Briefings

Manufacturer news

CertainTeed celebrates safety milestone

Valley Forge, Pa.-based CertainTeed Corp.'s Norwood, Mass.-based roofing granule manufacturing facility has operated for three years without a recordable injury and 4 1/2 years without a lost-time accident. Additionally, CertainTeed's Norwood-based asphalt shingle manufacturing facility has operated for one year without a recordable injury.

A recordable injury is an injury that requires medical attention but does not prevent an injured employee from returning to work for his or her next scheduled shift.

"Our employees have worked extremely hard for this accomplishment, which is a big compliment to them," says Tom Rigas, CertainTeed's Norwood plant manager. "They take great pride in a safe work environment, and I am confident they will continue with a perfect safety record in the years to come."

Additionally, CertainTeed has added two courses to its low-slope continuing education offerings—Procedures for Successful Modified Bitumen Asphalt Roofing and Repairs and Procedures for Successful Built-Up Asphalt Roofing and Repairs. The courses, which are designed for specifiers, architects and other roofing professionals, are available for free at www.certainteed.com/continuinged.

Firestone Building Products awards contractors

Indianapolis-based Firestone Building Products Co. LLC has awarded 262 roofing contractors in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. with its 2008 Firestone Master Contractor Award.

Created in 1988, Firestone Building Products' Master Contractor Award recognizes the industry's leading roofing contractors. According to Firestone Building Products representatives, collectively, Master Contractor Award winners installed about 2 billion square feet of Firestone Building Products-warranted roof systems during 2007.

Additionally, Firestone Building Products has partnered with LiveRoof® LLC, Spring Lake, Mich., and SunPower Corp., San Jose, Calif., to expand Firestone Building Products' product offerings into the green roofing and solar-electric power roof systems markets.

Firestone Building Products also has opened a 253,000-square-foot TPO manufacturing facility and distribution center in north Las Vegas. According to Firestone Building Products representatives, this facility makes Firestone Building Products the commercial roofing industry's largest TPO manufacturer.

The company also announced it has moved to a new location: 250 W. 96th St., Indianapolis, IN 46260. The company's telephone and fax numbers and e-mail addresses remain the same.

Metal-Era launches logo

Waukesha, Wis.-based Metal-Era Inc. has launched its new logo, which is an updated version of its "ME" icon.

"I'm proud of our new logo," says Tony Mallinger, Metal-Era's chief operations officer. "We spent a long time considering the best way to visually present Metal-Era. This logo represents our history, as well as our future, as a company committed to partnering with our customers to find solutions for their commercial roofing projects."

Additionally, Metal-Era has added Principles of Commercial Ventilation, a course that focuses on the demands of roof ventilation for commercial buildings, to its continuing-education offerings.

"We wanted to help continue to educate the industry by expanding our program offerings," Mallinger says. "Commercial ventilation is a topic that hasn't been well-addressed in the past, creating confusion in the industry."

Sika Sarnafil announces award winners

Canton, Mass.-based Sika Sarnafil Inc. has announced the winners of its 2007 Projects of the Year Competition, which recognizes roofing contractors for completing projects using Sika Sarnafil's thermoplastic membranes for roofing or waterproofing applications.

A winner and two finalists were chosen from each of four categories—steep-slope, low-slope, waterproofing and sustainability. Entries were judged based on project complexity, design uniqueness, project importance, craftsmanship and creative problem solving. Nearly 30 contractors submitted projects for the competition.

NRCA member Midland Engineering Co., South Bend, Ind., won in the steep-slope category. NRCA member Allied Restoration Corp., East Hartford, Conn., was awarded second place, and NRCA member Pfister Maintenance Inc., Patterson, N.J., won third place.

In the low-slope category, NRCA member DRI Commercial, Irvine, Calif., won first place. NRCA member Interstate Roofing and Waterproofing Inc., Onalaska, Wis., won second place, and NRCA member Commonwealth Building Systems, Rockland, Mass., won third place.

In the waterproofing category, NRCA member Prospect Waterproofing Co., Sterling, Va., won first place. NRCA member F.J.A. Christiansen Roofing Co. Inc., Milwaukee, a Tecta America company, won second place, and NRCA member K Post Co., Dallas, won third place.

In the sustainability category, Solar Integrated Technologies Inc., Los Angeles, won first place. NRCA member Silktown Roofing Inc., South Grafton, Mass., won second place, and Silktown Roofing Inc., Manchester, Conn., won third place.

