How would you assess the state of the roofing industry in 2026?

LF: Every year brings significant challenges, but roofers are resilient, and that’s what defines this industry. The leadership team here at AccuLynx is very optimistic heading into 2026. Year after year, we’ve seen increased demand for roofing tech and utilization of the AccuLynx platform. Not only will Mother Nature continue to come knocking, but roofs will also continue to age, necessitating repair. So roofing contractors will continue to look for ways to optimize their operations despite any single year or event.

What trends from the past year will you continue to watch in 2026?

LF: We saw more consolidation across the industry, and expect this trend to continue into 2026. In the last few years alone, we’ve helped hundreds of PE firms and roofing company operators navigate the complexities of integration. Leveraging those experiences, we’ve developed a number of new enterprise-specific solutions to support these entities, including improved multi-location management and portfolio-wide performance tracking. Our scalable infrastructure has been a key factor in amplifying a PE-backed roofing company’s success.

Despite being a tech company, how did tariffs or increased immigration enforcement impact your mission?

LF: Anything that impacts our customers can certainly have an impact on our business, and this year’s tariff and immigration enforcement highlighted the importance of several AccuLynx modules in new ways. For example, our mobile crew management tools proved to be more critical than ever for many of our customers. Similarly, our distributor integrations, which allow our customers to create a job estimate based on their preferred branch’s available materials and their actual cost inclusive of distributor discounts, helped our customers proactively manage fluctuating pricing.

Our annual survey of roofing contractors showed a lot of optimism in the marketplace. Do you share it?

LF: We share that same optimism, as we continue to see tech-savvy roofing companies prosper despite economic headwinds. By automating different aspects of their work behind the scenes, Acculynx customers not only have a significant advantage to win and take on more jobs, but they also operate with lower overhead.

What economic factors will play the biggest role in a roofing contractor’s success in the coming year?

LF: : I think all economic factors (inflation, insurance costs, material availability, and labor) will play a role in the coming year. The question is how much of a role will they play? Companies leveraging smart technology running efficient operations will have the most success because they are the ones best positioned to navigate challenges and adapt to change.

What product categories or new tech capabilities are you excited about moving forward?

LF: I’m most excited about technology playing a more integrated role. Contractors have access to all of these amazing tools—measurement, estimating, production management, communication, etc.—but there’s nothing worse than having a disjointed collection of apps that don’t communicate with each other. This creates friction and errors. In 2026, I predict we’ll see more of a push towards centralized data management, and that’s the beauty of AccuLynx. It’s not just another tool; it’s your central hub and your single source of truth. With AccuLynx, contractors don’t have to comb through multiple systems--they only need one. It just makes everyone’s lives easier and I think we’ll continue to see growing demand for this kind of operational simplicity.

How is your company/organization responding to the growing consolidation and private equity involvement in the roofing industry?

LF: This continues to be a focus area for us. In the last couple of years, we’ve released a number of updates and new tools tailored to address the unique needs of PE-backed roofing companies, including improved multi-location management, more account settings and customization options, an accounting integration with Sage, and DataMart, our enterprise-level data and analytics solution. The AccuLynx platform has always been scalable, which is why AccuLynx has been a natural fit for these larger, consolidated entities.

Were there any significant improvements or product innovations completed over the year?

LF: Last year, we continued to invest in resources to further serve our customers and enhance our products, specifically expanding our software development and customer support teams. For many tech companies, product innovation is the sole focus. But at AccuLynx, we’re equally focused on customer experience. In fact, our average case resolution time is only 9 minutes, which means our customers are getting solutions and answers fast. As our customer base continues to grow, it’s essential that we continue to deliver the service that has always set us apart.

What are you proudest of about your organization as the new year gets underway?

LF: I’m incredibly proud of our business--and the industry as a whole. Over the years, we’ve invested a lot of time, energy and capital into making AccuLynx a game-changer for roofing contractors. And as AccuLynx has grown and evolved over the years, so has our customers’ businesses, which has been our sole mission since day 1 - helping roofing contractors grow.