As the sun shone down on Sin City during the last week of February, there was an energy pulsing inside the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino's Mandalay Bay Convention Center as roofing professionals from around the world explored the offerings during NRCA's 130th Annual Convention and Irving, Texas-based Informa's 2017 International Roofing Expo (IRE). Held Feb. 27-March 3 in Las Vegas, the event attracted 11,273 people, smashing the previous attendance record of 9,568 set during the 2014 IRE in Las Vegas—making the 2017 IRE the largest show in its history.
A record-breaking number of booths were present on the sold-out trade show floor, with 476 companies exhibiting in 1,317 booths compared with 462 companies exhibiting in 1,206 booths at the 2016 IRE. Eighty-eight of this year's exhibiting companies were first-time exhibitors eager to represent their companies and gather leads as industry professionals from all 50 states and 70 countries networked on the show floor.
"This year's convention and the IRE trade show was the most attended roofing event in North America," says Reid Ribble, NRCA's CEO. "All this speaks well of the industry here in the U.S. and its growing influence abroad. NRCA was proud to be a part of it."
The convention kicked off Monday, Feb. 27, with NRCA's Executive Committee Meeting, NRCA's Affiliate Executives Council Meeting and NRCA's board of directors meeting at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.
Community Service Day
On Tuesday, Feb. 28, Informa partnered with Rebuilding Together® Southern Nevada to host the IRE's eighth annual Community Service Day. Forty-five volunteers helped renovate houses in Henderson, Nev., for homeowners Somphone Hughes, and Yvonne Harris and Jocelyn Sims.
Hughes immigrated to the U.S. from Laos in 1980 and spent many years employed as a babysitter while she and her husband raised their daughter in their family home. Since her husband's death in 2006, Hughes has struggled to maintain the house she has lived in for more than 30 years.
Harris and Sims worked hard to be able to purchase their Henderson home in 1980, becoming the first homeowners to move into the U.S. Home Corp.'s Summerfield Development. After expanding their small house over the years, the economic downturn in 2008 made it difficult for them to maintain their home.
A crew of volunteers replaced the HVAC unit for Hughes' house prior to the Community Service Day event, and Harris' and Sims' house received a new roof system courtesy of D&L Roofing LLC, Las Vegas, and ABC Supply Co. Inc., Beloit, Wis.
During the Community Service Day event, volunteers at the Hughes residence painted the house's exterior, removed and replaced a wooden fence, installed a new mailbox and cleaned up the landscaping.
"I feel so happy and blessed," Hughes says. "It brought tears to my eyes. It was a special day."
One mile away, volunteers worked hard to complete several tasks at the home of Harris and Sims, including painting the house's exterior, repairing an irrigation system, replacing a broken porch swing and cleaning up the landscaping.
ABC Supply; Carlisle SynTec Systems, Carlisle, Pa.; and CentiMark Corp., Canonsburg, Pa., provided materials, tools and equipment for the volunteers to use. The volunteers received breakfast courtesy of Georgia-Pacific, Atlanta, and lunch was provided by OMG Roofing Products, Agawam, Mass. Damato Enterprises, Atlanta, provided shuttle transportation for the volunteers.
At the expo
NRCA's Young Contractors Committee held its Emerging Business Technology in the Roofing Industry roundtable discussion March 1. Designed to benefit people who are new to the industry or those with new management responsibilities within their companies, the event attracted nearly 100 participants who discussed the latest technology trends in the industry.
The IRE kicked off the same morning with Retired Lt. Col. Rob "Waldo" Waldman's keynote address, "Never Fly Solo! The Power of Partnership." After overcoming a long battle with claustrophobia and a fear of heights, Waldman became a combat-decorated U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and, later, a successful entrepreneur. During his emotional keynote address, Waldman shared stories of his experiences and discussed his belief that the key to building a culture of trust depends on the support of people who help us overcome obstacles.
During the evening, a welcome party sponsored by Tremco Inc., Beachwood, Ohio, was held at LIGHT Nightclub. Guests mingled with friends and peers while enjoying state-of-the-art visual effects, music, food and drinks.
NRCA unveiled its new, larger booth on the show floor this year, giving visitors additional space to interact with NRCA members and staff. More than 850 roofing professionals visited the booth to learn about the benefits of NRCA membership, ask questions and take keepsake photos with NRCA's "I'm in!" slogan. Many visitors tried their luck with NRCA's "Spin to Win" prize wheel, and a few lucky players received iPads and one-year NRCA memberships. NRCA members also could relax in the member lounge where snacks and free chair massages were offered.
