An NRCA legacy

The wood panel walls of Bob Daly's office at Kaw Roofing & Sheet Metal Inc., Kansas City, Kan., hold a rich history.

NRCA's J.A. Piper Award and the Midwest Roofing Contractors Association's James Q. McCawley Award hang on the wall along with black-and-white from the 1937 and 1938 NRCA conventions. Another wall displays large photos of Daly's grandfather, the company's founder, and Daly's father, the second owner—two men who were involved in the industry for much of their lives.

In fact, Kaw Roofing & Sheet Metal has been in business since 1923. And Daly, president of Kaw Roofing & Sheet Metal, is now at its helm.

"Bob's grandfather started this business 84 years ago, so roofing has been in Bob's blood since he was born," says Daly's wife, Kelly.

Daly's grandfather, Tom Daly, was NRCA president in 1937 and 1938—when it was called the United Roofing Contractors Association of America—and received NRCA's prestigious J.A. Piper Award in 1950.

"My grandfather always said there are three things people need—food, clothing and shelter," Daly says. "He figured he'd get in the shelter business. There's not a building in the world that doesn't have a roof of some sort."

Daly will carry on the legacy when he becomes NRCA president this month.

All in the family

During the early 1920s, Daly's grand­father, who worked for Ford Roofing Co. in St. Louis as a bookkeeper, was sent to Kansas City to work for a local branch. Once in Kansas City, his plans changed.

"My grandfather figured why work for someone else when he could do it himself," Daly says. "So he opened up a roofing company in 1923, and my father and uncle also got into it."

The path wasn't as direct for Daly. He attended Rockhurst High School, a Jesuit college preparatory school in Kansas City. He finished a semester of junior college at Penn Valley Community College, Kansas City, Mo., and was caught in the last draft during the Vietnam War. Daly spent two years in the U.S. Navy—one in San Diego and the other in Vietnam. But he couldn't wait to get back to college.

"My brother Steve was attending Regis University, a Jesuit college in Denver, and I had visited him a couple times and really liked the school," Daly says. "So when I got out of the Navy, I decided to go there. I had taken some college courses in the Navy and tested out of some classes. I had been drafted after my first semester freshman year, so when I went back to school I started my sophomore year."

Daly majored in business administration and minored in economics. After graduating in 1979, his next step was clear.

"When you grow up in a family that has been in the roofing industry since 1923 and you work at the family roofing company during summers and holidays, you get the feeling that's where you're going to go," Daly says. "I decided it was in my best interest and I probably was destined to be here anyway."

Kaw Roofing & Sheet Metal certainly has become a family affair. After Daly's father passed away in 1987, Daly and his younger brothers, John and Steve, became co-owners of the company. Their sister, Donna Bryan, is the office administrator.

"Bob's responsibility for his company's leadership was pushed upon him suddenly when his father passed away, and he and his brothers just seemed to know how to take over," says Jerry Stephens, comptroller for Kaw Roofing & Sheet Metal. "It was seamless. There was no question of 'How will we get along?'"

John Daly, vice president of Kaw Roofing & Sheet Metal, says their relationship makes it work.

"Our situation is unique, being the third generation and three brothers," John Daly says. "We have such a good work relationship because we're brothers and can be with each other on the same level as we are at home."

Getting involved

The Daly family's long history with NRCA continued when Daly joined NRCA's board of directors in 1996.

"I was on the board of directors for the Associated Roofing Contractors of Greater Kansas City, and our local association was requested to nominate someone for NRCA's board of directors, so they nominated me," Daly says. "I went into it kind of blind as far as being active in NRCA."

However, he soon saw the benefits of being involved.

"What the networking alone does for your business, what you learn from other contractors, the friendships you establish—there's an immense amount of knowledge out there," Daly says. "It has helped to change some things I have done with my business, such as the way we handle our service department and how we look at contracts from a legal perspective.

"I've taken advantage of the information and education," he continues. "I never have been involved in any litigation, and I think a major reason is because of the education I've received from NRCA regarding legal issues. I've seen the technical, educational, legal and governmental sides of things and understand how everything works."

Daly served NRCA as senior vice president from 2006-07, vice president from 2000-02 and 2003-04, and director from 1996-99 and 2002-06. He has been a member of various committees, including the Energy Conservation & Environment Issue Task Force, National Roofing Service Corp., Technical Liaison Group, Government Relations Committee, PAC Advisory Committee and Associated Specialty Contractors, among others.

