As I was saying …

In these times of economic uncertainty and budget cuts, one of the first places NRCA and other associations are looking to save money is in the international arena. Travel is expensive; meetings are time-consuming; and progress often is impossible to measure in weeks or even months.

And yet there are constant reminders of the value of our engagement with the international roofing community.

The most recent reminder came in the form of a trip organized by Performance Roof Systems Inc., Kansas City, Mo., for contractor members of the Center for Environmental Innovation in Roofing. That trip occurred in October; the group had the opportunity to visit a number of job sites in Belgium and France.

We saw cool roofs, vegetative roofs and photovoltaic roofs. We learned a lot about the economic incentives already in place in most parts of western Europe, and we learned there are a lot of roofing projects in the pipeline that will incorporate innovative technologies. And when I say a lot, I mean work involving tens of thousands of square meters.

The lesson, of course, is there are implications for the U.S. roofing industry. For one thing, our European friends are gaining invaluable experience, and we likely have some catching up to do. We learned there are different application techniques for different types of emerging roof systems; these also will vary by manufacturer and building type. We saw how relationships between roofing contractors, general contractors, building owners, power companies and others are evolving, and there is much to be learned. And we came to understand how much public policy will dictate how roof systems are installed: Incentives and mandates are driving construction practices in Europe and elsewhere.

Smart U.S. contractors are learning about these new technologies as quickly as they can. They are trying the products already on the market. They are talking to their customers about new possibilities. They are thinking about how to position themselves as the next generation of experts. Those in our industry who get involved during the earliest stages stand to benefit the most. There is a rather steep learning curve, and there are relationships to be established.

In the short term, the change is likely to be incremental. In this economic environment, building owners have enough issues planning for conventional buildings and replacing existing roof systems. But change has begun. And the most striking lesson from a few days spent in one part of the world is this: One day, for those in the U.S., the change will be dramatic.

Bill Good is NRCA's executive vice president.