Briefings

Manufacturer news

MAGE® SOLAR opens warehouse

MAGE SOLAR, Dublin, Ga., has opened a new warehouse and distribution center in Phoenix. The company's MAGE POWERTEC PLUS high-efficiency modules and other photovoltaic system components will ship to West Coast customers in 50 percent less lead time.

The Phoenix facility is LEED® Silver-certified with a 282-kilowatt rooftop array and eco-friendly logistic practices. It is MAGE SOLAR's third facility to open this year.

Johns Manville publishes report

Johns Manville, Denver, has published its 2011 Sustainability Report, We Build Environments. The report was completed using the Global Reporting Initiative framework and presents Johns Manville's approach to sustainability and its progress toward achieving long-term sustainability goals.

The report provides information regarding case studies associated with energy efficiency, reducing the energy and carbon intensity of Johns Manville's operations, reducing the company's solid waste and increasing use of recycled materials. It also highlights the company's social responsibility with regard to safety, employee practices and community investment.

We Build Environments is available at www.jm.com/sustainability.

MBCI® opens facility

MBCI, Houston, has opened its new 116,000-square-foot insulated metal panel manufacturing facility in Mattoon, Ill. The new facility doubles MBCI's current insulated metal panel capacity and is the second insulated panel line MBCI has opened during the past two years. MBCI's third insulated metal panel manufacturing facility will open in Richmond, Va., later this year.

Atlas Roofing® introduces rebate program

Atlas Roofing Corp., Atlanta, has introduced its Streak Out For Cash summer contractor rebate program, which uses a baseball theme to communicate two opportunities for contractors.

The first opportunity allows contractors who install Atlas Pristine Shingles as part of an Atlas Signature Select® Roofing System to provide their customers with a lifetime limited warranty against algae streaks and stains.

The second opportunity allows contractors who register for a free Atlas Signature Select® Contractor account online and install Pinnacle, Pinnacle HP, StormMaster® Slate or StormMaster Shake Shingles to earn cash rebates.

The program ends Sept. 30. Atlas will pay cash rebates to contractors for Signature Select Roofing Systems purchased and installed during the program period. Contractors who install 20 or more Atlas Signature Select Roofing Systems during the program period also will receive an Apple® iPad.® Contractors also will have the opportunity to win incentives such as gasoline and Subway® gift cards. More information is available at www.atlasroofing.com/atlasunlimited.

OMG Roofing Products holds silent auction

OMG Roofing Products, Agawam, Mass., held a silent auction to raise funds for charity at the 2012 International Roofing Expo,® which was held Feb. 20-24 in Orlando, Fla. Three custom-painted productivity tools—OMG Roofing Products' PaceCart 2,® RhinoBond induction welder and AccuTrac tool—were auctioned. Proceeds from the event support Heroes at Home. Each tool was painted camouflage and included the Heroes at Home logo.

Jim Mullins, owner of ProFast Inc., Essington, Pa., and Brad Mullins, branch manager of ProFast, Mechanicsburg, Pa., won the PaceCart 2 with a $5,500 bid. Jason Stanley, chief executive officer of IB Roof Systems,™ Eugene, Ore., won the RhinoBond induction welder with a $5,200 bid. And John Hostetter, president of NRCA member Progressive Roofing Inc., Haverhill, Mass., won the AccuTrac tool with a $1,500 bid.

GAF sponsors forum

GAF, Wayne, N.J., sponsored the Tidewater Builders Association (TBA) membership forum in May. The event was held in Chesapeake, Va.'s, Culpepper Landing community where T.E. Jones, general manager of Vintage Homes, Norfolk, Va., built a home constructed entirely of products made in the U.S.

Jones' home is believed to be the second home in the U.S. to be constructed entirely of U.S.-made materials and the first in the Eastern U.S. It will be on display in TBA's Homearama showcase of homes between June 16 and July 1.

Contractor news

Roofing contractor passes away

Benjamin Robinson Pickens Jr., vice president and treasurer of Pickens Roofing & Sheet Metal Inc., Spartanburg, S.C., passed away April 22. He was 67 years old.

Pickens served on NRCA's board of directors and Executive Committee. He also was past president of the Carolinas Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association (CRSMCA) Inc. and served as chairman of CRSMCA's Self-Insurers Fund. Pickens also served in the U.S. Army where he earned the rank of Captain and received the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with Bronze Star and Vietnam Campaign Medal.

Pickens is survived by his wife, Diane; son, Benjamin; daughters, Miriam, Margaret and Mary; grandchildren, Benjamin, Charles, William, Laura, Sophie, McCaughrin, Harry and Frank; brother, James; and sister, Laura.

Memorials may be made to Mobile Meals, P.O. Box 461, Spartanburg, SC 29304; or First Presbyterian Church, 393 E. Main St., Spartanburg, SC 29302.

