EagleView Technologies joins NRCA's One Voice initiative
EagleView Technologies Inc., Bothell, Wash., has joined NRCA's One Voice initiative and upgraded its associate membership to "partner member."
The One Voice initiative aims to unite the roofing industry and speak with one voice regarding matters of industry importance, as well as collectively recognize threats to the industry and the opportunities they may present. The One Voice initiative currently is focused on developing a national worker training and certification program; legislative efforts to effect meaningful change in Washington, D.C.; and advocacy.
Additional information about NRCA's One Voice initiative, including a list of the 23 current One Voice partner members, is available by clicking here.
Professional Roofing's redesign wins national and regional awards
NRCA is proud to announce Professional Roofing magazine received two awards for magazine redesign from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE). On April 19, Professional Roofing won ASBPE's silver award for Magazine Redesign in the Upper Midwest Regional category during a banquet dinner in Chicago, and on May 10, Professional Roofing won ASBPE's national silver award for Magazine Redesign during the 2018 B2B Media Success Conference in Washington, D.C.
Also known as the Azbee Awards of Excellence, ASBPE's annual awards program celebrates business-to-business print, digital and online publication excellence. Judging considerations for the magazine redesign category included the quality of the graphics, typography, photography, and layout and design; the appropriateness of the design to the magazine's mission and industry served; the publication's editorial organization; variety of presentation formats; and usefulness and functionality.
Professional Roofing's redesign process began in 2015 when Readex Research conducted a Reader Study to determine the editorial needs and interests of readers. The study's results were used to guide changes made to the magazine, and Professional Roofing launched its redesign in June 2017.
Students win Melvin Kruger Endowed Scholarships
The Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress has announced the winners of its Melvin Kruger Endowed Scholarship for the 2018-19 academic year.
This year's new scholarship recipients are Elaina Krumholz, Sheboygan, Wis., daughter of Erik Krumholz, sales representative for Tremco Inc., Beachwood, Ohio; John Paynter, Hillsborough, N.C., son of Bill Paynter, manufacturer representative for Duro-Last® Inc., Saginaw, Mich.; and Cameron Tickerhoff (Firestone Scholarship), Bridgeport, Ohio, son of Joshua Tickerhoff, foreman for Kalkreuth Roofing and Sheet Metal Inc., Wheeling, W.Va.
 Krumholz |
 Paynter |
 Tickerhoff |
The Melvin Kruger Endowed Scholarship Program, which permanently replaced the Alliance's previous scholarship program in 2008, provides recipients with $5,000 per year based on eligibility for up to four years of enrollment at an accredited college, university or vocational-technical school. NRCA contractor or supplier member companies' full-time employees or their immediate family members are eligible for the merit-based scholarships, which are granted without regard to race, color, creed, religion, age, gender, disability or national origin.
In addition, the Alliance renewed eight Melvin Kruger Endowed Scholarships for the 2018-19 academic year. The recipients include Nicholas Calvert, Wellsburg, W.Va., who is attending West Virginia University, Morgantown; Christian Cole, Dallas, Ga., who is attending Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Ga., and was awarded the Dan Cohen Scholarship; Salvador Flores Garcia, San Jose, Calif., who is attending University of California, Berkeley, and was awarded the Beacon Roofing Supply Scholarship; Jonah Manson, Solon, Iowa, who is attending Iowa State University, Ames; Sophia McGuire, Indianapolis, who is attending University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, and was awarded the William A. Good Scholarship; Lillian McKenzie, Columbia, S.C., who is attending Clemson University, Clemson, S.C., and was awarded the OMG® Roofing Products Inc. Scholarship; Alyssa Merna, Brighton, Mich., who is attending Olivet Nazarene University, Bourbonnais, Ill., and was awarded the Firestone Scholarship; and Ivy Rivas, Tujunga, Calif., who is attending University of California, Davis, and was awarded the Fred Good Scholarship.
The Alliance awarded $40,000 for scholarship renewals and $15,000 for three new scholarships for a total of $55,000 for the 2018-19 school year. To date, 125 students have received $790,000 in scholarship awards.
Additional information about the Melvin Kruger Endowed Scholarship Program is available by clicking here.
California Energy Commission approves solar panel standard
On May 9, the California Energy Commission voted unanimously to recommend energy-efficiency standards for the state, including a standard requiring solar panels on virtually all new houses built after Jan. 1, 2020. If the standard is approved, California will be the first state to require solar panels on new homes.
The requirement applies to single-family homes and apartment and condominium complexes as high as three stories. Smaller solar panel installations are permitted for cases in which space is limited; the solar panel installation requirement may be waived if space is too limited or neighboring structures shade rooftops.
Solar installations have become increasingly cost-effective in recent years and currently are included in more than 15,000 houses built in California each year. With the new standard, that number would increase to 80,000—the number of new houses constructed in California annually.
The average estimated cost of a solar system is $9,500, or $40 per month over a 30-year mortgage; however, the systems are projected to save customers an average of $80 per month on their utility bills.
The solar panel standard next goes before the California Building Standards Commission, which typically adopts recommendations from the energy commission. The group is expected to address the matter in October or November.
U.S. construction worker wages are increasing significantly
Wages for U.S. construction workers have increased significantly since the beginning of 2017, outpacing wage growth for all private sector U.S. workers during the same period, according to www.agc.org.
Wages for all private sector workers have increased steadily—between 2.6 percent and 2.9 percent year-over-year—since the beginning of 2017, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. At the beginning of 2017, construction worker wages were increasing about 2.5 percent per year, but construction worker wages now are increasing 3.8 percent per year. Residential construction worker wages have increased the most since the beginning of 2017 from about 2.4 percent to 5 percent per year.
The recent increase in construction wages reflects the ongoing labor shortage within the industry though average wages in the residential construction industry historically have been higher than average wages of private sector U.S. workers. In early 2006, residential construction wages were on average 16 percent higher than average private sector wages. During the Great Recession, construction activity lessened and residential construction wages decreased significantly until they were nearly equal to average private sector wages by the end of 2011. As the demand for residential construction increased post-recession, residential construction wages recovered, and by March 2018, the average residential construction wage was 13.7 percent higher than the average private sector wage.
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