In fulfilling its role as a supporter of the roofing industry, those distributors in attendance at the 2025 International Roofing Expo helped make the event one for the books.

Official attendance numbers have yet to be released for this year's show, held Feb. 19-21 at the Henry B. González Convention Center in San Antonio, but estimates put it well above 15,000, which made even the massive show floor of 600 exhibitors feel full and brimming with conversation.

Empowering Partnerships

IRE is not only about promoting the latest products and services — it serves as a critical networking event where many fruitful partnerships have formed and blossomed.

Rich Thompson, vice president of marketing at ABC Supply, said this year appeared to be a heavy traffic year for the distributor, whose two-level booth greeted attendees at one of the main entrances to the show floor. He said the main topic of conversation revolved around what technology contractors can use to simplify their business.

“We love being here at the show, we love being great stewards of the industry,” he said during an interview on RC’s Best of Success Podcast Show. “We love seeing our customers, we love seeing our manufacturer partners.”

Among the partnerships bolstered by IRE are those between distributors and manufacturers. Georgia-Pacific was among the many manufacturers unveiling new products at the show, including its DensDeck ProFast Prime Roof Road.

“Those [distributor] partnerships are extremely important. It's always good to come to these shows and spend more time on the floor, outside of the floor, in both a relaxing, professional setting developing those relationships even more,” said Laura Parker, marketing manager for Georgia-Pacific.

Among those making new partnerships was BIK Boom Trucks out of Milford, Mass., which set up a booth for the first time at IRE in its 35 years of business. It showcased knuckle-boom trucks, wallboard cranes and truck-mounted forklifts. Elemer Ivan, founder and owner, said they were much busier than they anticipated.

“We met a lot of not just large companies who run multiple trucks and have a fleet of knuckle-boom trucks and trucks on forklifts, but we met a lot of independent stores, mom-and-pop types of shops,” he said. “There’s a real great dynamic variety of roofing supply companies, both small and large, and for us, it’s been a success.”

Independent distributors made their presence known as well. The Independent Distributor Alliance Corporation, or IDAC, once again hosted a hospitality event before the IRE kicked off, giving members the chance to pick each other’s brains and reconnect. Others, like SPAR-Marathon Roofing Supplies out of Canada, had booths set up amidst the packed show floor.

Supporting Women in Roofing

Hundreds of women attended the 2025 NWIR Days conference prior to the IRE. Photo by Bilaal Khan

This year’s NWIR Days featured a twist on the traditional format, inviting attendees out a day in advance for fun networking events like book discussions, yoga, and an evening at the Natural Bridge Caverns, a cave system located 18 stories below Texas.

On Feb. 17, NWIR Days hosted about 500 women attending 32 educational sessions held throughout the day. Professionals from Beacon Building Products, Richards Building Supply and SRS Distribution were among the presenters holding sessions on topics like leadership, digital trends and solar.

“As founding members of NWIR we have been behind the organization and its mission from the beginning,” said Jennifer Lewis, vice president of communications and corporate social responsibility for Beacon.

“Empowering women in roofing has an incredible multiplier effect,” she added. “We are seeing the number of young women joining our Leadership Training program out of college continue to rise and that’s because they see role models and women willing to mentor and include them in this dynamic industry.”

Julia Farrell, president of WRYKER Construction Supply in Salisbury, N.C., returned for her company’s second year exhibiting at IRE, setting up a booth to speak with potential customers about its safety-oriented products. However, this was the first time she attended NWIR Days, saying it made her feel welcomed at roofing’s largest event.

“It was an amazing event for any women in the industry,” she said. “I had an excellent time meeting other women in the industry. There are plenty of women in this space who are willing to share their knowledge.”

Latinos Thrive at IRE

Attendees at the Para Latinos booth during the 2025 IRE.
Photo by Bilaal Khan

The roofing industry continued its support of the Latino and Spanish-speaking community. IRE show coordinators ensured signage was posted in multiple languages and offered Wordly, an AI translation software, that translated and transcribed educational sessions.

Latinos En Roofing, supported by ABC Supply, could be found throughout the show presenting seminars in Spanish, whether it was IRE sessions or at NWIR Days. Thompson said the partnership is about supporting a segment that’s long been a part of the industry.

“We support them by hiring managers, outside salespeople, inside salespeople, that speak their native language. Now we want to educate them, give them business 101 tools,” he said.

SRS Distribution returned with its Para Latinos lounge for its fourth year, where it held 15 seminars in Spanish covering topics like sales tactics and how to identify roof damage. This included presentations from its “Most Valuable Presenters,” a selection of successful contractors sharing their knowledge with others.

“I’ve always been a believer of having an actual contractor who is doing the work and is in that contractor’s shoes be able to guide, mentor, and really relate with what practices are the best practices,” said Julissa Chavez, director of marketing at SRS Distribution.

Like previous years, Para Latinos recognized outstanding members of the industry with its Premios Exito awards. Winners were selected in four categories: contractor of the year, emerging contractor, successful woman in roofing, and community leaders.

Chavez said each year the programming is expanded, as is the booth, to accommodate the increasing number of Latinos attending IRE. The booth doubles as a way for vendors to connect with Hispanic contractors.

“It’s day three and the booth is still packed,” Chavez said on the final day of the show. “We’re just happy to be able to be a part of IRE another year.”