For decades, NRCA has worked closely with its international affiliates. In particular, NRCA has extremely close relationships with its counterparts in Canada, Great Britain, Germany and China. Senior leaders of these associations communicate annually and share best practices, attend each other’s trade shows and meet face to face to discuss common areas of interest. These meetings bring a renewed sense of purpose and a better understanding and appreciation for the roofing industry’s global impact.
NRCA’s Global Strategy and International Relations committees help direct NRCA’s international relationships and activities. NRCA has a significant international membership, and it grows each year as does its influence. Every other year, NRCA’s senior leadership attends the Roof + Timber International exhibition in Germany. In 2018, the event was in Cologne, and Rockwool International, Hedehusene, Denmark, hosted the delegation for a tour at one of its manufacturing facilities as well as a tour of a 1 million-square-foot roofing project in the Netherlands.
In January 2020, NRCA is offering a study tour to any roofing professional who would like to attend Roof + Timber International in Stuttgart, Germany. The trade show is among the largest in the world, and every roofing professional would find it fascinating. Watching roofing workers who have achieved master status walk around the exhibit floor in their uniforms, demonstrating the pride they have in their trade, is quite an experience.
The study tour begins Friday, Jan. 24, 2020, with a trip to Copenhagen where the NRCA delegation will be treated to a tour by Rockwool International. If you have never seen roof insulation made from stone, I assure you it is quite an experience. Study tour participants also will have a chance to visit and sightsee in Copenhagen.
Next, the group will proceed to Stuttgart. There, attendees will have a chance to interact with manufacturers and roofing contractors from throughout Europe. There will be plenty of opportunities to enjoy the sights and cuisine of Stuttgart, which will include a tour of the Mercedes-Benz Museum—one of the best auto museums in the world. One evening will be reserved for dinner with NRCA counterparts in ZVDH, the German Association of Roofing Contractors.
Study tour participants will see and learn a lot of new things and meet and gain new friends. This is an opportunity you do not want to miss. Immediately following Roof + Timber International, many of us will go to Dallas to attend the 2020 International Roofing Expo® and NRCA’s 133rd Annual Convention, which will be the largest in history. It’s a great time to get refreshed and spend time with your peers. If you are interested in the study tour, please contact Anne Schroeder, NRCA’s director of operations and assistant to the CEO and COO, at aschroeder@nrca.net.
Speaking of the IRE, NRCA is hard at work putting together an on-site skills exam area for roofing workers seeking NRCA ProCertification™ in asphalt shingles and/or thermoplastic roof systems. The on-site exams will take place near the convention center in Dallas. NRCA is continually looking for ways to make the process of having a third-party certified workforce easier, less complicated and less expensive to achieve. By bringing the exam to the workers, it’s one more way to get this done. A special thanks goes to our partners at the Roofing Contractors Association of Texas and North Texas Roofing Contractors Association for their help in making NRCA ProCertification a success in Dallas! For more information about the event, contact Jared Ribble, NRCA’s director of Qualified Trainer and ProCertification programs, at jribble@nrca.net.
I have never been a fan of colder weather. But spending some of my winter with friends and associates from around the world makes it easy. See you in Germany!
Reid Ribble is NRCA's CEO.
@NRCA_CEO
This column is part of News + Views. Click here to read additional stories from this section.
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