Briefings

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NRCA news

NRCA participates in charity event

NRCA recently co-sponsored Rebuilding Together's™ Kickoff to Rebuild 2003 in San Diego. Held two days before Super Bowl XXXVII, the event featured the rehabilitation of three low-income San Diego-area homes and a press conference.

NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue; Tagliabue's wife, Chandler; Rep. Susan Davis (D-Calif.); 2003 Miss America Erika Harold; NRCA Executive Vice President Bill Good; and more than 250 volunteers rehabilitated the homes. In addition, NRCA contractor members Commercial & Industrial Roofing Co. Inc., Spring Valley, Calif.; Premier Roofing Inc., Spring Valley; and Roofing Services Inc., Santa Rosa, Calif., donated labor to the projects. ABC Supply Co., Beloit, Wis.; Elk Corp. of America, Dallas; and GAF Materials Corp., Wayne, N.J., donated materials.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Rebuilding Together is a nonprofit, nonsectarian organization that works to repair housing for low-income, elderly or disabled community members. Each year, the organization's efforts culminate in National Rebuilding Day, which typically is held the last Saturday in April.

For more information about NRCA's co-sponsorship of Kickoff to Rebuild 2003, contact Lori Ogles, NRCA's director of membership development, at (847) 299-9070, Ext. 7558; fax (847) 299-1183; or e-mail logles@nrca.net.

NRCA affiliate news

FRSA changes convention dates

The Florida Roofing, Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors Association (FRSA) has changed the dates of its 81st Annual Convention and Trade Show to June 11-14. The convention will be held at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Kissimmee, Fla.

For more information about the event, visit FRSA's Web site, www.floridaroof.com, or contact Lisa Pate, FRSA's director of convention and trade show, at (407) 671-3772, Ext. 157, or fax (407) 679-0010.

Maryland group elects officers

The Associated Roofing Contractors of Maryland Inc. has elected the following officers for the 2003 term: president—Christine MacDonald, project manager for MAGCO Inc., Jessup, Md.; vice president—Dave Ickrath, president of Roofers Inc., Baltimore; treasurer—Lisa DeRoose, treasurer of Control Roofing & Sheet Metal Corp., Capitol Heights, Md.; and secretary—Winston Henry, president of CPS Roofing Inc., Gaithersburg, Md.

Manufacturer news

EPDM association names director

The EPDM Roofing Association has named Thomas Hutchinson its technical services director. Hutchinson has more than 20 years' experience in the roofing industry and will be responsible for monitoring roofing and construction industries for technical issues relating to the EPDM manufacturing industry and assessing building codes, standards and public policies that involve EPDM materials.

Hutchinson is involved with NRCA and industry-related committees and a member of The American Institute of Architects, Construction Specifications Institute, Roof Consultants Institute and other organizations.

ARMA names contest winners

The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA) has announced the winners of its 2002 Accident Prevention Contest.

Manufacturing facilities were categorized by the number of labor hours worked during 2002: Group A—more than 300,000 hours; Group B—200,000 hours to 300,000 hours; Group C—100,000 hours to 200,000 hours; and Group D—less than 100,000 hours.

The facility with the fewest number of accidents in each category received an ARMA President's Award. The recipients were: Group A—Valley Forge, Pa.-based CertainTeed Corp.'s Oxford, N.C., facility; Group B—Wayne, N.J.-based GAF Materials Corp.'s Chester, S.C., facility; Group C—CertainTeed's Ennis, Texas, facility; and Group D—Denver-based Johns Manville Corp.'s Natchez, Miss., facility.

Johns Manville launches programs

The Johns Manville Roofing Systems Group, Denver, has implemented several training and relationship programs that reportedly will improve value and profitability for those involved with the sale and use of the company's products.

As part of the plan, the company has formed the JM Roofing Institute™ to provide on-site application training, system-specific technical videos and on-the-job technical training to its preferred roofing contractors and distributors. The institute also will provide three levels of curriculum, including classroom and hands-on installation demonstrations, for Johns Manville Roofing Systems Group sales and technical representatives.

In addition, the company's Peak Performance Program—Reach for the Summit™ has been launched to provide training and leads for its preferred contractors.

The Inspection, Maintenance and Repair Program™ has been created to provide building owners with ongoing roof system assessments, guaranteed service and roof system performances, budget forecasting, repair work pricing and other benefits. The program establishes long-term relationships between preferred contractors and their customers.

A new product initiative is being developed to provide roofing contractors with products that reportedly will reduce installation costs and differentiate them from their competition. The products will be designed to meet environmental and energy-efficiency demands. According to Johns Manville Roofing Systems Group representatives, distributors will be offered marketing materials, education and training support as the new products become available.

In addition, Johns Manville Roofing Systems Group hopes distributor relationships will be improved through a performance-based scorecard that will evaluate distributors' support to roofing contractors, inventory, and commitment to understanding and marketing the company's product line. The scorecard is intended to ensure distributors can help roofing contractors make sound product decisions.

Carlisle division expands business

Carlisle, Pa.-based Carlisle Coatings & Waterproofing, a division of Carlisle-based Carlisle SynTec Inc., has acquired Elberton, Ga.-based Miradri, a provider of waterproofing products for commercial and residential applications. According to Carlisle Coatings & Waterproofing representatives, no facility or employee changes have occurred. However, Miradri now operates under the Carlisle Coatings & Waterproofing name.

Metalworks opens Warehouse

Moon Township, Pa.-based Metalworks recently opened a 6,000-square-foot (552-m²) warehouse in Seattle that will distribute the company's low- and steep-slope metal shingle products. The warehouse serves Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington, as well as Canada's western and prairie regions.

