Focus

I happened to be in St. Louis visiting my sister and her family during the flooding that took place there in late December. Her chimney started leaking water into the house, and we wondered whether it was a flashing problem or masonry issue. I watched as my sister went to her iPad and searched for "roofing contractor" and "chimney installer." I asked her what she was doing. Her reply? "I'm trying to find someone to come fix this problem, and I don't know where to look."

I told her to turn to professional associations for help. I sent her to NRCA's consumer website, www.everybodyneedsaroof.com, and the Mason Contractors Association of America to look for contractors in her area who are association members.

All the contractors she called asked how she found their companies, and she said their association's website led her to them. I was there when NRCA member Delta Exteriors LLC, St. Louis, came to her house, and I saw how pleased the guys were to discover how NRCA was helping them obtain leads.

One masonry contractor told my sister any of the contractors she would have called from the association list would have been good choices—he said his association provides educational offerings that train its members better than any other organization.

The masonry contractor's comment about his competitors reminded me of the camaraderie I often see among competitors in the roofing industry. Being part of something bigger lights a spark that drives them toward setting aside competitive differences and working together to achieve great things.

If you happen to be in Orlando, Fla., this month as part of NRCA's 129th Annual Convention and the 2016 International Roofing Expo,® I urge you to stop by NRCA's booth (No. 939) on the trade show floor and share why your membership is important to you. And if you haven't yet joined NRCA or have let your membership lapse, perhaps now is the perfect time to light that spark.

Incidentally, my sister's leak was a masonry problem, but she has recommended NRCA's consumer site as a resource to numerous friends in the area who experienced roof leaks.

Ambika Puniani Bailey is editor of Professional Roofing and NRCA's vice president of communications and production.