Distributor news

SRS Acquisition acquires ABCO Supply

SRS Acquisition Corp., McKinney, Texas, has acquired ABCO Supply LLC, Chesterfield, Mich. ABCO Supply is an independent distributor of metal roofing products, rainwear and other metal building products. The Chesterfield branch will service the northern greater metropolitan Detroit area and is the first SRS Acquisition expansion into the Michigan market. The branch will offer a full line of residential and commercial roofing products, as well as other select building and remodeling products.

The business will continue to be led by Lisa Schmueser and operate under the ABCO Supply name. The Chesterfield branch will operate as part of SRS Acquisition's Midwest Roofing Supply division under the responsibility of Shawn Dennis, district manager.

Additionally, SRS Acquisition has opened a new location in Easton, Md., under the name Superior Distribution. The location will carry a full line of residential and commercial roofing products and service the Maryland Eastern Shore market, including Cambridge, Ocean City, Salisbury and most of the Delmarva Peninsula. Jessica McCracken will be branch manager and report to Paul Whelan, SRS Acquisition's vice president for the Northeast.

Other news

RRCI elects officers

The Reflective Roof Coatings Institute (RRCI) elected its new officers and board of directors at its annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.

Tim Leonard, chief executive officer of NRCA member ERSystems, Rockford, Minn., is president; Greg Hlavaty, sales manager of Western Colloid Inc., Los Angeles, is president-elect; and Penny Gift, product manager of NRCA member Republic Powdered Metals Inc., Medina, Ohio, is immediate past president.

RRCI's newly elected directors are David Ziebarth, president of NRCA member Insulating Coatings Corp., Binghamton, N.Y.; John Dockery, senior technology associate for Arkema Inc., King of Prussia, Pa.; and Steve Hollman, business development manager for Univar USA Inc., Bedford Park, Ill.

RRCI's Secretary/Treasurer Craig Smith, coatings engineer for Superior Products International II Inc., Shawnee, Kan., and Director John Linnell, coatings business manager for Premium Spray Products, Marietta, Ga., will remain on the board for another year.

RCMA awards Martin A. Davis Industry Leadership Award

The Roof Coating Manufacturers Association (RCMA) has awarded Tom Meyer, technical director for Coating & Foam Solutions LLC, Hartland, Wis., with RCMA's 2012 Martin A. Davis Industry Leadership Award.

Meyer is the 28th recipient of the Martin A. Davis Industry Leadership Award, which is presented annually to an individual who has exemplified outstanding service and made significant contributions to the roof coatings industry.

Meyer has worked toward the advancement of the roof coatings industry through education, technical programs and promotional activities. He currently serves as a member of RCMA's board of directors and as officer and co-chairman of RCMA's Solar Reflective Coatings Council.

RCI elects board of directors

RCI Inc. elected its 2012-13 board of directors at its annual member meeting during RCI's 27th International Convention and Trade Show March 19.

Arthur Ward III, owner of AP Ward Consulting Inc., Kennesaw, Ga., is president; Thomas Gernetzke, project manager for Facility Engineering Inc., Madison, Wis., is first vice president; Sidney Hankins III, president of Roof Design & Consulting Services Inc., Knoxville, Tenn., is second vice president; Jean-Guy Levaque, regional manager of LVM Inc., Milton, Ontario, is secretary/treasurer; Richard Cook Jr., partner with NRCA member ADC Engineering Inc., Hanahan, S.C., is immediate past president; and James Birdsong, RCI's chief executive officer, is executive vice president.

Additionally, G. Peter Brooks, president of Vector Mapping/Infrared Analyzers Inc., Williston, Vt., is region I director; Robért Hinojosa, principal partner of Building Engineering-Consultants Inc., Destin, Fla., is region II director; Ron Erdman, president of Infinity Roof Management, Addison, Texas, is region III director; David Pierce, president of Foothills Roof Services Inc., Larkspur, Colo., is region IV director; and Jon Peat, general manager of NRCA member IRC Building Sciences Group Alberta Inc., Calgary, Alberta, is region V director.

Additionally, RCI has announced the winner of its 2012 Document Competition. Jeffrey Levine, president of NRCA member Levine & Co. Inc., Ardmore, Pa., received first place in the Report Writing category for the Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, Bryn Mawr, Pa. Levine also received first place in the Large Roofing/Waterproofing/Exterior Wall Project Documents category for construction valued greater than $500,000 for the First Presbyterian Church, Haddonfield, N.J.

RCI's Document Competition is an annual event held to recognize members' excellence in roofing, waterproofing and exterior wall construction project documentation.

Winning entries will be recognized in the July issue of Interface, RCI's monthly technical journal. A summary of the competition's first, second and third place winners from each category also will be featured.

RCMA hosts conference

The Roof Coatings Manufacturers Association (RCMA) has announced it will host the International Roof Coatings Conference in partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tenn. The conference will be held July 16-19 in Baltimore and will feature keynote speakers Marc LaFrance, technology development manager for the U.S. Department of Energy, and Art Rosenfeld, distinguished scientist emeritus at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, Calif. Presentation topics include accelerated aging of roofing materials; an outcome-based, multivariate approach to roof surface thermal contribution; TPO roof membrane analysis; coatings forensics; cool roofs and condensation; elastomeric roof coatings performance; and more.

