Briefings

Manufacturer news

Garland supports lung cancer foundation

The Garland Co. Inc., Cleveland, raised more than $40,000 to support the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation (ALCF).

About 100 employees participated in The Garland Co.'s Spirit Week, a week dedicated to raising money to support ALCF through various fundraising activities. The employees raised more than $20,000, and The Garland Co.'s board of directors made a matching contribution, bringing the total to $40,634. ALCF is one of the largest philanthropies dedicated exclusively to eradicating lung cancer, raising more than $10 million to treat the disease.

EagleView® acquires software company

EagleView Technologies Inc., Bothell, Wash., has acquired Mobise Inc., Redmond, Wash., a software company focused on bringing desktop workflow to mobile applications and known in the assessment community for its Mobise Appraiser app. The acquisition allows EagleView Technologies to continue to incorporate mobile technology with current, web-based solutions and imagery, expand its mobile assessment solutions and develop additional mobile applications.

In addition, EagleView Technologies has announced its 2014 FutureView User Conference will be held Feb. 9-12, 2014, in San Antonio at the Marriott Rivercenter Hotel. The conference will offer at least six educational tracks—geographic information systems, insurance, construction, assessment, infrastructure and public safety with topics including cross-market discussion panels, disaster relief solutions, property valuation trends, analytical tools for businesses and more. Aircraft and camera systems will be on-site, including demonstrations with aircraft flying to an area and capturing high-resolution images for immediate viewing. For more information, visit www.eagleview.com/futureview.

Polyglass® launches rewards program

Polyglass U.S.A Inc., Deerfield Beach, Fla., has launched Polyglass Q Rewards. Contractors who purchase Polyglass products now earn rewards points. To enroll in the program, visit www.polyglassqrewards.com.

In addition, Polyglass donated $25,000 to the American Red Cross' Greater New York Red Cross, which serves the Long Island and Metro New York North chapters. The region encompasses 13.5 million people, many of whom were affected by Hurricane Sandy.

GAF featured on DIY Network

GAF, Wayne, N.J., was featured on the Sept. 12 episode of DIY Network's Blog Cabin, a television show about transforming cottages into luxurious homes. GAF contributed three roofing options for viewers to vote for this year's showcase home on North Carolina's Crystal Coast in New Bern, N.C. More than 86,000 votes led to the selection of GAF's Timberline® American Harvest® Lifetime Shingles to be installed on the home. The home's transformation will be documented on a series of DIY Network shows.

A GAF roof system also is featured on The All-American Cottage, a 2,900-square-feet classic style home at Ruskin Square in Greenville, S.C. Sponsored by Southern Living and This Old House magazines, the house was featured in print and online versions of the magazines for containing about 97 percent U.S.-made products, including GAF's Sienna™ Lifetime Designer Shingles installed by Allcon Roofing, Taylors, S.C.

Additionally, GAF has announced the winners of its Text-For-A-Bike sweepstakes. The following were selected to receive a custom Orange County Choppers motorcycle designed and built for GAF by Paul Teutul Sr., owner of Orange County Choppers: Eric Keithcart, principal of Premium Roof Services, Bend, Ore.; Matthew Kerigan, principal of Kerigan's Roofing Inc., Fairfield, Conn.; Peter Konopka, senior project manager for NRCA member Smart Roofing Inc., Chicago; William Ricks, president of Fortitude Roofing and Restoration, Hilton Head Island, S.C.; and Mike Sullivan, installer and applicator for Oaks Siding & Construction, Abilene, Texas.

The Text-For-A-Bike sweepstakes was held May 1 through July 31 and was available to all U.S. professional roofing contractors, builders and remodelers at least 21 years old. Entries were submitted via a mobile phone text or visiting specified websites using a mobile device or computer.

GAF also announced the winners of its Share What You Treasure promotion. The Facebook-based application features documentary videos of families and what they treasure most under their roofs, created exclusively for GAF by photographer and filmmaker James Minchin III.

GAF roof owners were invited to share what is protected under their roofs to potentially star in one of three webisodes. The most recent winners to be featured in the third and final webisode are Scott and Celena Redler and their son, Chase. Since its Feb. 14 launch, GAF's Treasures app has had more than 20,000 visits and 34,000 webisode views. Users are invited to share photos about what they treasure under their GAF roofs and are entered to win weekly $100 The Home Depot® gift cards and a $2,500 grand-prize shopping spree.