The educational sessions offered during the IRE also were attended by enthusiastic audiences and extremely popular. During the week, roofing professionals attended NRCA's CERTA Train-the-trainer Authorization Program; NRCA Roofing Industry Fall Protection from A to Z; NRCA Rooftop Solar 101: A Roofing Contractor's Guide for Entering the Solar PV Market; NRCA Enterprise Risk Management: Leveraging Risk for Profit in Your Company; Partnership, Education, Recruitment and Retention: Keys to Success; and NRCA's For Foremen Only, Level 1 program. In addition, three industry professionals took Roof Integrated Solar Energy™ Inc.'s Certified Solar Roofing Professional™ exam March 3 and passed.
Legal luncheon
On March 1, the National Roofing Legal Resource Center (NRLRC) hosted its annual luncheon program. The sold-out event attracted a record crowd of 225 roofing contractors who gathered to hear discussions about several legal and technical issues relevant to the industry.
The audience heard from Dane Bradford, president of Bradford Roof Management Inc., Billings, Mont., who explained wind warranty issues, including wind speed in specifications and wind design code requirements, exclusions and recommendations. Mark Graham, NRCA's vice president of technical services, discussed the differences among manufacturers' installation instructions and explained the need for system consistency, especially as it relates to field personnel. And Stephen M. Phillips, a senior partner with Atlanta-based law firm Hendrick, Phillips, Salzman & Siegel, addressed safety issues that have legal consequences such as debris on roof decks and falls that occur because of deteriorated decking or improperly covered openings. Roofing contractors left the luncheon with a stronger understanding of how the industry issues discussed could affect their companies.
ROOFPAC events
NRCA's political action committee, ROOFPAC, hosted four fundraising events during the convention and IRE.
On Feb. 28, more than 110 NRCA members enjoyed a day of golf and a scoring reception at Bali Hai Golf Club during ROOFPAC's annual golf tournament sponsored by Johns Manville, Denver. The same day, ROOFPAC also held a sporting clays tournament, sponsored by Polyglass U.S.A. Inc., Deerfield Beach, Fla., at the Pro Gun Club of Las Vegas. Nearly 50 participants had the opportunity to test their shooting skills on one of the most challenging courses in the western U.S. before digging into a barbeque lunch.
From March 1-2, ROOFPAC held its annual silent auction in NRCA's booth. Sponsored by GAF, Parsippany, N.J., participants enjoyed an open bar Thursday afternoon while bidding against their peers for jewelry, vacations and other exciting items.
And more than 165 people attended an NRCA/ROOFPAC Reception sponsored by ABC Supply at the Skyfall Lounge at The Delano Hotel March 2. Guests enjoyed food, handcrafted cocktails and stunning 180-degree views of the Las Vegas strip. ROOFPAC's four events raised more than $52,000 to help support pro-business congressional candidates.
Student competition
The ingenuity of future industry professionals was on display during the IRE as six teams of college students competed in The Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress' third annual Construction Management Student Competition.
Student teams from Auburn University's McWhorter School of Building Science, Auburn, Ala.; Colorado State University, Fort Collins; Texas A&M University, College Station; Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Ala.; University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati; and University of Florida's M.E. Rinker School of Building Construction, Gainesville, were presented with a problem statement and asked to create a bid for a roof system installation on the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Each team conducted research, reviewed plans and specifications, and assembled a full estimate proposal to submit a qualified bid package before delivering oral presentations before a panel of judges March 2.
For the second consecutive year, the University of Florida team was chosen as the winner. The team received a trophy and a $5,000 L.B. Conway scholarship for its school, and team members William Foster, Caleb Stauss (team captain), Schaffer Weeks and Forrest Wilson received individual trophies presented during NRCA's Industry Awards Ceremony and Cocktail Reception Thursday evening. Stauss previously competed as a member of the University of Florida's 2016 student team.
Honoring the best
In addition to recognizing the winning team from The Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress' Construction Management Student Competition, NRCA honored the best in the roofing industry during NRCA's Industry Awards Ceremony and Cocktail Reception March 2, where the following awards were presented: the J.A. Piper Award; CNA/NRCA Community Involvement Award; NRCA's Gold Circle Awards; The Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress' Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards; and Charlie Raymond Award. NRCA University's Future Executives Institute (FEI)—Class 7 also formally graduated.
J.A. Piper Award
NRCA presented its 70th J.A. Piper Award, the roofing industry's most prestigious honor, to Bruce McCrory, operations/business development manager at Nations Roof, Gulf Coast LLC, Mobile, Ala. Named for former NRCA Chairman of the Board Joseph A. Piper, whose extraordinary efforts kept NRCA alive during the Great Depression, the award annually is presented to a roofing professional who has devoted constant, outstanding service to the association and industry.
McCrory served as NRCA's chairman of the board from 2012-13 and currently serves on the association's Nominating Committee and National Roofing Council. He served as NRCA's chairman of the board-elect from 2011-12, vice chairman from 2006-08 and 2009-11, and as an NRCA director from 1998-99 and 2004-09. McCrory also has served as chairman of the Affiliate Relations, Budget and Finance, Manual Update, and Technical Operations committees, as well as director of the National Roofing Service Corp.