More information about the conference is available at www.roofcoatings.org.

The industry online

EagleView® Technologies has released its mobile application for the iPad® and tablet devices available at www.eagleview.com/features/mobileapps.aspx. The application has the same features as EagleView Technologies' existing iPhone® and Android™ applications, including the ability to take and edit photos that can be added to an EagleView Technologies report. Users can order reports by entering an address or using their current locations. The application provides access to past orders and offers the option to include user-submitted photographs in previous reports.

GAF has launched a Spanish-language version of its website at es.gaf.com. All residential and commercial sections of www.gaf.com have been translated, and users can choose between the English and Spanish versions by clicking the American or Spanish flag icons.

Additionally, GAF has introduced its new application for Apple,® Blackberry® and Android™ platforms. The application, GAF QuickSpecs, is available at mspecs.gaf.com. Users can select from such categories as commercial roof systems, residential roofing, other building products, warranties and technical documents. Each category selection provides specific folders to narrow the search until the user is shown PDFs relating to the exact item he or she is researching.

Firestone Building Products has made available its Firestone BP iPad® application at www.firestonebpco.com/whatsnew/ipadapp. The application provides a preview of the company's Roots to Rooftop™ Building Envelope Solution with an overview of all products from ground and stormwater management solutions to complete wall panel and commercial roof system applications. It features product specifics, as well as green building product offerings and full-service opportunities and allows users to view solutions from different angles and in a variety of real-world settings with high-definition graphics.

Triangle Fastener Corp. has launched its mobile site, m.trianglefastener.com, designed to help users select fasteners based on specific application requirements. The site can be accessed with all mobile device platforms, as well as PCs. It features specific product information and allows users to select a product according to the substrate material type.

The Garland Co. Inc. has launched its new corporate website at www.garlandco.com. The website's design provides quick access to information about The Garland Co.'s high-performance building envelope products and solutions product line. It also has a comprehensive product section featuring drop-down menus for each product category in addition to detailed product information.

Up the Ladder

Chris Cook, MFM Building Products' representative for northern Texas, now will handle sales responsibilities for the entire state of Texas and continue handling sales for Arkansas and Oklahoma.

New Tech Machinery has hired Kristin Peregoy as marketing assistant.

NRCA news

RISE™ certifies solar professionals

Roof Integrated Solar Energy™ (RISE) Inc. has announced its newest Certified Solar Roofing Professionals™ (CSRPs™). The CSRP designation is a voluntary certification for professionals who plan and oversee the installation of roof-mounted photovoltaic (PV) systems. The credential evaluates whether candidates have the underlying knowledge required to successfully install roof-mounted PV systems.

RISE Inc.'s board of directors has conferred the designation of CSRP on the following individuals for meeting established eligibility criteria, passing a challenging examination and agreeing to develop themselves professionally to remain current with changes in the field. The CSRP designation applies only to the individuals named. Companies are not certified. The following CSRPs successfully passed a rigorous exam Feb. 24 to obtain certification:

Shannon Boggs, president of Strong Tower Roofing & Solar, Springville, Ind.
Sal DePrisco, vice president of Sensible Technical Solutions, West Chester, Pa.
Mike Harvey, Midwest territory sales manager for GenFlex Roofing Systems, Gower, Mo.
William J. Hope, president of Exterior Consulting and Roof Management, Albany, N.Y.
Benjamin Leaneagh of Roof Check Inc., Longmont, Colo.
Dony Oommen, applications engineer of solar power systems for GAF, Wayne, N.J.
Michael Sexton, senior sales engineer for Firestone Energy Solutions, Indianapolis
Todd Shannon, vice president of Core Roofing Systems, Atlanta and Orlando, Fla.
Kevin K. Vallente, roof consultant for Legacy Roof Consulting and Design, Honolulu

The next CSRP exam is Sept. 18. For more information about RISE and the CSRP designation, visit www.riseprofessional.org or contact John Schehl, RISE's executive director, at (800) 323-9545, ext. 7503 or jschehl@nrca.net.

Events

June

24-26
Western States Roofing Contractors Association Show
Western States Roofing Contractors Association (WSRCA)
Las Vegas
Contact: WSRCA
(800) 725-0333
www.wsrca.com

27-30
Florida Roofing, Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors Association's Annual Convention
Florida Roofing, Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors Association (FRSA) Inc.
Orlando, Fla.
Contact: FRSA
(407) 671-3772, ext. 100
www.floridaroof.com

27-30
2012 TRI Florida Forum
Tile Roofing Institute (TRI)
Orlando, Fla.
Contact: TRI
(312) 670-4177
www.tileroofing.org

July

10-14
NRCA's Midyear Meetings
NRCA
Chicago
Contact: NRCA's Customer Service Department
(866) ASK-NRCA (275-6722)
www.nrca.net

16-19
International Roof Coatings Conference
Roof Coatings Manufacturers Association (RCMA) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Baltimore
Contact: Penny Alston, RCMA's member services coordinator
(202) 207-1126
www.roofcoatings.org