Briefings

• 

Contractor news

Commercial Roofers awards scholarship

Commercial Roofers Inc., Las Vegas, has awarded its annual $1,500 scholarship to Rebecca Leonard. Each year, Commercial Roofers awards a scholarship to a third- or fourth-year student enrolled in the architecture program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).

Scholarship applicants are asked to design mock buildings with emphasis on the building's roof plan. The projects are judged by the class instructor and several other UNLV professors. A Commercial Roofers principal acts as an observer. This year, there were 47 eligible applicants.

Schwickert's employee receives award

Leo Arevalo, a human resources professional for Schwickert's of Mankato Inc., Mankato, Minn., a Tecta America company, has been recognized by the Minnesota Hispanic Chamber of Commerce as one of its 25 on the Rise. The Minnesota Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's 25 on the Rise Award recognizes 25 individuals who are trendsetters, role models and leaders within their communities.

Roofing company president passes away

Henrietta "Henny" Osterholt, who served as president of South Side Roofing Co., St. Louis, for 34 years, passed away Jan. 7. She was 84.

Osterholt was the first female president of the Roofing Contractors of Greater St. Louis, an NRCA director and founding member of the National Roofing Foundation. She also served on the board of governors for Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center in St. Louis and as a trustee at Fontbonne, St. Louis. She was a board member at the Catholic Women's League Day Care Center, Medical Missions Sisters, Birthright Counseling of St. Louis, Midcounty YMCA and Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

Osterholt is survived by her daughter Carolyn Jones, sons Robert and William Osterholt, six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Metalcrafts acquires company

Savannah, Ga.-based Metalcrafts Inc. has acquired NRCA member RPI of Alabama, Auburn, and is opening its third office at that location. The acquisition will extend Metalcrafts' roofing coverage to most of Georgia and eastern Alabama.

Metalcrafts' Auburn branch will be handled out of Metalcrafts' Atlanta office, and Metalcrafts will assume RPI of Alabama's contracts.

Affiliate news

Colorado association donates roof

The Colorado Roofing Association (CRA) has donated a new roof system to Brent's Place, a Denver-based nonprofit housing facility for children with cancer and their families. Labor and materials for the project totaled about $190,000.

Thirty-four CRA member contractors, manufacturers and suppliers worked together to coordinate the project's labor and material donations and oversee subcontracts, insurance requirements and safety guidelines. According to CRA, hundreds of volunteers worked on the project and volunteered nearly 1,400 hours of work.

Distributor news

AMSI® joins partnership

Architectural Metal Specialties Inc. (AMSI), Douglasville, Ga., has partnered with S-5!,™ Colorado Springs, Colo., to distribute S-5!'s ColorGard® snow-retention system and S-5! clamps.

Universal Supply opens facility

Hammonton, N.J.-based Universal Supply Co. has opened a specialty distribution center in Baltimore. The facility will inventory residential roofing, commercial roofing, siding and exterior millwork products and serve the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., areas.

"I look forward to enhancing our relationships with the roofing and siding contractors in the market," says Joe Sclafani, Universal Supply's Baltimore location manager. "Our commitment to customers is our No. 1 priority."

N.B. Handy gains sales territory

N.B. Handy Co., Lynchburg, Va., has entered an agreement to distribute Wayne, N.J.-based GAF Materials Corp.'s low-slope roofing materials in Florida and Georgia.

"GAF is a leader in low-slope commercial roofing product innovation and customer focus," says Bill Coughlin, N.B. Handy's regional manager for Florida and Georgia. "Our focus on providing quality service and representation is a perfect fit for the GAF product line. N.B. Handy and GAF are excited to work together to achieve new levels of success."

Allied Building Products announces leadership

Allied Building Products Corp., East Rutherford, N.J., has named Bob Feury Jr. its chief executive officer (CEO). Feury is replacing Allied Building Products' previous CEO Michael Lynch, who will now serve as the company's executive chairman.

Feury previously served as Allied Building Products' chief operating officer (COO). The role of COO will now be replaced by two divisional presidents: Donald Toth, president of exterior products, and Ron Pilla, president of interior products.

In addition, Greg Bloom has been named executive vice president of the exterior products division; John McLaughlin has been named vice president of the Northeast region for the exterior products division; Allen Baldree has been named vice president of the exterior products division for the Southeast region; and Ruben Mendoza has been named vice president of interior products west.

Manufacturer news

GAF employee passes away

John Makar, Wayne, N.J.-based GAF Materials Corp.'s area vice president, steep-slope southeast, passed away Dec. 13, 2008.

Makar joined GAF Materials' staff in 1998 as field staff manager for the Florida district. During his career with the company, Makar served in numerous positions, including area regional sales director of low-slope west, vice president of steep-slope west and area vice president of steep-slope southeast. In addition, Makar served for more than 25 years as a military reservist in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army and retired from the Florida National Guard in 2007.

GenFlex introduces smaller packaging

GenFlex Roofing Systems, Indianapolis, has introduced smaller packaging and product quantities for the low-slope roofing market. According to the company, it is the first fully integrated commercial roofing manufacturer to offer products in smaller quantities in distributors' showrooms.

Examples of the smaller-sized products include 1- and 3 1/2-gallon buckets of All Purpose Water Based Bonding Adhesive; 5 1/2-inch by 25-foot TPO Cover Tape; 1-quart containers of Clear Primer; and smaller packages of bonding adhesives, caulks, primers, tapes and flashings.

"Distributors and contractors have been asking for products in packaging and quantities that better meet their needs for smaller jobs, and GenFlex is delivering," says Marty Jolly, GenFlex Roofing Systems' national sales and marketing manager. "The new product offering demonstrates our continual efforts to be a resource that helps our customers run efficient, successful businesses."

Open Energy changes its name

Solana Beach, Calif.-based Open Energy Corp. has changed its name to Applied Solar Inc. The name change accompanies the company's new strategy of offering rooftop solar solutions that produce, measure and control the use of solar power.

According to Applied Solar, the company's strategy also includes a shift from a manufacturing model to a licensing model to more efficiently bring to market its building-integrated photovoltaic products and technologies; distribute residential EcoTouch™ Energy Management Systems; and continue to focus on the company's Solar Communities™ program.

"We executed this name change to make it clear to our stockholders, business partners and customers that we are focused on and committed to offering a full suite of solar solutions in a business model that we believe best leverages our core competencies," says David Field, Applied Solar's president and chief executive officer. "Our decision to focus on innovative residential and commercial solar products reflects our ability to be at the forefront of industry trends and quickly capitalize on market opportunities."