His involvement with NRCA also has made Daly realize the value of trade associations.

"No one can really tackle the things that need to be tackled nowadays on his own," Daly says. "Associations, I think, are instrumental if you intend to be a long-term leader of your company because people as a group can make huge changes. Your company is able to do a lot of things because of what association members are able to do as a group."

Steve Daly, secretary/treasurer and sales/service manager for Kaw Roofing & Sheet Metal, agrees.

"NRCA has made us more professional and knowledgeable and given us a lot of opportunities we wouldn't normally have, such as working with contractors across the U.S. and becoming a reference for certain issues," Steve Daly says. "It's a great organization that educates its members."

However, associations are not perfect, and change and improvement are often sought, Daly says.

"We are not a trade show association anymore," he says. "We're not our fathers' or grandfathers' association. But I think we are making the association more member-oriented in the sense that now we're able to concentrate on educational, governmental and technical issues and really provide service. Instead of focusing on holding a convention every year, NRCA provides a great amount of output to members, and they get their money's worth even more so now than they did then."

And changes will continue to be made within NRCA.

"Right now, we're getting involved in strategic planning, and though we've done strategic planning in the past, we're taking a different approach regarding how we get people involved," Daly says. "We need to change the way we do things with the areas we already have, such as providing more online education or creating more partnerships with manufacturers. It's an ongoing process from president to president. I think you need to build on the accomplishments of what people before you have done and continue to try to make things better."

The greater good

One of the issues Daly plans on continuing to address is immigration.

"We'll continue to put NRCA's face in front of the people who can affect the outcome the most," Daly says. "We also will support the people and politics that support our view and concentrate on getting the story out. Like anything else, if you want people to understand your views, you have to change their perspectives."

Daly will face other obstacles as NRCA president.

"There is a big push within NRCA to overcome some obstacles within our own setup; for example, our efforts with strategic planning and making changes so our departments become more productive for members," Daly says.

Daly believes NRCA Immediate Past President Mark Gaulin, president of Magco Inc., Jessup, Md., a Tecta America company, has accomplished a lot regarding membership during his term.

"Mark's greatest accomplishment is taking things his predecessors started with membership during their terms and providing new ways to increase membership through our relationships with affiliates," Daly says. "He has been a good ambassador by developing more relationships with manufacturers and suppliers. With the changes we're experiencing within NRCA, he's done a great job getting us through that transition."

Those changes have caused various reactions among NRCA members.

"It has been three years since Washington, D.C.-based Hanley Wood took over the trade show," Daly says. "Mark's biggest challenge was to confront critics because they still wanted to see NRCA as a trade show association from a traditional point of view. He had to show them we're more educationally and technically focused now.

"Mark's done some hard things and taken criticism for them, but that's what you have to do sometimes," he continues. "I think in the end, the critics for the most part realize the changes were necessary and ultimately for the good of NRCA."

During his presidency, Daly plans to build on Gaulin's accomplishments, including membership.

"Mark's taken membership to another level—and not only Mark, but NRCA's staff and everyone else have done a fantastic job with membership," Daly says. "That's our bread and butter, and it's been acknowledged by everyone that we can't rely on outside things. I think the job of every new president is to address the membership growth issues and run with them. I also would continue the way he has promoted the industry and cast it in a better light."

Daly plans on pulling from the same resources Gaulin did.

"You can rely on expertise from past presidents, NRCA's Executive Committee and people around you and take advantage of the board members' and staff's hard work," Daly says. "I can use the same tools Mark used and continue to use them the right way."

Daly has a variety of goals for his presidential term.

"I want to apply the upcoming strategic plan," he says. "There are some huge growing pains in the area of education, so we need to embrace that area. We also must continue our involvement in government relations because we've learned how much government can affect what we do, and the only way to make sure the outcome goes our way is to become involved.

"We need to educate our members about the problems we're seeing technically and how to handle them, as well as give them an educated reason to choose how they pursue something from a technical perspective," he continues.

A faster pace

"This industry has changed more during the past 20 years than it has during the previous hundred years," Daly says. "Technology has changed the way we conduct business internally, such as with computers and fax machines, but it also has changed the materials produced."

