As Day Two of the 2025 International Roofing Expo unfolds at the Henry B. González Convention Center, a seismic shift continues reshaping the roofing sector: Latino contractors are driving innovation, inclusivity, and economic growth. 

As the premier event in the roofing industry, IRE acts as a barometer for market conditions. This year’s show has made evident that roofing’s strides to embrace diversity are yielding dividends for native Spanish-language contractors and industry professionals.

From bilingual training programs to targeted industry awards, the roofing landscape is adapting to better serve this dynamic community, which now represents 30% of the U.S. construction workforce and over 70% of new labor force growth in roofing since 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The roofing sector has begun prioritizing bridging language and cultural gaps in earnest to empower its rapidly growing Latino workforce. Bilingual training programs, such as GAF’s Latinos in Roofing Summit, now focus on technical skills and business acumen, including cash flow management and insurance claims navigation.

Cultural competency workshops, like those offered by Latinos En Roofing, a nonprofit founded by Amparo Sancen in 2022, address systemic barriers such as language access and mentorship gaps.

According to an opinion piece in Profesional Roofing, the key to this transformation is the recognition that 74% of Latino workers prefer Spanish for complex communication, even if they are bilingual.

Manufacturers like Owens Corning responded by launching Spanish-language resources, including the OCU 2.0 training platform, while distributors such as SRS Distribution provide hotlines for real-time Spanish support.

At this year’s IRE, sessions like “5 Keys to Sell Safety to Latinos” and “How to Start with Commercial Projects,” presented in Spanish, highlight the industry’s commitment to inclusivity.

“We’re not just translating content — we’re rebuilding systems to meet their needs,” said Alan Lopez, GAF’s Manager of Bilingual Training, who noted that 95% of attendees at GAF’s expos are former installers transitioning to business ownership.

"We are able to help them with business classes, finance classes, understanding cashflow and how to generate it, to track it, teach them a little bit about profit and loss," Lopez added.

Manufacturers Embrace Inclusivity

Leading manufacturers are investing heavily in Latino-focused initiatives. GAF’s Latinos in Roofing Expo, launched in 2022, has grown exponentially, attracting 600 contractors at its 2024 Oklahoma event alone.

The program emphasizes peer-led education, with  Master Elite contractors like Marcos Sierra teaching certification strategies. Similarly, SRS Distribution’s Para Latinos Lounge at IRE offers networking and awards like Premios Éxito, or Contractor Success Awards in English, celebrating categories such as “Community Hero” and “Emerging Contractor.”

Collaborations are also flourishing. Owens Corning partnered with advisory firm Black//Brown to develop culturally resonant marketing strategies, uncovering insights such as Latino contractors’ 70% higher likelihood to purchase materials at retail stores due to discomfort with traditional distributors.

Manufacturers and distributors are actively working to dismantle these obstacles. For instance, TAMKO and IKO have enhanced their Spanish-language instruction videos and storm-damage training initiatives to support Latino contractors more effectively.

Economic Impact of Latino Contractors

Latino entrepreneurs are redefining the industry’s economic landscape. According to Stanford’s 2023 State of Latino Entrepreneurship report, Latino-owned construction businesses grew by 57% from 2007–2022, outpacing white-owned firms by 52 points. 

By 2023, 21.3% of U.S. roofing contractors identified as Latino, a figure that was nearly unmeasurable a decade prior.

This growth is fueling market trends. Latino contractors prioritize aesthetic versatility — 53% cite color and texture as key selling points — and community trust, with 66% leveraging social media for client engagement, a rate triple that of non-Latino peers, according to a 2023 study by Black//Brown.

That influence extends to homeownership: Latinos account for 70% of U.S. homeownership growth and often directly participate in roofing installations, with 34% assisting on roofs during projects, Black//Brown stated.

 
 

El Contratista Latino Está de Moda (Latin Contractors Are in Fashion)

The commitment to diversity and inclusivity at IRE did not happen overnight. It was the result of collaborative efforts between various industry stakeholders.

The 2025 IRE underscores the industry’s evolution: a 200% increase in Spanish-language sessions — from insurance claim workshops to business scaling panels — reflects a demand for tailored education.

Last year, organizers made tremendous strides by partnering with industry leaders and associations dedicated to advancing Hispanic contractors and businesses in roofing, including the National Hispanic Contractors Association, Latinos in Roofing Association, Latinos En Roofing, Labor Central and Southeast Contracting Services.

The expo’s Para Latinos Lounge, sponsored by SRS, and bilingual signage have become staples. At the same time, the National Roofing Contractors Association now partners with advocacy groups to co-develop Spanish training content. 

Based on feedback from focus groups conducted at previous shows, seminar sessions will now be available in Spanish through Wordly AI, a real-time translation software program available on smartphones and other mobile devices.

“We want to make sure we’re accommodating as much as possible for the Hispanic community so that they come, engage, learn and educate with everybody else,” said Rich Russo, IRE’s show director. A strong belief that the Hispanic community is the backbone of roofing’s future also brought about the first educational sessions offered in Spanish on the show floor.

The expo’s EmpowerAll Together reception and Latinos En Roofing’s national seminars exemplify efforts to foster mentorship and equity. 

The rise of Latino contractors signals more than demographic change — it’s a blueprint for sustainable growth that has the potential to transform the roofing landscape.

As Latinos En Roofing’s Sancen noted, “We’re creating legacies. Every trained contractor lifts families and communities.”

With manufacturers, distributors, and trade associations discovering the enormous power of inclusivity, the roofing sector is ready to leverage this trend and propel inclusive-driven innovation for years ahead.