Like fighter pilots on combat missions over hostile territory, roofing contractors are never alone when it truly comes to making critical decisions and operational success. True, life-and-death situations thousands of feet in the air may seem more dramatic than standing on a rooftop, but doing it right the first time — maybe the only time — is just as important to both. And it doesn’t happen without a good wingman.

That was the thrust of Lt. Col. Rob “Waldo” Waldman’s remarks to kick-off IRE 2017 in Las Vegas as he delivered the keynote address Wednesday morn-ing at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. The event was sponsored by Malarkey Roofing Products.