In addition, government lawmakers have put more emphasis on safety and are holding employers accountable for the way they protect their employees, Daly says.

"Although many contractors felt this was burdensome, most roofing professionals embraced these changes," he says. "They have subsequently implemented these standards in their businesses."

Daly has seen other changes in the roofing industry since he has been involved.

"The biggest change has been the materials being used," Daly says. "In the Midwest, for instance, we still use built-up and modified bitumen, but we see TPO taking over more of the market—almost to the point that with the rising cost of asphalt, we're not buying any more equipment for asphalt.

"Another change is the labor pool and the age at which it enters the work force," he continues. "We have people who are going to retire more quickly than we have people entering the work force."

The requirements for running a business have changed the industry, Daly says.

"There's a huge amount of information that goes through anyone's office in a given day, and my biggest challenge is to process all of it and find the different hats to wear to do that," he says. "You have to educate yourself about everything, so it's a constant process."

Daly attributes this change to how outside sources influence the way companies conduct their daily business.

"It's become so fast-paced that to some extent it can be overwhelming," Daly says. "Between insurance and government dictating what we do, we don't run our businesses as personally as we used to. We have to run them the way someone else tells us to run them. Change can be good, but sometimes I wish I could go back to the old days because they were a lot calmer."

But Daly has hopes for the future of the industry, no matter how fast-paced it becomes.

"I'd like to see an industry that is better educated—there are too many guys out there who screw it up because they're not educated," he says. "I'd like to see an industry that is respected, and there are things we can do to get that respect. We need to educate the public about the industry and the industry's desire to be energy-conscious. We need to brand the roofing industry—not just NRCA—so even if you are not a member of NRCA, you can reap the benefits of what NRCA does to improve the industry."

Daly believes one way to reap benefits is to form partnerships with other roofing professionals. In fact, Daly is secretary/treasurer of National Roofing Partners, a group of roofing companies that share best practices and leverage group purchasing opportunities, among other things.

"As with all groups, strength is in numbers," Daly says. "As a combined effort, you bring in more business for your companies, and it's more potential for work. And like NRCA, we have a group of committees and peer group meetings and learn about how members run their businesses. I think that's huge and one of the most important reasons to belong to an association."

Employees are key

Kaw Roofing & Sheet Metal will experience some changes, especially with Daly's NRCA travel. Fortunately, the company has been preparing during the past few years.

"During my term as senior vice president, I took a lot of my daily tasks and delegated them to people who have handled it well," Daly says. "I used that year to make sure the communication side of things was good. I think with technology, you may not physically be in the office but you have access to anything you may need. We've set up electronic systems so I can look up anything wherever I am.

"I don't intend to break any mileage records," he continues. "I've still got a young family. I'll delegate a bit to my other Executive Committee members if there is something I can't attend and get them some experience."

Daly knows that when he is traveling, he has a staff he can trust to do the work.

"My employees do it so well I kind of feel left out when I call in and there's really nothing for me," Daly says. "The staff has gotten to a point where they handle the problems, and I rarely have to get involved. Every company has its problems, but ours really has run smoothly, which makes me feel a lot better now that I'm traveling more. I've got a good bunch of people."

Daly attributes much of Kaw Roofing & Sheet Metal's success to his staff.

"We brand ourselves as a family business that does quality work," he says. "Employees are the key to that. You can't provide quality work unless the people who work for you are doing it on a daily basis.

"There's been little turnover for us," Daly continues. "Our employees have been here since their apprenticeships, and when you have a group that's known each other for as long as we have, we kind of know what we can and can't do and they know what's expected of them."

"I've talked with a lot of guys from other roofing companies that are strictly business, but here they're family-oriented," says Larry Brown, foreman for Kaw Roofing & Sheet Metal. "If you've been here a while and you're a good worker, they'll treat you right."

Daly also is open to his employees' opinions.

"He thinks things through before he speaks about them, and he's always open to suggestions," John Daly says. "He doesn't like to have conversations about the problems we have without seeking suggestions from everyone."

Steve Daly agrees that his brother likes to weigh his options.

"Bob's just like our father was," he says. "He's a good diplomat, and he's fair. He likes to hear both sides of a story before making any judgments or determinations."

However, John Daly says his brother's serious leadership role doesn't take away his sense of humor.

