Courtesy of: Roofing Contractors Association of California

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The Roofing Contractors Association of California (RCAC) today announced the release of an information handout promoting the contributions the roofing industry makes to California. 

The display piece, which has been distributed to the 120 members of California’s legislature and all members of RCAC, touts the contributions of the roofing industry to the state’s employment and tax base, as well as college scholarship programs, and to the state’s efforts to reduce building energy consumption. 

“Roofing contractors are an essential trade, critical to the protection of our homes, businesses and property,” stated RCAC Executive Director Marc Connerly.  “Not only do roofing workers perform a vital service, but they do so in a trade that can be very hazardous, and in conditions ranging from wind and rain to severe heat.” 

According to the handout, which is sponsored by ABC Supply, Associated Roofing Contractors of the Bay Area Counties (ARCBAC), Independent Roofing Contractors of California (IRCC), and the Union Roofing Contractors Association (URCA), California’s roofing industry includes more than 4,500 licensed roofing contractors and is responsible for the employment of more than 18,000 California citizens, with wages in excess of over $935,600,000.  Roofing trade associations based in California have also contributed more than $1.1 million to deserving students pursuing a college education. 

“As we began researching the data for this campaign, it was very impressive as we aggregated the numbers and began to realize the magnitude of the wage base of the roofing industry and the charitable gifts that have been created through the trade associations supporting this industry,” said Connerly.  “Roofing provides a very good living to those who have made a career in this business, and there are many roofing company owners who started in an entry-level position, then worked their way up to ownership of their own successful companies.  The industry provides that level of opportunity to those willing to pursue a career in roofing.” 

The Roofing Contractors Association of California (RCAC) represents California’s more than 4,500 licensed roofing contractors, manufacturers, distributors, and other businesses providing goods and services to the roofing industry.  The mission of RCAC is the protection and advancement of the California roofing industry in legislative, regulatory and business affairs. 

If you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Marc Connerly, please contact Brooks Benford at (916) 485-6318 or email Brooks at info@connerlyandassociates.com.

Despite COVID-19, Western Roofing Contractors Did All Right

By: Marc Dodson, Editor

Our annual survey of roofing contractors resulted in positive comments about the state of the Western roofing industry. Despite the COVID-19 crisis, according to our readers, this past year was good for business and the outlook for the 2021 Western roofing market is looking better. Additionally, architects are also reporting an increased amount of work on the boards, so there are more projects on the horizon.

Once again, the biggest problem roofing contractors face is finding enough trained workers, or workers willing to be trained in the art of roof application. This ongoing problem of not enough boots on the roof is limiting the growth and future of the industry.

From the Rooftop

What do Western roofing contractors have to say about this past year and what they see on the road ahead? Here are a few of their responses.

Leo Ibarra, Blue’s Roofing, Milpitas, California, and current Western States Roofing Contractors Association (WSRCA) president, notes, “Overall dealing with the pandemic has been OK. It’s definitely more to think about in regards to safety. Safety should always be put at the top of the list. Our office staff has been working from home as much as possible and working fewer hours when we are in the office. Precautions had to be tightened up in the field due to the unknown. Production has not been affected too much, but anytime you have tighter regulations it will affect productivity a little.

“Our company is still working only on commercial projects. We are slightly down, but we do have a good backlog going into 2021. It appears a lot of contractors are concerned going into 2021, but we will continue to be optimistic. We’re hoping to get back to some type of normal in 2021, but only time will tell.”

Travis Nelson, Brown Roofing Company, The Dalles, Oregon, and former WSRCA president, says, “Like everyone, we have had to work hard this year to adapt to working during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. We work in more than one state, and each state has had different requirements, and each state has had different approaches to locking down. It has been a challenge for our workforce to learn the new and evolving rules and practices. Each day, we have had less time to work on actual roofing since we have had to add many steps to our normal safety procedures. Also, it was hard at first trying to get everyone to take the new rules as seriously as the state and the company would like. As time went by and a culture was in place, it became easier to manage around the COVID-19 safety requirements.

“We have found that our residential to commercial roofing work percentages stayed the same in 2020. Demand for both stayed the same despite the affects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Each had similar challenges and also unique challenges. Working around homes meant working around people’s families, while commercial projects many times meant working around general contractors or other sub-contractor trades. As far as commercial projects, each entity or trade had similar needs and requirements for working safely, but sometimes they were different in the approach or in how important the various rules and procedures would be to them. We had to adapt often to match the needs of others as well as the requirements of the various states in which we work.

“Due to a slower work pace in 2020 and some lost time to employee quarantines, we are needing to push 2020 work into 2021. We feel like we have a good backlog going into 2021, but we cannot help but think that the demand will slow at some point due to political changes that we know are coming, as well as the ongoing and worsening pandemic this winter.

“We have heard of supply issues that might dictate which products we will be using more often and which we might use less. Some of these supply issues seem to be driving up prices, so that may also cause us to choose certain products over another. We may also pivot to more effort spent on repairs and maintenance if supply problems or a slower economy become a reality.

“I have a feeling our Oregon economy will be similar to other areas of the Western region. However, it has been harder to find out what is happening in other states due to less contact with other roofing professionals. Without meetings and expos, it is hard to know how everyone is feeling about this year and the coming year.

