A slowing economy impacted the commercial roofing industry
in 2008, but Chris Salazar, Vice President Sales & Marketing for Karnak
Corp., expects coatings and maintenance products to show an increase in sales
in 2009.
A slowing economy impacted the commercial roofing industry
in 2008, but Chris Salazar, Vice President Sales & Marketing for Karnak
Corp., expects coatings and maintenance products to show an increase in sales
in 2009.
“There is no doubt that the price of oil-related
raw-materials, the higher cost of gas, and the slowing economy played a
significant role in slowing down the commercial roofing industry,” Salazar
said. “While there were some regions that had an increase in business, the
majority of the states had a slowdown.”
However, Salazar
said coating and maintenance-related products will enjoy a “significant
increase in 2009” as building owners and contractors take advantage of the
reduced budget options these products allow.
“Building
owners are looking for lower-cost solutions to get them through these tough
times,” said Salazar, who noted contractors should focus on maintenance in 2009.
“There
is no doubt that building owners or managers will select maintenance options
over replacement given the current state of our economy,” Salazar said.
“Contractors that familiarize themselves with these options will reap the benefits
of receptive building owners and managers.”
Of course,
Salazar said there are events that might suddenly change the best-laid plans
for 2009.
“Short of a miracle improving the economy in the
first half, there is very little that can change the reduced budget direction
that building owners and managers will be taking this year,” he
said.
One area that will be sure to shows signs of upward
mobility is energy efficiency, Salazar said. “Energy efficiency continues to be
a hot trend, and coatings offer the most economic - and least disruptive - way
of obtaining these efficiencies on the roof.”
Salazar
believes products that do not offer sustainability benefits would continue to
“decline as the market moves toward sustainable options.”
“Products
like reflective coatings that offer tangible energy savings and sustainable
benefits are still in the infancy stages of growth -- growth that is sure to
continue for decades,” he said.