Jackpot!

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Roofing professionals met in Las Vegas Feb. 12-16 for NRCA's 119th Annual Convention and Washington, D.C.-based Hanley Wood's 2006 International Roofing Expo. Amid the tempting chaos of Las Vegas, roofing professionals attended the trade show and educational sessions, as well as NRCA's convention events. This year's trade show boasted 9,037 attendees and 975 booths with more than 435 exhibiting companies.

Following are some highlights.

Breakfast of champions

At the Member Breakfast, NRCA presented the Charlie Raymond Award to GAF Materials Corp., Wayne, N.J., for recruiting nine new members. The annual award is named for former NRCA President and J.A. Piper Award Winner Charlie Raymond and awarded to the NRCA member who recruited the most members during the past year.

NRCA also announced the winners of The Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress' Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards. MVP Award winners are roofing workers from throughout the U.S. who exhibit outstanding on-the-job performance; attract new roofing workers and help retain existing ones; contribute to a team effort; are involved with community service and volunteerism; and participate in other noteworthy contributions and activities. Nominees do not hold positions higher than foreman. Following are the 2005 MVP Award winners:

• Mid-Atlantic Region—Doug Chandler, Centimark Corp., Canonsburg, Pa.
• South Atlantic Region—Brian Heying, James R. Walls Contracting Co. Inc., Clinton, Mass.
• East North Central Region—Bill Koren, The Durable Slate Co., Columbus, Ohio
• West North Central Region—Russ Lehman, Schwickert's Inc., a Tecta America company, Mankato, Minn.
• Winner At Large—Robert Madeley, Gooding, Simpson & Mackes Inc., Ephrata, Pa.
• Pacific Region—Hector Orozco, Enterprise Roofing Service Inc., Concord, Calif.
• Winner At Large—Omar Radi, Centimark Corp., Lakeland, Fla.

A worthy cause

ROOFPAC, NRCA's political action committee, raised about $175,000 through its annual golf, tennis and sporting clays tournaments and biennial auction. About $100,000 will support campaigns for probusiness candidates for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives who support NRCA's legislative agenda. See "Resources," page 68, for more information.

Speak up

This year's International Roofing Expo keynote speaker was Barry Asmus, senior economist of the National Center for Policy Analysis, Dallas, who presented "The Best is Yet to Come."

Asmus opened by revealing an optimistic view of the economy: "The good news is that the bad news is wrong."

Asmus listed his good news by saying the U.S. economy will experience a strong business expansion because of solid demographics and population growth; historically low inflation and interest rates; productivity; and low taxes.

"The best is yet to come for America," he says, "but even more important is the best is yet to come for the world as it moves toward capitalism, markets and entrepreneurships."

In addition, the National Roofing Legal Resource Center breakfast featured roofing industry speakers, including Dick Baxter, president of CRS Inc., Monroe, N.C.; René M. Dupuis, principal of Structural Research Inc., Middleton, Wis.; Tom Hutchinson, principal of Hutchinson Design Group Ltd., Barrington, Ill.; and Stephen M. Phillips, partner with the law firm Hendrick, Phillips, Salzman & Flatt, Atlanta.

Their topics spanned TPO research; ACQ-treated wood; metal and SBS-modified asphalt roof system installation; and immigration, environmental and litigation issues.

Walking the red carpet

Attendees dressed up and stepped out on the red carpet for NRCA's Oscar Night. Various awards were presented during the evening, including the Gold Circle Awards, which were created in 1995 to recognize outstanding contributions to the roofing industry.

