What bad economy? | FocusAmbika Puniani Bailey
According to Washington, D.C.-based Hanley Wood LLC,
pre-registration numbers for the 2009 International Roofing
Expo® (IRE) were ahead of the numbers from the same time a
year ago—total attendance is expected to be around 8,000. And
the number of exhibitors will be 364, taking up 91,000 net square
feet of booth space. This is despite the U.S.'s deepening economic
woes and nearly constant reminders the construction industry is
struggling.
What this could indicate is that many roofing professionals
understand that investing in their businesses during a down economy
will reap rewards in the long run, and it's the only way to best
serve their customers.
Take the Center for Environmental Innovation in Roofing, for
instance, which launched during the beginning of the economic
downturn. The organization still managed to attract contractor and
manufacturer members who made significant financial contributions
to help the center begin its charge. (For more information about
the center, see "One year
in," page 60.)
And judging from the press releases Professional Roofing
receives, roofing materials manufacturers have not slowed their
efforts related to product research and development, particularly
in the ever-growing "green" sector. Manufacturers are realizing
that even as they may cut staff and slow production lines, a strong
demand exists for cutting-edge products, and they are...
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