Flashings

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William Kugler retires

William E. Kugler, president of United Materials Inc., Denver, has sold the company and retired after 47 years in the roofing industry.

The company was established by Kugler's father, Ernst W. Kugler, in 1923 as a builders supply company. It gradually morphed through the years into the roofing contracting company United Materials.

Kugler actively has been involved in the roofing industry. He joined the Midwest Roofing Contractors Association (MRCA) in 1959 and became president of MRCA in 1969. He was the recipient of MRCA's James Q. McCawley Award in 1970.

He became involved with NRCA's technical committees and won NRCA's J.A. Piper Award in 1979.

In 1980, he was NRCA president and chairman of the committee that produced the first NRCA manual.

Kugler established United Construction Products, a contractor supply business that now specializes in roof application products, including the Dragin Wagon,™ for which he received a patent in 1986. He has received additional patents for various roofing-related products.

Kugler also was involved in the introduction of modified bitumen material Derbigum® to the United States and actively has promoted the use of cold-applied mastic in the roofing industry.

Kugler sold United Materials to employee Beth Gloss in January and plans to continue with the company as a consultant.

DOL revises child labor standards

The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment Standards Administration, Wage and Hour Division, issued a final rule revising child labor standards on Dec. 16.

The revisions included provisions about hazardous employment for 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds. The Federal Register states: "Prior to this revision, the regulation prohibited these minors from working in roofing operations. The department has revised the regulations to also prohibit all work on or about roofs."

Atlas Roofing responds to shortages

Atlas Roofing Corp., Meridian, Miss., has developed initiatives in an attempt to handle the shortage of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), which is used in the manufacture of polyisocyanurate insulation. To assist customer comprehension of the issue, the company enhanced its Web site to provide current supply forecasts and news from the polyisocyanurate industry. Atlas Roofing also is making production adjustments.

"We are maximizing plant efficiency, prioritizing production and improving our delivery efficiency to help our customers get through this," says Ken Farrish, president of Atlas Roofing. "We will be upfront about available supply and pricing and will not intentionally overcommit or overpromise our capabilities during this unstable period."

Atlas Roofing has initiated an Inventory Control Program with the purpose of offering a more continuous supply of the most commonly purchased thicknesses. The program will reduce line-change interruptions at the company's polyisocyanurate insulation plants to help shorten lead times. Through this program, the product will be available in standard thicknesses ranging from 1 inch (25 mm) to 4 inches (102 mm).

OSHA official resigns

Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao has announced the resignation of Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) John L. Henshaw, who left the Department of Labor Dec. 31.

Henshaw had more than 26 years' experience directing environmental, safety and health programs in the chemical industry; served as president of the American Industrial Hygiene Association and bio-environmental engineer in the U.S. Air National Guard; and became head of OSHA Aug. 3, 2001.

During Henshaw's tenure, OSHA exceeded inspection goals and created hundreds of alliances and partnerships to promote safety and health.

"As head of OSHA, John Henshaw has demonstrated outstanding leadership, great wisdom and sincere concern for the safety and health of America's workers," Chao says. "John's efforts have been instrumental in creating safer and more healthful workplaces. Under his leadership, workplace fatalities have declined to record lows, and fatalities among Hispanic workers, which had been increasing since 1995, have been reduced by nearly 12 percent since 2001."

"Hailstorm chaser" is accused of fraud

According to www.ChicagoBusiness.com, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has filed a consumer fraud lawsuit against Robert K. Olson and his roofing company, Hail Restoration Inc., Elgin, Ill.

The lawsuit alleges Olson took money for work he did not perform or performed below standard, defrauding people in Cook, DuPage, Lake and Will counties of $225,000. Madigan is charging him with violating the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act and the Home Repair and Modeling Act. Madigan's office has received 52 consumer complaints against Olson and the company since February 2004 with more than a dozen of the complaints coming from senior citizens.

The lawsuit alleges Olson, who has been dubbed the "hailstorm chaser," went door-to-door claiming storms had damaged homeowners' roof systems and offering to repair the roofs and negotiate with customers' insurance companies with regard to settlements. Olson denies fraud and claims he has fallen behind and would like the chance to finish the work and report his progress to the Cook County Circuit Court.

The lawsuit also seeks to stop home repairs by the defendants, asking for a civil penalty of $50,000 and additional penalties of $50,000 per violation found to be committed with the intent to defraud. It also asks for $10,000 per violation committed against a person 65 years old or older and an order for the defendants to pay restitution to consumers.

The Office of the Attorney General filed at least two consumer fraud lawsuits against Olson during the 1990s; the cases still are pending.

A note from Bill Good

We've all heard heartwarming stories about the efforts to provide relief to the victims of the tsunami that struck southeast Asia, but the most incredible story I've heard is one that strikes close to home.

Vijay Puniani, father of Professional Roofing editor Ambika Puniani Bailey, made the decision to go to India personally to help. Vijay will be leaving this month and plans to visit Indian families in the coastal villages who have lost their homes—and, in many cases, their means to earn a living. His plan is to put all the money he raises (including $10,000 of his own money) into an escrow fund in India. The money will be managed by a local bank and will be released to local vendors and contractors for the sole purpose of rebuilding homes and small businesses. None of the money will be used to pay for administrative costs, and no cash will be given directly to the victims.

Vijay has created a tax-deductible vehicle for contributions. Any readers interested in helping can make a contribution as follows:

Rebuilding Lives
c/o Vijay Puniani
1485 Sand Creek Drive
Chesterton, IN 46304

—Bill Good