July 2015

Potential danger abounds for those who work in the roofing industry, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics has deemed to be the fourth most dangerous occupation based on fatality statistics. To counter the inherent risks, Castro Roofing, Dallas, has crafted a culture of safety that extends throughout the company. This safety culture has had a positive effect on accident reduction and project management and even has provided monetary savings in the form of lower insurance premiums.

A large portion of roofing work involves transporting equipment and materials to job sites, and doing so usually involves trucking operations. The Department of Transportation (DOT) has set forth rules regarding qualifications of drivers, operation and marking of trucks carrying loads, and registration of the company using the trucks, among other rules. In addition, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has requirements that affect roofing industry professionals relating to the handling of hazardous materials.

Founded in 1890, the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution^® (DAR) is a nonprofit, nonpolitical women's service organization composed of volunteers who are dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving U.S. history and securing the country’s future through better education for children. Located in Washington, D.C., DAR's library contains an array of valuable genealogical information. When water leaks threatened some of the irreplaceable documents, DAR called upon James R. Walls Contracting Co. Inc., Clinton, Md., to undertake the historical renovations.

Even a perfect roofing project can have an unhappy ending if a customer lays claim to already rendered payments after filing for bankruptcy, resulting in a preference claim. A preference claim is made by the bankruptcy trustee to recover the debtor’s assets for distribution among creditors, which means you may be requested to return payments received during the 90-day period predating the bankruptcy filing. Fortunately, there are several defenses available that can be used in response to a preference claim.

To gain the trust of your Latino workforce, you must remove the fear that your employees will be poached by competitors. If you don't properly educate and elevate your Latino employees, not only will it deeply affect opportunities for them, but it also will weaken your company and has the potential to deeply weaken the entire roofing industry because of the sheer size of the demographic.