“This has been a very stressful year for families of our employees and for our staff, just as it has been in the general population. Therefore, I really feel we need to pay close attention to the overall mental health of our workers and staff, as well as with the necessary safety procedures.”

Brad Baker, Professional Roofing, Bellevue, Idaho, and former WSRCA president, states, “This past year has been the worst and best of times for 2020. Older relatives have passed away and you couldn’t even go to funerals with more than 20 people. COVID-19 has been a cruel and lonely disease for the people affected. On the bright side, Idaho has been ranked as the number one U-Haul® destination this past year and the West Coast people have been coming in droves from California, Washington, and Oregon. Our local area for custom housing is out two years and sub-contractors can’t keep up with the building going on. Life is good, but the stress level is up and there has to be a happy medium. Hopefully the COVID-19 vaccine will help keep us alive to roof another day.

Bill Baley, CI Services, Irvine, California, and former WSRCA president, notes, “Business was still fairly strong this year. The biggest change was the lack of face-to-face meetings with customers and a bit slower decision making from customers. After that, we of course had to spend extra money on disinfectants, masks, gloves, etc. for office and field staff. Plus extra care about social distancing and allowing people to stay home when health was questionable all cost money, but needed to happen.

“We had a few of our crew either get infected with COVID-19 or were with someone infected, which required quarantine time for those workers. Luckily, we shifted personnel as needed and got through it.

“Our commercial business was the same as always. Whether it will be up or down in 2021 is the million-dollar question for everyone right now. The recent election could change things a lot. We need to wait and see. We’re praying for another strong year, assuming the vaccine gets out and works. As far as using different products go, business offerings may change a little, with more focus on repair and maintenance, but we think our current system and manufacturer focus should not change.

An Arizona roofing contractor who wished to remain anonymous states, “COVID-19 has not impacted us much. We had a few projects get delayed, but only two that got cancelled. Construction as a whole remained strong. We are hoping to be up in 2021 because in Arizona we had a record hot and record dry 2020. If we can have more normal weather and more economic recovery, we should have a stronger 2021. Manpower is still a problem.”

Sam Chamberlin, D&D Roofing, Sparks, Nevada, notes, “COVID-19 definitely slowed our business in 2020. We expect business to improve in 2021. We won’t be changing our business strategy. I expect our area will rebound during the second half of 2021. I think Biden will screw all business people.”

Andy Clarke, Global Roofing Group, Phoenix, Arizona, says, “2021 is our 50th anniversary and we are excited for the new name change to Global Roofing Group to better represent our ever growing presence around the country, and not just the Southwest. We have recently opened offices in Denver, Colorado, and Salt Lake City, Utah, this year.

“COVID-19 has effected our workforce, but mostly from missed time. Once anyone has either tested positive or has reason to be concerned enough to be tested, we send them home. We also have to send home anyone else that has been directly in contact with that person to contain the spread. We have lost complete crews off of jobs for several days working through COVID-19 tests and quarantines. Earlier in the year, we were very proactive and had 75% of our staff working from home, typically from the accounting and sales part of the company. Operations and production did not have this liberty for obvious reasons. Everyone returned to the office over the summer after the numbers in Arizona had settled down, but we still have strict policies of no unnecessary visitors or large in-person meetings. Everything is virtual, including all our leadership trainings. We also had to cancel our annual Safecon event, in which we host over 350 of our employees for a full day, as required by OSHA. This year we are going to be doing that virtually, which we don’t feel has the same personal impact as doing it together as a company.

“Fortunately, the pandemic has not dramatically impacted our overall volume. However, we have seen some decreases in the multifamily and reroof market in the commercial arena, but that is also typical in an election year and there has been no rain to speak of for the last six to eight months, so it is probably a combination of all of these things.

“We will continue to grow in 2021 mostly due to our efforts in large national projects that we have excelled in and as we have opened other branches in other markets. We’re just not seeing as much reroof for the time being so it’s really only affecting our steep-slope division.

“We know unemployment is high, but we still can’t find people that want to do roofing. Overall, it appears the economy is holding up, but we will see more once the new president and Congress is in place and what kind of policy changes will happen that may or may not be business friendly.

“We have seen several product cost increases over the last couple of months and labor continues to be unstable, so we don’t see that getting any better. We will know more if tax increases come or if there are any change of regulations.”

Johnny Zamrzla, Western Pacific Roofing, Palmdale, California, and former WSRCA and National Roofing Contractors Association president, states, “Business is good. Unfortunately, with trying to work under the changing local and state COVID-19 restrictions, it makes it even harder. I’m on the board of one of the hospitals in our area, and elective surgeries have dried up. They’re not busy, but people don’t want to go to a hospital unless they have to. The county built 632 emergency beds at the fairgrounds and none are being used.

“Our residential business is outstanding. All shops are busy and we just hired new workers, but it’s tough to get employees. Since people can work remotely, they’re moving into vacation homes or remodeling. We have difficulty getting permits, also lumber and metal prices have gone up.

“We’ve expanded into metal buildings and more online marketing. We’re also traveling to jobs less by making use of drones and other services. Right now, there’s an excess of brick-and-mortar office and retail spaces. More people are shopping and working online. That’s probably not going to change once we’re clear of this pandemic. It’s a whole new world with a different set of challenges and opportunities.”

