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Chuck Chapman, Vice President of Central Roofing Co. of Arizona in Glendale, Ariz., and President of the Western States Roofing Contractors Association, noted that geography was a big factor in the performance of roofing contractors in 2008, as some states saw the housing market decline more than others while others saw a high level of storm activity.

“Duct tape yourself to the saddle - it’s going to be a rodeo ride,” said Chip Macdonald when asked about the economic outlook in 2009. Macdonald owns Best Safety, a Cambridge, N.Y.-based company that offers safety program implementation and management to companies of all sizes.

Mitch Reaves, President and CEO of N.B. Handy, is hopeful that business will pick up in the last half of 2009, but he doesn’t expect activity to be as high as it was in the first half of 2008, and he notes there are no guarantees it will improve from current levels. “A lot of investors and individuals are sitting on the sidelines waiting for the dust to settle,” he said.

In a tight economy, diversification can be a good idea, and Mike Schwarz, Manager of Pricing and Merchandise Analysis for ABC Supply, said distributors can help contractors expand their range of offerings as they keep them apprised of pricing issues.

“I think 2008 was a better year than was planned for by many,” said Rob Therrien, President of the National Roofing Contractors Association. “New construction on the residential side stayed down but both low slope and steep slope reroofing was steady from what I experienced and heard quite often. Many regions of the country reported that they had a good year - nowhere near as abysmal as our media portrayed.

Brad Segal, President of Bradco Supply, saw some bright spots in 2008, but noted the weak economy is likely to impact revenues in 2009. “While many sectors and markets within the industry were down significantly in 2008, the roofing industry overall fared better than most people expected,” said Segal.

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.

Allen Bradley is the CEO and President of Amerisafe Inc., a provider of high hazard workers compensation insurance. With approximately 40 percent of its business in the construction industry, including more than 8 percentage points of premium from roofing contractors, the economic downturn is taking its toll on Amerisafe’s clients.

Perhaps no segment of an industry has its finger on the pulse of the market quite like its distributors. With strong connections to both their manufacturing partners and the contractors they serve, distributors have a firsthand look at both the local and national level.

After 30 years in the roll-forming industry with 27 of those years in the development and maintenance of gutter and roofing machines, I can tell you the maintenance of these machines is just like taking care of any piece of fine equipment - if you service and maintain it properly, you’re inclined to get many good years of performance from it.