"Bob's gotten more serious to the extent that he feels he has less time to deal with things and wants them to be dealt with more quickly than he used to," he says. "I think that's part of being involved like he is. But I can still look at him when he's trying to be serious about something, and I can just crack a grin, and he'll crack a grin, too."

Family man

A certain group of people Daly will surely miss when he travels is his family.

"When I'm not working, I'm with my family," Daly says. "I've got kids at ages where they're all in sports, so we spend our weekends going to their sporting events. I don't find reasons to do other things or go golfing or hunting. I do what I do for the kids."

Daly and Kelly have been married for 16 years and have three sons—Patrick, 15; Alex, 13; and Sam, 10. Family life changed Daly, Bryan says.

"Having his boys really changed him," she says. "He decided the stress level should be a bit lower, and he makes sure he keeps his priorities straight. He's a great dad. His thinking is 'family is first, business will always be taken care of.'"

In his off time, Daly likes to travel with his family.

"We have a lake house and love to go there during the summer," Daly says. "When I'm not at work, I try to go to the lake any opportunity I can. It's just a different world. During the winter, we'll go skiing, and we also have a time share property in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico."

The traveling also has allowed Daly's children to become more involved with NRCA.

"We've been traveling for NRCA since 1996, and Sam was born in 1996, so these kids have grown up traveling to some extent," Daly says. "We'll be taking them to Chicago in July for NRCA's Midyear Meetings, and we took them to visit NRCA director Luis Fernandez's family in Puerto Rico for spring break. Our kids are getting to know the NRCA family, so we're starting to involve them more with NRCA stuff."

"NRCA has enabled us to go on wonderful trips, so traveling with NRCA has been great," Kelly says. "It's fun to do together, and it's great for our marriage."

In the midst of their busy lives, Daly and his wife make sure they also get the time they need to unwind.

"We love going out to dinner, and when we do we just sit and talk," Kelly says. "We don't have the telephone or TV or the kids. Sometimes with the kids or with Bob traveling, we don't have much time to just sit and talk."

However, Daly often will be traveling by himself during the year.

"Obviously, Kelly is still going to be around a lot and only will go on the major trips," Daly says. "The kids are not used to me being gone as much as I'm going to be, but they got a pretty good feel for it during my senior vice president year."

"We decided I will go on the trips that are necessary and have a great time, but if there are other things important for me to do, I will be at home," Kelly says. "I'm sure there will be times I'll call Bob when he's on a trip and he'll hold the phone away from his ear and just let me rant and rave for a minute about homework or carpools. But we knew going into it what it was going to involve. I would never deny him this opportunity just because I'm going to have a little more work to do."

And when Daly is home, he leaves work behind.

"Bob is good at leaving work at work," Kelly says. "When he comes home, it is his reprieve from the issues. But if there is a stressful issue that he can't leave at work or get off his mind, he can be distracted and I know something's bothering him. He's not one to open up and talk about it—I wish he would bring it home a little more. But I also like the fact that he doesn't. There's a happy medium somewhere in there that we haven't perfected yet."

But Daly and Kelly have found a balance by realizing the importance of spending time together as a family.

"We agree regarding how we raise our children, including moral values and a good family environment," Kelly says. "We also emphasize the importance of family dinners, especially with the age our kids are getting to be. We still sit down every night during the week and have dinner together. Work ethic is important to both of us—not raising lazy kids, letting them know they're going to work in the yard and get a summer job."

"My greatest passion is to provide my kids with an environment so when it's time for them to move on, they are self-sufficient," Daly says. "But I want to be sure they are still family-oriented. I want them to enjoy growing up enough that we stay close."

An industry voice

Daly believes his association experience has prepared him for the role of NRCA president.

"I think just being involved in so many outside things that affect this industry, I can take everything I have learned and bring it to NRCA, especially my experience on the boards of different associations, such as the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association—Kansas City, Associated Roofing Contractors of Greater Kansas City and The Builders' Association," Daly says.

Daly also says his experience with a small company will come into play.

"I'm not coming in to be a dominant figure," he says. "I'm a Midwestern, grassroots type. I'm coming in to represent and be conscious of everybody in the association—regardless of whether they're the $60 million guy or $60,000 guy—and hopefully direct the association so everyone will benefit from it."

Daly is looking forward to being more involved with the association he loves.