Ron Lloyd, Kokua Roofing Services, Kailua, Hawaii, says, “Safety has always been a priority at Kokua and we start each day on a project with a safety meeting. With COVID-19, we now have had to implement more safety measures to include daily temperature checks of the folks on the job. In addition, we have had to invest in more PPE for our employees. From a service prospective, interisland travel restrictions have made our ability to be nimble more complicated.

“The Kokua team is always looking for ways to be more efficient and effective. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has affected the speed in which we can complete projects while maintaining the quality our customers expect. Between travel delays and the additional safety steps we are taking, we are not performing at our usual optimal level. However, our business has always had a healthy and diverse portfolio of projects, and that has not changed. Despite the challenges we have all faced, I feel confident that business will continue to grow in 2021. While it’s hard to project how things are going to shake out location by location, it’s my estimation that our Hawaii economy will remain in line with the rest of the West.

“With more and more people continuing to work from home, we have seen a surge in our roof maintenance and service work, and our reroof business. Whether it’s residential because folks are home and realizing things about their house they may not have had time to address, or commercial properties that are temporarily empty, allowing time to address building issues without disturbing occupants.”

Wendy Marvin, Matrix Roofing, Vancouver, Washington, notes, “Due to the pandemic, we’re down about $750k this year, mostly from the shutdown during April and May when things were super slow, and the delays in installations, shipping and manufacturing issues, and staffing problems contributed. We definitely have a backlog and could easily hire about ten workers now; we just can’t find them. After the initial shock of everything and the chaos of moving to remote working, we’ve fared fairly well. Additional resources from the government would surely help, as we were poised in February to begin building out on our new facility and have been stuck in permitting for seven months. With the material costs skyrocketing, we’re looking at alternatives now.

“Overall, COVID-19 was a good time to do some introspective work, which we accomplished. Our company will emerge stronger and more nimble, which is good.

“Our workforce has been super impacted here by COVID-19. Work is slow due to additional precautions and inspections. There’s a slowing of performance as we have periodic scares of contamination and people have to take the mandatory 14 days off, even though they have no symptoms. We never had to do layoffs, which are good, but overall everyone is taxed and tired of the stresses of this disease.

“We definitely moved closer to our residential customers and away from bidding bigger commercial jobs, which are easier to manage and less risk. We completely shut down our government bidding due to cash flow issues.

“We may change our mix of materials and products, most likely due to massive changes in manufacturing. We do not want to run around right now, but if something isn’t available, we have to find alternatives. We’re putting more resources into our remodeling department, hoping to capture more work during roofing’s slow time. It’s worked so far.

“The economy is really uncertain. Talk of massive company closures in our farming industry could greatly impact the state of Washington. Real estate is up, but we’re already at a home shortage and our city government permitting agencies have been inept for a long time. They’re trying to hire more people now, but most likely too little too late for Clark County and Southwest Washington. We can’t build the homes fast enough. We’re trying to be prepared for when the moratorium on evictions ends. This could be another foreclosure boom, and work from realtors as lenders tighten requirements.

“Hopefully our industry partnerships and lobbying organizations can get the idiotic tariffs shut down, and the sooner the better, especially on lumber. We’ve watched plywood go from $14/sheet to $37/sheet now. It’s absolutely absurd.

“We have to form alliances to get our hands on some of these displaced workers. In our state we have Workforce Southwest Washington, who has federal funds to place displaced workers. Our industry doesn’t know about this. We need marketing. We need to get them to see our industry as a viable and fairly stable work option. We need to get moving on this ASAP.”

Pete Schmautz, Star Roofing, Phoenix, Arizona, and former WSRCA president, says, “Due to COVID-19, we are having to do more up-front screening of employees before entering jobsites. This has ranged from health questionnaires to temperature checks. Many general contractors and jobsites are beginning to require quarantine periods for anyone suspected of having COVID-19. It has definitely slowed production.

We anticipate 2021 being the same or down slightly from 2020’s numbers. We do not anticipate using different products, but we strive to increase our reroof percentage. We expect that our economy will fare better than some of the states in the West that have, again, implemented lockdowns.”

Steve Nash, Waterproofing Associates, Mountain View, California, states, “2020 has been an extremely challenging year. We were shut down for a few months early in the year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. All work ceased except public works. We shifted our focus to public works only to have new criteria of essential public works added to the list. Each job required a designation of deemed essential, which very few public agencies were willing to specify for fear of liability. Once we were able to resume working, we needed to put our COVID-19 protocols together, which required daily certification of jobsites, temperature checks, health screening questions, disinfection of tools, and wearing masks.

“Overall, 2020 has been a year of protecting our people and business with a goal of living to fight another day. Having accomplished our short-term goal of survival, we look forward to 2021. We expect there to be a pent-up demand for our services once businesses resume normal operations with the distribution of the vaccine.”

Stan Robinson, Pacific West Roofing, Hubbard, Oregon, notes, “With COVID-19 ever-present, we’ve been requiring masks be worn in vehicles, in the office, and at the shop. We’ve kept the same work force other than a few losses due to non-illness reasons. We had one employee contract COVID-19 and they were quarantined for the time needed. We test anybody who comes in our office and document their temperature and recent activity to determine whether or not they were around anyone with symptoms. Our job performance time has not changed.

