As I was saying ...

At its most recent meeting, NRCA's International Relations Committee struggled to define its—and, therefore, NRCA's—objective in being involved with roofing industry activities outside the U.S. The exercise was an important one because it is tempting to rely on clichés ("the world is getting smaller") to justify allocating resources to international involvement.

The committee arrived, ultimately, at an objective that essentially says NRCA will establish an international presence differently in different parts of the world, depending on local circumstances. In other words, there will be no U.S. imperialism but rather a genuine effort to become more engaged.

A fair question is: Why?

To begin, the array of issues that have international implications truly is astounding, even for an industry as fragmented and localized as ours tends to be. The shortages in 2004 of polyisocyanurate roof insulation directly were attributable to Chinese demand for the chemical MDI, used in the manufacturing of automobiles and athletic shoes, as well as roofing materials. Capacity for manufacturing more MDI will improve when new chemical plants are opened in the next two years … in China and Canada.

The matter of the health effects of asphalt fumes now rests on the agenda of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a European organization whose findings could trigger actions by U.S. regulatory bodies. Science that is being considered by the agency comes from Denmark, Germany and the U.S., among other places.

Technology for TPO and modified bitumen membranes originated in Western Europe. A Japanese manufacturer was the first to arrive at a method for producing "fumeless" asphalt. Roofing material manufacturing plants often use equipment made in Germany. And our ability to procure good quality asphalt depends on having political stability in, well, most of the world.

The presence we hope to establish is no small feat. It doesn't take much imagination to see an expanded role, not only for the association but for many of its members. We hope you'll pay close attention and continue to support these efforts.

Bill Good is NRCA's executive vice president.