Sika Sarnafil earns green certification

Sika Sarnafil, Canton, Mass., has earned a two Green Globes® rating from the Green Building Initiative (GBI) for its office and warehouse in Canton. GBI's Green Globes program assesses buildings for environment management, energy, water, resources, emissions and indoor environment.

Sika Sarnafil's sustainable features were evaluated in a two-part assessment that included a third-party review and on-site verification. As defined by the GBI rating scale, the two Green Globes earned by Sika Sarnafil's Canton facility demonstrate excellent progress for reducing environmental impacts by applying best practices in energy and environmental efficiency. The company scored 100 out of a possible 110 points in the resources category, which assesses storing and handling recyclable materials, waste reduction, site pollution and site enhancement.

Johns Manville prepares LTTR booklet

Johns Manville, Denver, has prepared an informational booklet to educate designers, customers and the industry regarding a new test method and change in long-term thermal resistance (LTTR) values for polyisocyanurate insulation effective Jan. 1, 2014. To access the booklet, visit www.johnsmanville.com. Beginning the fourth quarter of 2013, Johns Manville will modify its packaging to reflect LTTR values for old and new test methods.

In addition, Johns Manville donated roofing materials and labor from its Milan, Ohio, manufacturing facility to the Thomas A. Edison Birthplace Museum in Milan after a leak was reported above the museum's office and visitor center. Johns Manville supplied and installed its Energy® 3 Roof Insulation and fully adhered 60-mil-thick nonreinforced EPDM at no cost to the museum. This is Johns Manville's second donation to a key landmark in Milan. In 2012, it supplied material and labor to install a new single-ply membrane roof system on the Milan Township Hall.

CertainTeed announces partnership

CertainTeed Corp., Valley Forge, Pa., has announced a new partnership with Angie's List,™ an online consumer review service.

Through Angie's list, CertainTeed will help local ShingleMaster™ contractors build awareness for their services by providing access to exclusive advertising discounts, marketing opportunities and support. Contractors also will be assigned an Angie's List team available to answer questions and provide updates about program details, account status, best practices, and local market metrics and advertising opportunities.

Contractor news

Former VARC president passes away

Robert B. McKee Jr., former president of the Virginia Association of Roofing Contractors (VARC) and president of McKee Roofing, Richmond, Va., passed away Sept. 6. He was 56 years old.

McKee was born in Smithtown, N.Y., and attended the State University of New York at Cortland, where he graduated with a bachelor's of science degree in chemistry and teaching. After college, McKee joined the family business, McKee Roofing, and became its president after his father, Robert B. McKee Sr., passed away.

McKee is survived by his mother, Maryanne; children, Chrissy, Michael and Megan; grandson, Robert; and sisters, Linda, Debbie, Kitty and Heather. Sentiments can be emailed to chesdinmm@comcast.net.

Distributor news

Roofing Supply Group opens temporary branch

Roofing Supply Group LLC, Dallas, has opened a temporary branch in Greeley, Colo. Because of a recent hailstorm in the area, Roofing Supply Group has opened the location to better serve the roofing needs of its customers and community. The temporary branch will act as a satellite location to the Denver branch and service the surrounding areas of Fort Collins, Greeley and Windsor.

The industry online

Atlas Material Testing Technology's website, www.atlas-mts.com, now is available in Chinese. The new website is available from the home page menu or going directly to the site at www.atlas-mts.cn. By translating its website to Chinese, Atlas Material Testing Technology now can better offer sales and technical support throughout China.

Simpson Strong-Tie® has updated its selection of web and mobile apps and online calculators at www.strongtie.com/software. Updates include a Holdown Selector web app that selects the most cost-effective holdown connector based on installation type; redesigned coil strap calculators to determine the most effective coil strap and cut length; and a new online Slope and Skew Calculator that makes all the necessary calculations for each hanger condition in a roof.

Georgia-Pacific Gypsum's Georgia-Pacific Design Studio, www.gpdesignstudio.com, has expanded its offerings to include downloadable files that make 3-D design easier, faster and more accurate for architects, specifiers and contractors using Division 9 products.

Diablo® Tools Inc. has launched www.diablotools.com. The new website features a comprehensive keyword search, "quick view" for each product, Learn More button to view product specifications and Compare button to view four products at once. To celebrate the new website, Diablo has launched a Dare to Compare Reciprocating Saw Blade Giveaway, allowing users to experience the performance of Diablo's saw blades. Visitors can go to www.diablotools.com/daretocompare to enter and receive a Diablo Demo Demon™ Bi-Metal reciprocating saw blade for wood cutting or a Steel Demon™ Bi-Metal reciprocating saw blade for metal cutting.

