After a year of adjustments brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, roofing contractors again spent the bulk of 2021 pivoting. But it wasn’t health and safety concerns that had them spinning. Instead, it was hang-ups with the supply chain, a lack of certain materials and volatile prices and roofing on the product they could find.

During the fall, roofing leaders from all sectors of the industry – contractors, manufacturers and suppliers – addressed the problems on a nationwide town hall call facilitated by the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA), and gave a grim prognosis in terms of finding relief early this year. While the supply-chain shortages continue to be a topic of conversation industrywide, representatives from the different portions of the industry haven’t come together since then to discuss ways of moving forward.

That will change on Feb. 3 at the International Roofing Expo. Trent Cotney and John Kenney of Cotney Attorneys & Consultants will lead a discussion featuring contractor Leo Ibarra, IB Roof Systems CEO Jason Stanley and Craig Brightup, CEO of The Brightup Group.

“This will be really the first time since that (NRCA) call that we’ll have voices from different areas of the industry together to talk about this critically important issue. I’m really looking forward to it,” said Cotney, CEO and founder of Cotney Attorneys & Consultants.

Attendees will hear first-hand from the legal, consulting, manufacturer, and commercial contractor points of view on how they’re finding pathways to success.

Adjusting to pricing changes for materials became a way of life, particularly for commercial roofers over the past 18 months. So did getting creative in the search of alternatives to keep jobs moving.

“Just like with pricing, we worked closely with manufacturers to ensure whatever products we were using within their system was fully warrantable,” said Ibarra, vice president of Blue’s Roofing in California and former past president of the Western States Roofing Contractors Association. 

“Some were more lenient than others, but we managed and continue to manage through it successfully.”

What You Will Get

• Learn the latest negotiation tactics involving material volatility

• Understand the current issues with material availability

• Get a realistic forecast of the months ahead

• Identify key contract provisions on the materials issue

• Develop successful strategies for negotiating material-related delays and price increases.