ERSystems earns energy label

ERSystems Inc., Loretto, Minn., has received the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) ENERGY STAR® label for its ERLASTIC Acrylic Co-polymer reflective coating.

To qualify for the label, a roofing product must meet DOE and EPA criteria for reflectivity and reliability. The ENERGY STAR label promotes household and commercial building products that save energy and money.

BASF is ranked by peers

Kennesaw, Ga.-based BASF Corp. has been ranked the No. 1 global chemical company by its peers in the Fortune magazine rankings "The 2002 Global 500" and "Global Most Admired Companies."

The magazine surveyed more than 10,000 directors, executives and managers at 345 companies and asked them to rank companies within their industries according to nine attributes—management quality; products and services quality; innovation; long-term investment value; financial strength; ability to attract, develop and retain talent; responsibility to the community and environment; wise use of corporate assets; and global business acumen. BASF ranked No. 1 in each category.

Stevens wins magazine award

Holyoke, Mass.-based Stevens Roofing Systems has won a 2002 Architect's Choice for Excellence Award from Architecture magazine.

The magazine inserted ballots in its April 2002, May 2002 and June 2002 issues allowing readers to choose award-winning manufacturers that provide durable products and commitment to manufacturer services, value and design.

A list of winners is published in Architecture's December 2002 issue and on its Web site, www.architecturemag.com.

CertainTeed backs NASCAR driver

For the third consecutive year, Valley Forge, Pa.-based CertainTeed Corp. is sponsoring NASCAR driver Ward Burton, who won the 2002 Daytona 500. Burton will make appearances on behalf of the company at 11 NASCAR hospitality events, which will be attended by more than 2,000 roofing contractors and distributors. Burton also will appear at CertainTeed's Roofing Products Group's production facilities in Little Rock, Ark., and Peachtree City, Ga.

"With a background in his family's construction business, [Burton] understands the building materials industry and relates extremely well to our contractors," says Mike Loughery, Certainteed's Exterior Products Group's communications manager.

Up the ladder

Hubert McGovern has been promoted to senior vice president and general manager of Olympic Manufacturing Group Inc.

Johns Manville Roofing Systems Group has made the following appointments: Ben Bryan—national distribution manager; Brad Burdic—group manager of Preferred Accounts; John Cambruzzi—contractor program manager; Jennifer Kishi—pricing manager; Craig Maginness—director of the Contractor Services Group; and David Scheirer—manager of JM Roofing Institute.™

Distributor news

N.B. Handy opens facility

Lynchburg, Va.-based N.B. Handy Co. recently opened a 10,000-square-foot (920-m²) distribution facility in Longwood, Fla. The facility distributes Carlisle, Pa.-based Carlisle SynTec Inc. roofing products and accessories, as well as N.B. Handy's SENTRICLAD™ architectural metals, Galvalume Plus, galvanized steel, aluminum stainless steel, copper, caulking and hand tools. The facility serves Fort Myers, Fla.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Melbourne, Fla.; Orlando, Fla.; Tallahassee, Fla.; and Tampa, Fla.

Other news

Dow Chemical named top supplier

The Dow Chemical Co., Midland, Mich., was named a 2002 top supplier by Rogers, Conn.-based Rogers Corp., a manufacturer and marketer of specialty polymer and electronic materials for communication and computer applications. Rogers' annual supplier performance rating program judges its suppliers on quality, procurement and technical achievements.

INSPEC wins engineering award

Minneapolis-based INSPEC Inc. was named a Grand Award winner of the Minnetonka-based American Council of Engineering Companies of Minnesota's 36th Annual Engineering Excellence Awards.

The company won the award for its work on the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport, a 250,000-square-foot (23000-m²) multilevel structure that required below-ground waterproofing and subsurface water management systems for below-ground occupied space.

To be considered for the award, INSPEC was required to meet specific criteria, including uniqueness and originality; technical value to the engineering profession; social and economic considerations; complexity; and meeting a building manager or property manager's needs.

Roof consultant passes away

Don Best, roof consultant and owner of Best Roofing Systems, Oklahoma City, Okla., died March 1. Best was 65.

During Best's roofing career, he received the Lifetime Service Award from the Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance and Workhorse of the Year Award from The Society of the Plastics Industry. Best was a member of the Roofing Industry Committee on Weather Issues and conducted seminars for the Roof Consultants Institute. Best also invented the Metal-Gard roof system for which he had a patent.

Best is survived by his wife, Martha; daughters, Kathleen Jennings, Kelley Keys, Karin Van De Steeg and Kathy Brown; sons, Kevin, Michael Miles, Tony Miles and Steven Miles; brother, David; 17 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Architect receives publication award

Architect Thomas L. Smith, president of TLSmith Consulting Inc., Rockton, Ill., has received the Construction Specifications Institute's (CSI's) Publication Commendation, Special Publication, for Low-Slope Roofing II, which was published by The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards as part of its continuing-education monograph series. The book investigates alternatives to traditional built-up roof systems, including modified bitumen, single-ply, spray polyurethane foam, metal and liquid-applied roof systems.

To be considered for the award, entries must pass three stages of judging by CSI members—preliminary evaluation, which determines whether entries meet requirements; local evaluation, which studies concepts, coordination and specification; and final evaluation, which reviews the entries four months after the original judging.

The industry online

WD-40 Co. is asking trade professionals to share their tips on the company's Web site, www.wd40jobsite.com.