to perform the tear-off and replacement of the building's 35,000-square-foot roof system.

  • Testing TPOs

    In "A study of longevity," February 2014 issue, page 44, TPO membranes' long-term performance was discussed, leading to the conclusion that the material generally is performing well. However, some manufacturers have had issues when membranes were installed in high-heat situations. In response, a study was undertaken using heat-aging tests to determine whether TPO membranes perform differently in high-heat situations. The testing yielded some interesting results.

;