“There have been less commercial opportunities due to jobs being shut down or postponed. We are a minor player in the commercial world anyways and only choose owner-operated buildings with maybe a few property managed commercial condominiums. We feel that 2021 will take a jump in volume by at least 10% to 15% and look forward to increasing our crew sizes this next year.

“We are pretty convinced that the mix of products we have now are solid and don’t plan to make a change in product brands but possibly adding additional not ordinary products such as rubbers and plastics slates shakes tile.

“I can only speak for the Portland, Oregon, market when I say most of my fellow contractors feel it will be a strong year, regardless of the presidency, merely on customer demand. I’ve heard no different information across the West speaking to my fellow contractors and other cities and states.

“I don’t think many of the roofing contractors feel an extreme difference when there’s a change in presidency or parties and only can speak to the demand of the public, even though we keep an eye on the TV for things happening such as Portland being completely under attack by ANTIFA, yet the market increases.”

Misty Stoddard, Rainproof Roofing, Anchorage, Alaska, says, “Figuring out how to work as an essential company during this pandemic has proven to be challenging at times for sure. From creating a daily online COVID-19 health questionnaire that is easily and quickly executed and also easy to track from a management perspective, to having a mitigation plan filed with our state and figuring out everything in between when working on site for general contractors. As a company we have definitely taken on the mind-set of if this is what it is let’s do it the best we can. Our employees have been extremely flexible during this process and an integral part of being successful during these strange times. Planning and communication has never been more important than it was this year.

“Our mix has remained fairly normal for our company with a 70/30 commercial/residential split. It’s hard to project what 2021 will look like when we could have never imagined that we would still be dealing with as long as we have. Government shutdowns and mandates will play a huge role in what the coming year looks like.

“Alaska often trails behind the lower 48 when it comes to economic swings, whether they are up or down. Again, with the current pandemic, it appears economically each state will be at the mercy of their elected officials. Government shutdowns and mandates will clearly have an impact as we head into 2021. It’s likely the commercial real estate market could potentially experience wide-spread vacancies from restaurants, bars, and small businesses that are no longer able to operate as a result of these shutdowns, and of course, that will affect our market as those building owners will be unable to maintain their properties at the same level.”

Stoddard sums up the feelings of many with, “The current COVID-19 pandemic has been a good reminder of how important it is to invest in our people, how we react in times of hardship are a true indicator of character.”

Courtesy of Western Roofing Magazine

2020 has been a hard year for everyone. Navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult both personally and professionally. The primary focus of Western States Roofing Contractors Association during 2020 was to drive greater value to our members, when they needed timely resources more than ever. 

In today’s challenging environment, our members are looking for ways to help themselves become better roof technicians, navigate through challenges safely and legally, as well as becoming better businesspeople. WSRCA believes that by complimenting sound technical roofing research along with prudent business practices, we will continue to lead the industry, as we have for the past 47 years!

Below, please find the information that WSRCA feels is currently changing the face of roofing, not only in the west, but across the country in 2020: 

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

• Technical Bulletin No. 2020-LSII-1ed. - Design Considerations Related to White and Light-Colored Membrane Low-Slope Roofs
• Technical Informational Letter No. 2020-II-1 - Recent Activity by ASTM Roofing & Waterproofing Groups
• Technical Bulletin No. 2020-IILS-1ed. - Roof Wood Sheathing Susceptibility to Moisture
• Technical Informational Letter No. 2020-II-2 - Update on Recent Activity by ASTM Roofing & Waterproofing Groups
• Technical Bulletin No. 2020-LSII-1ed. - Moisture in Concrete Decks

CONTRACTORS COUNSEL - LEGAL NEWS & UPDATES

• Never Sign an OSHA Witness Statement
• New I-9 Form Just Released
• WEBINAR: COVID-19 Legal Challenges & Union Agreements
• COVID-19 Master OSHA, Construction & Employment Law FAQ's
• WEBINAR: Ever-Changing Legal Issues with COVID-19 and How to Work Through the Crisis
• Restructure Your Payment Terms to Survive the COVID-19 Crisis
• 5 Tips for Working in the Summer Heat
• Cheat Sheet for Employee COVID-19 Exposure
• Roof Deck and Mold Disclaimer Contract Provisions
• Navigating Delay During the Coronavirus Outbreak
• Critical Contract Provisions

SAFETY & HEALTH

• COVID-19 Resources Page
• COVID-19 and Roofing - Navigating the New Normal in Workplace Safety
• WSRCA Mobile Safety Solutions
• WSRCA Hi-Visibility T-Shirts
• WSRCA Safety Field Cards - English & Spanish
• WSRCA Safety Toolbox Topics

BUSINESS RESOURCES

• Sales Coaching - Responding to COVID-19: Navigating Construction & Service Sales
• WEBINAR: Commercial Sales - Going from Contact to Contract in a Virtual World
• WEBINAR: Identify & Reduce Social Engineering Attacks
• Don't Play Politics with Your Portfolio
• Breakthrough Academy - Business Webinars for WSRCA Contractor Members
• WEBINAR - Breakthrough Academy: Scaling to 8 Figures - How to Build Your Annual Strategic Plan to Dominate 2021
• Member Survey - Tell WSRCA What You Value & Need!
• Apply to Become a Board Member of the WSRCA