NRCA members won Gold Circle Awards in the following categories:

• Outstanding workmanship: low-slope—Carlson Racine Roofing & Sheet Metal Inc., Racine, Wis., for The Johnson Athletic Center, Racine
• Outstanding workmanship: steep-slope—The Durable Slate Co. for First United Methodist Church, Lancaster, Ohio; Interstate Roofing & Waterproofing Inc., Onalaska, Wis., for St. Patrick Catholic Church, Waukon, Iowa; and Ruff Roofers Inc., Baltimore, for the Johns Hopkins Hospital Landmark Buildings, Baltimore
• Innovative solutions: new construction—Keystone Roofing Inc., Oceanside, Calif., for Semper Fit Field House, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
• Innovative solutions: reroofing—Clark's Quality Roofing, Murray, Utah, for The Shops at Arizona Center, Phoenix
• Service to the community—Denchfield Roofing Corp., Silver Spring, Md., for Shirley's Place, Washington, D.C.
• Safety solutions—Capeway Roofing Systems Inc., Westport, Mass., for Connecticut College, Luce Field House, New London, Conn.; Carlson Racine Roofing & Sheet Metal for The Johnson Athletic Center; The Durable Slate Co. for First United Methodist Church; Houck Services Inc., Harrisburg, Pa., for Scarlett Place Condominiums, Baltimore; and Interstate Roofing & Waterproofing for St. Patrick Catholic Church

NRCA also presented its Excellence in Design Award to W.P. Hickman Systems Inc., Solon, Ohio, for its work on Hammerschlag Hall, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh. The company transformed the building's 3,982-square-foot (370-m²) deteriorating ballasted EPDM roof into a green roof with the help of Carnegie Mellon University's architecture and engineering students. Designed to monitor energy use and stormwater runoff, the roof system features electrical monitors to track roof system temperature and rainwater runoff; layers that include a concrete deck, thermal insulation and waterproofing membrane, protection and storage layer, drainage and capillary layer, root-penetrable filter layer, extensive growing media and vegetation; and grasses, perennial plants and flowers, and a small pond on the rooftop.

In addition, NRCA recognized Future Executives Institute (FEI) graduate Beth Gloss for completing its three-year program. FEI is designed to help future and current leaders of roofing companies develop their management and leadership skills.

Perhaps the most anticipated award of the night was the industry's most prestigious award, the J.A. Piper Award, which was presented to Steven Kruger, president of L.E. Schwartz & Son Inc., Macon, Ga.

Former NRCA President and 2005 J.A. Piper Award winner Chuck Bechtel presented the award to Kruger, who was NRCA president from 1998-99 and has been highly involved with NRCA.

"There are few people in the industry who can match his level of involvement or his achievements, and it's not surprising given the reputation his company has for being involved in his community," Bechtel says. "Beneath this remarkable list of accomplishments is a man we all have come to admire and respect and one I am proud to call my friend."

Kruger served as NRCA senior vice president from 1997-98, vice president from 1991-93 and 1995-97, and on the board of directors from 1986-89 and 1993-96. He has been chairman of many NRCA committees, including the Affiliate Relations Committee; Audit, Budget & Finance Committee; Industry Advisory Committee; International Relations Committee; Manual Update Committee; and Technical Operations Committee.

Kruger has served as president, senior vice president and member of various other NRCA committees and has been a leader in many trade and professional organizations.

"This is just a wonderful and special thing for me," Kruger says. "And it isn't just for me ... this industry is family."

First presented in 1948, the J.A. Piper Award is given to roofing professionals who have demonstrated outstanding service to NRCA and the roofing industry. The award is named for former NRCA President Joseph A. Piper, whose extraordinary efforts kept the association afloat during the Great Depression.

NRCA's newly elected 2006-07 officers and directors also were recognized at the Oscar Night dinner. See ""Resources," page 68, for their names.

Looking ahead

NRCA's 119th Annual Convention and the 2006 International Roofing Expo were successful and brought roofing industry professionals together to network and obtain valuable information. NRCA's 120th Annual Convention and the 2007 International Roofing Expo will be held March 6-8 and will return to Las Vegas for more glitz, glamour and unforgettable experiences.

Krista Reisdorf is managing editor of Professional Roofing magazine.