CNA/NRCA Community Involvement Award
NRCA and CNA Insurance Cos., Chicago, presented the fifth annual CNA/NRCA Community Involvement Award to Antis Roofing & Waterproofing, Irvine, Calif. The award honors charitable works performed by NRCA contractor members during the course of a year.
Antis Roofing & Waterproofing was selected as the first-place winner for founding the Antis Foundation, which assists residents of Orange County, Calif., by helping dozens of local charities through an employee volunteer program, charitable grants, corporate and nonprofit collaborations, and pro-bono roofing work. Organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Orange County Ronald McDonald House, Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation and Alzheimer's Orange County are supported by the Antis Foundation. In 2016, the Antis Foundation created a Giving Card Campaign and distributed 2,300 Giving Cards to its stakeholders to redeem at a 501(c)(3) nonprofit of their choice. CNA awarded Antis Roofing & Waterproofing $7,500 for the Antis Foundation.
Advanced Roofing Inc., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was chosen as the second-place winner for its ongoing support of the Sonrise Mission, Fort Lauderdale, a faith-based rehabilitation program for men and women with life-controlling dependency issues. Rob Kornahrens, Advanced Roofing's CEO, had a key role in creating The New Life Fund to pay off the Sonrise Mission's $140,000 mortgage debt and helped establish a Board of Influence to help the mission improve and eventually expand its facility and agency. CNA awarded Advanced Roofing $5,000 for the Sonrise Mission.
Academy Roofing Inc., Aurora, Colo., was selected as the third-place winner for donating $80,000 worth of labor and materials to repair the roof system on the Rose Andom Center, Denver. The center improves the lives of domestic violence victims by facilitating better access to the services and staff of community organizations and government agencies in a safe location. CNA awarded Academy Roofing $2,500 for the Rose Andom Center.
Gold Circle Awards
The 2017 Gold Circle Awards were presented to NRCA members for outstanding contributions to the roofing industry, including unique roofing-related jobs, programs and services. The following received Gold Circle Awards:
The following received honorable mentions:
In addition, two companies received a Gold Circle Safety Award for demonstrating superior safety measures: Black Roofing for Denver International Airport, and Utah Tile & Roofing for Provo City Center Temple.
MVP Awards
The Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress announced the winners of its 17th annual MVP Awards during the ceremony. The awards honor roofing workers for outstanding on-the-job performance; attracting new roofing workers and helping retain existing ones; contributions to a team effort; community service and volunteerism; and other noteworthy contributions and activities.
The following were announced as 2017 MVP award winners: Narciso Alarcon, superintendent for Antis Roofing & Waterproofing, Irvine, Calif.; Justin Cooper, foreman for Flynn, Commerce City, Colo.; Manuel Cortez, foreman for Antis Roofing & Waterproofing; Robert Detweiler, foreman for Centimark Corp., Lakeland, Fla.; Donald Gautier, superintendent for Chamberlin Roofing and Waterproofing, Houston; Roy Jones, superintendent for Rike Roofing Services Inc., Charlotte, N.C.; Mearl Kline, foreman for West Roofing Systems Inc., LaGrange, Ohio; and Clifton Mead, field worker for Tecta America Southeast LLC—Atlanta, Cummings, Ga. Alarcon also was named the Best of the Best, a special honor co-sponsored by Professional Roofing and OMG Roofing Products (see "Leading with kindness").
Charlie Raymond Award
NRCA presented the 2017 Charlie Raymond Award, the most prestigious membership recruitment award bestowed by the association, to associate member GAF. Named for former NRCA President and J.A. Piper Award recipient Charlie Raymond, the Charlie Raymond Award recognizes members for their efforts to recruit NRCA members.
FEI
Also during the ceremony, NRCA University's FEI—Class 7 formally graduated. FEI Class 7 had 28 participants, and those in attendance at the ceremony were recognized on stage and received a certificate of completion and an engraved paperweight.
Looking ahead
With record-breaking attendance and exhibition numbers and a show floor awash with energy and enthusiasm, there is no denying NRCA's 130th Annual Convention and the 2017 IRE was the most successful yet. Attendees had the opportunity to learn about the latest industry advancements, network with peers from around the world, and participate in service and fundraising events.
According to Ribble, who attended his first convention and IRE as NRCA's CEO, the enthusiasm present during the event indicates the industry has largely adopted an optimistic outlook.
"The word of the week was 'energy,'" he says. "The roofing industry is growing and optimistic about the future. The excitement for the upcoming roofing season is evident."
Sara Baldwin is Professional Roofing's editorial assistant.
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