'A VIEW FROM THE HILL' - LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

• Special Report on Coronavirus Assistance - Federal Legislation & Administrative Actions as of April 6, 2020
• WEBINAR: A View From the Hill - 2020 Legislative Updates
• Presidential Memorandum to Defer Employee Payroll Taxes
• Biden Administration Preview

"ROOF TALK": ARTICLE FORUM & BLOG

• Roofing Contractors - the FAA Wants To Track Your Drone
• Roofing Ranks 4th Among Most Dangerous Jobs in the United States
• State of the Industry 2020: Report and Survey
• Brace Yourselves, Coronavirus' Impact on the Roofing Industry Will be Felt
• Roofing Contractors Keep Working in Peak Season Despite Sharp Spikes in Temperature, COVID-19
• Cool Under Fire - Leo Ibarra Leads Blue's Roofing & WSRCA Through a Year of Unprecedented Change
• Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3) Announces Innovator of the Year - Scott Riopelle, Interstate Roofing

VIRTUAL WESTERN ROOFING EXPO 2020

• Virtual Western Roofing Expo
• Virtual Western Roofing Expo - Video Channel with Exhibitor Demonstrations
• WEBINAR: Virtual Western Roofing Expo - Opening Session
• WEBINAR: Surviving Uncertain Times
• WEBINAR: Top 5 Employment Issues in Roofing
• WEBINAR: Construction Contract Provisions
• WEBINAR: Issues Currently Affecting the Roofing & Waterproofing Industry
• WEBINAR: Davis Memorial Foundation - Scholarship Award Ceremony
• WEBINAR: A View From the Hill - 2020 Legislative Updates
• WEBINAR: Leveraging Partnerships with Manufacturers to Benefit Roofing Projects & Reduce Your Liability
• WEBINAR: A Retrospective Review of Code Changes from 2000-2018/21
• WEBINAR: Put it in Writing! Essential Policies for Every Employee Handbook
• WEBINAR: Performance Analysis of Aged TPO Membranes
• WEBINAR: Predictable Revenue
• WEBINAR: Retrofit Single-Ply Roofs Installed over Existing Metal Roofs: Wind Uplift and Industry Concerns
• WEBINAR: Simplifying OSHA Requirements for Rooftop Fall Protection
• WEBINAR: Significant Changes Between the 2015 and 2018 IBC and IRC Affecting Roof Assemblies
• WEBINAR: Prepare Your Low-Slope Roofing Projects to Meet the 2021 ICC Codes
• WEBINAR: How to Get Women on the Roof - Successful Strategies and Case Studies
• WEBINAR: The Top 10 Employment Law Mistakes Commonly Made by Roofing Contractors (and How to Avoid Them)
• WEBINAR: Proactively Address Moisture in Roof Assemblies
• WEBINAR: Avoiding Legal Pitfalls When Scaling Your Company
• WEBINAR: To Bid, or Not to Bid: That is the Question
• WEBINAR: OSHA Inspection & Citation Process
• WEBINAR: Three Roofing Projects Gone Wrong
• WEBINAR: Business Succession Planning in Construction: An Essential Tool in Your Toolbox
• WEBINAR: Roofing, Labor Shortage and Embracing Diversity, Technology and the Next Generation
• WEBINAR: High Wind Uplift Requirements for Tile Roofing - New Rules with ASCE 7-16
• WEBINAR: WSRCA Young Roofing Professionals - How to Attract and Retain Young Roofing Professionals to Your Business
• WEBINAR: Virtual Western Roofing Expo - Closing Session, Awards, and Nominations

DAVIS MEMORIAL FOUNDATION

• "Name Your" Scholarship Award
• Become a Partner for the Future & Help Support Higher Education
• Apply Today for a $5,000 Scholarship!

We also wanted to take the opportunity to thank our members for renewing this year, our exhibitors for supporting the first ever Virtual Western Roofing Expo, and our donors for contributing to the Davis Memorial Foundation’s scholarship program. 2020 has been extraordinarily tough, especially for associations, as many rely heavily on in-person events and have had to pivot towards online offerings to stay relevant.

THANK YOU to everyone who supported WSRCA in one way or another this year. Your loyalty and support has allowed us to continue to provide roofing contractors with a member benefits package tailored to their needs. We are looking forward to a happier and healthier 2021!


- Western States Roofing Contractors Association

Leo Ibarra Leads Blue's Roofing and the WSRCA Through a Year of Unprecedented Change

Courtesy of: RoofingContractor.com

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Gaylord Blue, founder of Blue’s Roofing, dreamed of starting his own roofing company shortly after moving his family west from El Paso, Texas, to the San Francisco Bay area roughly five decades ago. He started out learning and perfecting his trade with a large company — Alcal Specialty Contracting — and in 1973 branched out to form his own roofing business focused on values he held dear: hard work, integrity and doing the job to the best of your ability. 