SOPREMA® and Englert™ form alliance

SOPREMA Inc., Wadsworth, Ohio, and Englert Inc., Perth Amboy, N.J., have formed a strategic alliance to cross-sell each other's product lines and offer a single-source warranty for roof systems sold and distributed by both companies.

SOPREMA and Englert have agreed to jointly market and promote their respective product lines, particularly to contractors, architects and building owners who are incorporating metal and membrane as the roof system for a single project.

"SOPREMA is excited to enter into this relationship," says Gilbert Lorenzo, SOPREMA's vice president and general manager. "We have been impressed by Englert's dedication to quality and customer service and believe our joint efforts will offer a greater benefit to our customers."

Additionally, SOPREMA has begun producing SBS polymer-modified bitumen at its Gulfport, Miss.-based manufacturing facility. Facility construction began in August 2006, and production testing at the facility began in December 2007. The facility opened in January.

"The production of the first SBS polymer-modified bitumen roll is a momentous occasion for us," Lorenzo says. "The Gulfport facility allows us to reach our southern markets in a more efficient manner."

Up the ladder

Eternabond Inc. has named Shane Strang director of sales and business development.

Jim Burkett has been named product development manager for GenFlex Roofing Systems LLC.

Owens Corning has appointed Curt A. Barker vice president of sales.

W.P. Hickman Co. has named Robert Steffen director of engineering.

Bill Lyon is now marketing director for Stevens Roofing Systems.

Affiliate news

CRSMCA names officers

Carolinas Roofing & Sheet Metal Contractors Association (CRSMCA) Inc. has named its 2008 officers. The following roofing contractors began their terms during CRSMCA's Tri-State Roofing Expo Jan. 22-24: president—Jim Pickens, owner of NRCA member Pickens Roofing & Sheet Metal Inc., Spartanburg, S.C.; first vice president—Grey Pardue, president of B.E.S.T. Inc., Raleigh, N.C.; second vice president—Ben Griffith, vice president and project manager of NRCA member Spann Roofing & Sheet Metal Inc., Conway, S.C.; and secretary/treasurer—Scott Baxter, vice president of NRCA member CRS of Monroe Inc., Monroe, N.C.

Contractor news

Open Energy receives purchase order

Open Energy Corp., Solana Beach, Calif., has received a $2.3 million purchase order for 11,880 SolarSave® PV Tiles and related inverters and other system equipment from Petersen Dean Inc., Newark, Calif. The purchase order's terms call for the delivery of 400 kilowatts of solar tiles and related balance of system equipment.

"This purchase order represents what we believe will be the first of many orders with Open Energy," says Jim Petersen, Petersen Dean's chief executive officer. "Our mission is to become a premier supplier of building-integrated photoelectric solutions in North America, and we believe Open Energy is the perfect partner to enable us to achieve this goal."

Tecta America acquires roofing company

Skokie, Ill.-based Tecta America Corp. has acquired Standard Roofing, Glendale, Ariz., which was founded by Bill England in 1980 and was awarded the Arizona Roofing Contractors Association's 2007 Roofing Contractor of the Year award.

"Tecta America is an outstanding organization, and I see tremendous opportunity to bring its additional capabilities to the Phoenix market," says Randy England, Standard Roofing's general manager. "We also will benefit from its leadership in service, sales and training, as well as in green building technology through Tecta Environmental Solutions."

Roofing contractor receives award

Bruce McCrory, co-owner, chief operating officer and general manager of Kiker Corp., Mobile, Ala., has received a Distinguished Alumni Award from Mobile-based University of South Alabama's (USA's) National Alumni Association.

McCrory graduated from USA in 1972 and is a past president of USA's National Alumni Association. He has remained involved with the university through various groups and committees.

Distributor news

N.B. Handy offers rooftop deliveries

N.B. Handy Co., Lynchburg, Va., has announced the availability of rooftop deliveries in Georgia. Through this service, N.B. Handy will deliver roofing materials to job sites and load materials onto roof systems. The company will continue to offer standard delivery to roofing contractors, as well.

"Rooftop deliveries allow contractors to focus on the true task at hand, which is installing quality roofing materials in a timely manner," says Sean Foster, general manager of N.B. Handy's Atlanta-based facility. "We have had great success with rooftop deliveries in our other markets, and we felt it was time to bring this great service to our valued customers in Georgia."