Firestone Building Products Co. LLC has introduced its free Build My Roof app for contractors, sales representatives and architects. The app constructs a virtual roof using Firestone Building Products roof systems and helps narrow options to only those appropriate to the selected assembly. The app features an R-value calculator and can create multiple projects, save plans and add construction notes. The app is available for iPad and Android tablet devices and can be downloaded from iTunes or the Google Play Store.

Other news

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities announces winners

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities announced the winners of its 2013 Green Roof and Wall Awards of Excellence during the CitiesAlive®: 11th Annual Green Roof and Wall Conference held Oct. 25 in San Francisco.

Diamond Schmitt Architects, Toronto, received the Interior Green Wall Award; Jeffrey L. Bruce & Co. LLC, Kansas City, Mo., received the Extensive Institutional Award; MKM Landscape Architecture PC, New York, received the Intensive Residential Award; Recover Green Roofs LLC, Somerville, Mass., received a Special Recognition Award; ROMA Design Group, San Francisco, received the Exterior Green Wall Award; Sharp & Diamond Landscape Architecture Inc., Vancouver, British Columbia, received the Intensive Institutional Award; and SYMBIOS Design, Sebastopol, Calif., received the Small-Scale Residential Award and the Extensive Commercial/Industrial Award.

The Alliance announces new members

The Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress welcomes two new members: Duro-Last® Roofing Inc., Saginaw, Mich., has joined at the Regent level, and Low-Slope Solutions LLC, St. Petersburg, Fla., has joined at the Governor level. Their membership commitments entitle them to participate in project task forces established to guide the Alliance's agenda and attend semi-annual meetings of the full Alliance.

For more information or to join the Alliance, visit www.roofingindustryalliance.net or contact Bennett Judson, the Alliance's executive director, at (800) 323-9545, ext. 7513 or bjudson@roofingindustryalliance.net.

Up the ladder

IKO has named Scott Campbell regional sales manager, northwest.

Tony Freas is Nations Roof LLC 's president.

TuffWrap Installations Inc. has named Anthony Catoia director of sales and marketing.

NRCA news

CNA and NRCA co-sponsor award

CNA, the CNA Foundation and NRCA are once again working together to honor charitable works by NRCA contractor members through the CNA/NRCA Community Involvement Award.

Charitable acts undertaken by an NRCA contractor member company between Jan. 1, 2013, and Dec. 31, 2013, are eligible for a chance to win up to $5,000 for their charity. Charitable projects, activities or donations do not need to involve roofing work. For example, funds raised for a cause or volunteer work at a children's hospital would qualify.

Submissions should include an in-depth description of the charitable work, testimonial from the receiving charity and any supporting materials (photos, video, etc.). A panel of judges from CNA, the CNA Foundation and NRCA will determine the winner and honorable mentions. One winning charity will win $5,000 and two honorable mentions will each receive $1,000. Finalists will be notified by Jan. 13, 2014, and the awards will be presented at NRCA's Awards Ceremony and Cocktail Reception held during NRCA's 127th Annual Convention in Las Vegas.

For more information and to apply for the award, visit www.nrca.net/roofing/CNA-NRCA-Community-Involvement-Award-722 or contact Ambika Bailey, NRCA's associate executive director of communications and production, at abailey@nrca.net or (847) 299-9070, ext. 7555.

Events

November

10-13
Executive Management Institute
NRCA
Chicago
Contact: Tom Shanahan, associate executive director of risk management
(800) 323-9545, ext. 7538
www.nrca.net

14-15
RCI Building Envelope Technology Symposium
RCI Inc.
Minneapolis
Contact: RCI's Customer Service Department
(800) 828-1902
www.rci-online.org

20-22
Greenbuild 2013
U.S. Green Building Council
Philadelphia
Contact: U.S. Green Building Council's Customer Service Department
(800) 795-1747
www.greenbuildexpo.org

21
Roofing Industry Fall Protection from A to Z
NRCA
Nashville, Tenn.
Contact: NRCA's Customer Service Department
(866) ASK-NRCA (275-6722)
www.nrca.net

December

5
For Foremen Only, Level 1
NRCA
Minneapolis
Contact: NRCA's Customer Service Department
(866) ASK-NRCA (275-6722)
www.nrca.net