Though long-gone from the day-to-day operations of the company, Blue’s founding values still ring true almost half a century later, and they’ve helped establish its reputation as one of the best commercial roofing and waterproofing specialists in the West.

Blue’s is a full-service roofing contractor company with a portfolio of landmark projects that spans across northern California. Dedicated solely to the commercial market, roughly 80% of its operations are new construction and 20% are restoration or reroofs. Though the company had humble beginnings, it carved its niche while the industry underwent transformative changes in the late 1970s. That evolution hasn’t stopped, with specialty areas now including below-grade WP, split slab WP, coatings, grout injection, tile, BUR and modified roofing. 

“He’d be very proud of where we are,” said son Tim Blue, current company president. “He was an old tar-and-gravel roofer and we’ve come a long way.”

Now with 70 full-time union employees, the focus on those values that have made Blue’s successful have arguably never been more important. When 2020 began, Blue’s was gearing toward another banner year in terms of business.

When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in the U.S. before spring, much of the early focus was on New York and the East Coast. But the disease was spreading fast in California, requiring some of the harshest shut-down orders implemented across the country. Like much of the roofing industry across North America, Blue’s benefited from a relentless push for “essential worker” designations, and crews started getting back to jobsites with new COVID-19 safety protocols. 

Ultimately, California was hit hard by the virus, carrying the largest number of infections in America, and third-highest number of deaths at the time of publication. Compounding the health crisis was a looming economic freefall and unprecedented wildfires raging across California. The situation called for a calming voice and level-headed leadership. Meet Leo Ibarra.

Keeping Cool

Ibarra was first exposed to the trades by a neighbor who was a superintendent for a roofing company, and joined Blue’s Roofing in 1991. After about a decade of on-the-job learning in the field, he helped Blue’s transition to more waterproofing specialties and the company began carving its niche in a bustling market driven by the tech bubble and institutional clients with capital projects.

His calming demeanor, ability to tackle problems, and willingness to learn left an impression early on in a company that has historically brought people up to the office from the field.

“Leo started with us as an apprentice, journeyman, and then foreman. And he always had a drive for more knowledge,” Blue said. 

Ibarra showed his passion for roofing and his leadership potential when Blue took him along for a six-month crash course on managing jobsite operations in San Francisco. Blue said he was managing multiple jobs within walking distance in the city, and they’d meet regularly with general contractors and superintendents to keep projects on schedule and manage expectations. 

“Leo was able to get the feel for what our philosophy was. How we treated our customers. When we stood firm and when we didn’t,” Blue explained. “I also got a good, strong feeling for him.” 

Blue — like his father, a long-time believer in the power of professional associations — nominated Ibarra for a spot in one of the initial Future Executives Institute (FEI) classes operated by the National Roofing Contractors Association. The impact it had on his career and professional devotion to improving the industry can’t be overstated, Ibarra said. 

“When you’re coming from outside the family, having these opportunities in a family business is not all that common and I knew that if they came my way I’d make the most of them,” Ibarra said. “That program was pretty much the point where I knew that Tim Blue had other things in mind for me, and not to just be part of the office, but take a leadership role.” 

Ibarra began making his mark by revamping Blue’s safety program.

Blue’s Roofing uses estimators to bid projects and project managers that oversee jobs once they’re awarded. Crews are split between roof production and service. Being a union company, the focus on safety is crucial to earning and keeping jobs, and is regularly monitored. Ibarra said a risk management company performs bi-weekly safety audits. 

The company established Blue’s Safety Committee, which is comprised of company employees at every level, including executive management, office staff, warehouse personnel and field crews.

“We try to keep everyone involved and ask for input,” Ibarra said. “Giving people the opportunity to critique empowers them.”

As a former project manager with the company, Ibarra said not overloading supervisors and finding ways to maximize individual strengths also helps. 

Blue said that he and his sister — Tricia Blue, a co-owner with a vital role in office operations — appreciate how Ibarra’s attitude has permeated the company culture. 

“He listens. He doesn’t overreact, doesn’t yell, doesn’t scream at the people who work for him and he hears both sides,” Blue said. “We have a pretty harmonious group here and getting input from employees of Leo’s caliber has allowed us to be successful.”

Right Guy, Right Time

Feeding off his FEI experience, Ibarra became heavily involved with the  Western States Roofing Contractors Association  (WSRCA), and was sworn in as president in June 2019 for a one-year term. Due to the COVID-19 crisis and significant transitions within the organization, he was asked to stay on for another year. Only Chuck Chapman has served a two-year term in the association’s history.

“Leo is the right person for the privilege of a second term. He’s very democratic in his leadership style, is very thorough with researching solutions and does his due diligence before presenting issues to the group,” said Joel Viera, a long-time WSRCA staffer who took over as executive director in August. “He does a great job of identifying the strength of each member of the team, and leans on each specialized member for input during the research phase of any issue.”

Viera also said Ibarra speaks softly and carries a big stick when it’s time to make tough decisions. That became clear as the WSRCA grappled with how to proceed with the Western Roofing Expo, its signature event, amid the health and safety concerns brought by COVID-19.

“Leo’s leadership was so important to navigating through COVID-19. Every day we would get different predictions, new rules, and muddied timelines for whether the WRE would be able to take place,” he explained.