"It's a huge honor to be recognized by your peers," Daly says. "It probably doesn't mean as much to anyone outside NRCA, but this industry is my life, so it meant a lot that my peers thought enough of me to elect me president. I love being involved with NRCA. The first day I got on the board I was extremely impressed with how NRCA worked, and I want to share what I've gained and what I've seen done for everyone else. There is a story to tell, and I want to get in there to help tell that story."

Krista Reisdorf is Professional Roofing's manager of online communications.

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What is your favorite word? Profit

What is your least favorite word? Can't

What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? Challenges

What turns you off? Negative thinking

What is your favorite curse word? Crap

What sound or noise do you love? Laughter

What sound or noise do you hate? Slot machines. That's why I never get near them.

What professions other than your own would you like to attempt? Politician

What profession would you not like to do? Actuary

If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? You made the cut!

What is your idea of perfect happiness? A place where all forms of media do not exist—sounds like Cabo San Lucas

What is your favorite quality in a woman? Self-esteem

Man? Honesty

What is your greatest fear? Not being around long enough to see my grandkids

Which living person do you most admire? My wife. She is still trying to figure out what she got herself into 16 years ago.

Which talent would you most like to have? Playing the piano

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A sounding board

Rob Therrien, president of The Melanson Co. Inc., Keene, N.H., became involved with NRCA during the mid- to late-1980s.

"A strong influence was my father, who told me on numerous occasions, 'You need to be involved with your industry to learn, grow and give back,'" Therrien says.

Therrien listened to his father's advice. He has served NRCA as vice president from 1995-97, 2003-04 and 2006-07, as well as director from 1990-93, 1994-95, 1997-2000, 2001-02 and 2005-06. He also has been a member of various committees, including the Architectural Sheet Metal Committee, Manual Update Committee, Technical Operations Committee, Health and Safety Committee, Insurance Board of Governors and NRCA/RCI Task Force Safety Design, among others.

And this month, he takes on the role of NRCA senior vice president.

"It is another opportunity to work with my peers, for whom I have a tremendous amount of respect," Therrien says. "The former presidents who brought us to where we are and the current board of directors and committee members are key to NRCA's continued success, and I enjoy being a part of it."

Therrien hopes to address some important issues during his term.

"The most important issue in the roofing industry continues to be the work force," he says. "The lack of skilled workers in our industry is frightening, and, unfortunately, high schools frown upon tradespeople. Students who are not going to college are put on the back burner and offered little or no direction for their lives, which is a disservice. Many of the smartest, most well-balanced folks I know never went to college and are highly successful, but I believe because of current policy decisions we are forgetting about them."

Therrien has other goals during his term, including fostering industry relationships.

"The roofing industry is extremely relationship-driven," he says. "I believe there is so much we can do and affect with a coordinated effort, whether it be on the technical side with issues affecting the systems we install or research into alternatives to the norm, such as green roofs.

"Legislation to help with work force issues, health care and estate planning are just some of the issues affecting our industry," he continues. "Coordination at the national level and even the state level to bring change is a possibility if we work together and with other trade groups to try to ensure a positive outcome. Our education and risk management areas of expertise also help us convey our message and support our industry."

It is important to help others because the roofing industry can do a tremendous amount of good and make a difference, Therrien says.

"I am astounded by how much NRCA is involved on different levels, typically unbeknownst to our membership but to the benefit of all," he says.

Therrien looks forward to working with Bob Daly, the new NRCA president and president of Kaw Roofing & Sheet Metal Inc., Kansas City, Kan., and the new Executive Committee.

"Bob is 'good people' and a good thinker," Therrien says. "I believe it is his place to set the agenda and mine is to help him accomplish it while being a sounding board for him."

All this activity will keep Therrien busy during the coming year. Luckily, he has strong support systems; his home support system is his wife, Lianne, and children Matthew, Alyssa, Hanna, Olivia and Emma, and his family at work is his mother Beverly, brother David, brother-in-law Bobby and uncle Maurice, with Therrien's son Matthew starting in the trade.

"It was an honor to be asked to serve as NRCA senior vice president, and I have the ability to do so because of my family at home and at work, as well as possibly the best group of folks anyone could ask for at our various offices," Therrien says.

Therrien also will find support within NRCA.

"NRCA has given me some of the best friends anyone could ask for," Therrien says. "It has provided friendships and a peer group that are invaluable to my business life and personal life."