Ibarra led a task group focused on transitioning from an in-person event in Las Vegas to a  virtual expo  — the  first of its kind  in the roofing industry .

Taking on a second year as president continues a long-standing connection between Blue’s Roofing and the association. Founder Gaylord Blue served as WSRCA president in 1983, and many other company employees have been actively involved in leadership and serve on committees to help solve problems impacting the roofing industry. It’s a natural fit, Ibarra said.

“My intent from the beginning was to help and run the association the same way we run our business,” Ibarra explained. “I don’t micromanage. I think when you have good people involved you allow them to use their creativity and work ethic to propel the association forward.”

As for making tough decisions when the pressure’s on, Ibarra said it’s a matter of perspective.

“I’m a firm believer that pressure is what you make of it,” he said. “Control what you can control, and if you can’t control it, you try and manage it the best you can. Our philosophy is if there’s an issue, it’s not about pointing fingers. Let’s figure out a way to fix it.”

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LEGAL  DISCLAIMER

All rights reserved.  All content (text, trademarks, illustrations, reports, photos, logos, graphics, files, designs, arrangements, etc.) in this Technical Opinion (“Opinion”) is the intellectual property of Western States Roofing Contractors Association (WSRCA) and is protected by the applicable protective laws governing intellectual property. The Opinion is intended for the exclusive use by its members as a feature of their membership. This document is intended to be used for educational purposes only, and no one should act or rely solely on any information contained in this Opinion as it is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney or construction engineer with specific project knowledge. Neither WSRCA nor any of its, contractors, subcontractors, or any of their employees, directors, officers, agents, or assigns make any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or any third party’s use (or the results of such use) of any information or process disclosed in the Opinion.  Reference herein to any general or specific commercial product, process or service does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement or recommendation by WSRCA. References are provided as citations and aids to help identify and locate other resources that may be of interest, and are not intended to state or imply that WSRCA sponsors, is affiliated or associated with, or is legally responsible for the content reflected in those resources. WSRCA has no control over those resources and the inclusion of any references does not necessarily imply the recommendation or endorsement of same.

Voting open now through Nov. 1 to reward Veteran homeowners. 

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 Beacon Roofing Supply, Inc. (Nasdaq: BECN) (“Beacon”) today revealed the 10 finalists in its first annual Beacon of Hope contest, a nationwide contest awarding deserving Veteran homeowners with new roofs. The public can vote for their favorite finalists now through November 1, 2019. Five winners will receive new roofs from Beacon, and five runners-up will receive $1,000 to help complete necessary repairs.

“We received dozens of stories about Veterans facing hardships including financial issues, unemployment, health-related issues and so many more,” said Jamie Samide, Beacon’s Vice President of Marketing. “Beacon of Hope was created to give back to our Veterans who could use some assistance with a basic necessity: a safe place to live. We hope the public is inspired by their stories and will help us in our efforts to provide these Vets with a ‘Beacon of Hope’.”

The Beacon of Hope contest finalists include (in alphabetical order):

1.  Lori Lee A. – Turner Falls, MA

2. Galen A. – North Port, FL 

3. Donald A. – Redford, MI 

4. John B. – Albuquerque, NM 

5. Madison B. – Woodbury, MN 

6. Betty F. – Suffolk, VA 

7. Robert H. – Bremerton, WA 

8. Rodney O. – Plant City, FL 

9. Michael S. – Overland Park, KS 

10. Ralph S. - Church Hill, TN  

Beacon will announce the winners and runners-up on Veterans Day. To learn more about the Beacon of Hope contest and read the official contest rules, visit http://go.becn.com/beaconofhope.

About Beacon Roofing Supply 

Founded in 1928, Beacon Roofing Supply is the largest publicly traded distributor of residential and commercial roofing materials and complementary building products in North America, operating over 500 branches throughout all 50 states in the U.S. and 6 provinces in Canada. Beacon serves an extensive base of over 100,000 customers, utilizing its vast branch network and diverse service offerings to provide high-quality products and support throughout the entire business lifecycle. Beacon also offers its own private label brand, TRI-BUILT, and has a proprietary digital account management suite, Beacon Pro+, which allows customers to manage their businesses online. A Fortune 500 company, Beacon’s stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol BECN.

To learn more about Beacon and its brands, please visit www.becn.com. 

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LEGAL DISCLAIMER

All rights reserved.  All content (text, trademarks, illustrations, reports, photos, logos, graphics, files, designs, arrangements, etc.) in this Technical Opinion (“Opinion”) is the intellectual property of Western States Roofing Contractors Association (WSRCA) and is protected by the applicable protective laws governing intellectual property. The Opinion is intended for the exclusive use by its members as a feature of their membership. This document is intended to be used for educational purposes only, and no one should act or rely solely on any information contained in this Opinion as it is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney or construction engineer with specific project knowledge. Neither WSRCA nor any of its, contractors, subcontractors, or any of their employees, directors, officers, agents, or assigns make any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or any third party’s use (or the results of such use) of any information or process disclosed in the Opinion.  Reference herein to any general or specific commercial product, process or service does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement or recommendation by WSRCA. References are provided as citations and aids to help identify and locate other resources that may be of interest, and are not intended to state or imply that WSRCA sponsors, is affiliated or associated with, or is legally responsible for the content reflected in those resources. WSRCA has no control over those resources and the inclusion of any references does not necessarily imply the recommendation or endorsement of same.

This digital marketing company engineered a simple fix to stop losing online customers

 Art Unlimited, a fast-growing digital marketing and web design company in Minnesota’s Northwoods, just announced their new form-verification WordPress plugin, the FormTester 365. It’s designed to automatically test a website’s Gravity Forms every day and send a verification email to ensure they’re still delivering correctly.  With the eServices industry revenue growing by 18.5% annually, it’s time the busy business owner had a reliable, economical solution to stop losing online leads.

“How many times a year do we hear, ‘I tried to contact you, but your website form was broken.’? And how many more times do we not hear anything at all, because that customer has given up completely?” said Anna Anderson, CEO at Art Unlimited. “The FormTester 365 gives companies and customers the assurance that their website forms are working every single day.”

Once the Formtester 365 is installed, business owners can look forward to filing a single email every day (or even every week) and knowing their forms are working perfectly. No lost customers, and no lost time on manual form submissions.

It’s now more essential than ever for companies to know they’re not losing valuable leads through something as simple as a broken bit of code or a plugin update gone wrong: at least 49.7% of companies state their online forms are their highest converting lead generation tool!

A few of the FormTester’s earliest testers said, “It’s just like a morning alarm that goes off and lets us know that all is well,” and “We know every morning our leads, payments, and customer questions are coming through correctly.”  

When a business installs the FormTester 365 plugin to their website, it finds every page with a form and sets up automated testing for it. Each form is tested daily, and business owners receive a weekly report. They are notified immediately after any failed submissions.

The FormTester 365 saves companies the headache of losing leads and the inconvenience of running a manual form check every day—instead, they’ll be able to focus their energy on improving the content and methods that get people to fill out those forms in the first place.

You’re probably already over-checking your email: it’s time to make it worthwhile.

Art Unlimited is a team of digital marketing professionals who strive to maintain a balance within the constantly changing trends of the industry. Their goal is to ensure that their clients’ businesses succeed.

If you would like more information about the FormTester 365 or are interested in becoming a beta tester, please visit formtester365.com or email team@formtester365.com.

Roofing professionals face a myriad of challenges when assessing a reroofing project. Each facility is different and so is its roof. But one challenge that can be easily overlooked is what happens on the inside of the facility when work is being done on the roof outside.

It is well-known that dust and debris can easily find their way into a facility while reroofing is taking place. Dirt, metal shavings and pieces of roof deck are all potential contaminants. Even in the case of a simple overlay, the movement of the crew on the roof can disturb existing dust on the interior high structure areas. It is important that all project participants and customers understand the potential risks to the inside of the building and what their options are to avoid them.

If the facility does not seem to be sensitive in nature, it may seem acceptable to skip this step in the planning process. Regardless of the upfront perceptions around offering interior protection, many commercial/industrial roofers and roofing consultants have determined from experience that not unlike an insurance policy, professionally installed dust and debris containment is worth the time and investment.

This is because sensitive products are not limited to food, beverages and pharmaceuticals. Anything being manufactured, stored or displayed can be impacted by the introduction of reroofing dust and debris.

And the risk is not limited to products. If people will be inside the building throughout the reroofing activities, interior protection provides an extra level of assurance about their safety. Many times, a business cannot close or stop production during reroofing, making an ongoing clean up schedule impossible. Interior protection allows the work to continue safely without disrupting operating schedules.

So how does interior protection work? In the case of reroofing, a suspended cover is hung below the roof deck to capture falling debris. It is generally a reinforced poly that when installed properly, is fully sealed around any penetrations to avoid dust infiltration. In addition, many providers offer added material options such as antimicrobial, antistatic and flame resistant. The suspended cover is installed prior to the roofer beginning the tear off and is removed by the interior protection provider post-project.

If during the project planning, it is determined that interior protection could be beneficial, the next step is to contact a provider. Like any contractor in the construction business, an interior protection provider should have specific qualifications. The installation team should be OSHA certified, lift certified and professionally trained to install the solution. Ideally, they should have the ability to work with your project schedule and have a project manager readily available to address questions and concerns. Most importantly, their suspended cover solution should meet NFPA 13 in order to avoid compromising the fire sprinkler system.

Fire sprinklers are usually located in the same area where the suspended cover is installed. This would normally create an impairment. However, the interior protection industry has options to avoid this challenge. It is important to choose a provider that has the ability to install a solution that meets NFPA 13, allowing the fire sprinklers to function as designed.

By introducing interior protection upfront, any confusion or misgivings about the interior of the building is avoided. Throughout the project duration, customers can continue to utilize their facility without worrying about negative impacts to their products or daily operations. Ultimately, dust and debris containment not only contributes to overall success of the reroofing project but it gives the customer peace of mind.

Dana Whedon
Marketing Manager
TuffWrap® Installations, Inc.
www.tuffwrap.com

 
TuffWrap® Installations, Inc. is an innovative dust and debris containment company providing interior protection solutions to a variety of industries undergoing construction projects. Protecting our clients, their products and their brands from dust and debris is our priority.