Manufacturers often take advantage of the spotlight at the major trade shows during the winter to launch their new products, so our editors are always on the lookout for groundbreaking products at industry events, including the International Builders' Show and the International Roofing Expo. The unique, innovative, better, stronger and faster products on display receive notice in our annual Editor's Choice coverage. The following products and services were judged as this year's standouts by our editorial staff.
Now that you've purchased the right vehicle, what should you consider when upfitting the vehicle with the necessary equipment to meet your needs? Proper upfitting relies on how closely you've examined your application, including items such as payload, annual mileage and life cycle.
Smart roofing contractors go the extra mile and learn as much as possible about the products they install. Recent industry developments and product innovations support cedar roofing materials' renewed popularity. Contractors working with cedar in 2006 know that they have to be up to speed on trends, market niches, product quality and type, as well as sales support.
The green roofing in the coming years might just be made of silicon. The market for solar energy is about as perfect as this world can create, and solar applications are on the radar screens of many roofing contractors. For many contractors, the way to greener pastures is to be the one-stop solution for rooftop needs. Reflectivity, gardens, insulation and recycling are all great ideas that can be ruined by a leak, so it's only natural that the roofing expert takes on these tasks.
A mandate for construction of four new residence halls on the campus of Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa, was to use a roof material that offered tremendous longevity. "The board of directors charged us with finding a product that would last 50 years," said Mark Godar, director of facilities management. To meet that objective, the design and construction team utilized approximately 15,000 square feet of pre-weathered blue-gray RHEINZINK® titanium zinc roof and facade panels on the four new buildings.
Kassel & Irons Ltd. launched the company's initial product, KasselWood™, in the early part of 2005. Asked how the St. Louis-based company got its start, Nick Allen, general manager of marketing and sales for Kassel & Irons, said, "Our company was created as a result of the development efforts of Precoat Metals, which has been in business for over 40 years. In addition to Precoat's support, we have the backing of our parent, Sequa Corporation, a $2 billion company listed on the New York Stock Exchange."
Two very different businesses looking for distinctive roofs to complement their corporate image found the answer in metal roofing systems. When an engineering firm and a sporting goods store wanted to develop signature roofs, they turned to Petersen Aluminum Corp., Elk Grove Village, Ill., and the manufacturer provided the materials for the unique finishing touches contractors applied to their buildings.
I have been working as a machine service technician for close to 20 years and am in my seventh year as folding machine technician. Every day in my job as a service advisor for Metal Forming Inc, I see people spend large amounts of money for repairs. Many of these repairs could have been avoided with preventive maintenance.
Sure, Cirque du Soleil and Blue Man Group might be at the pinnacle of performance art in Las Vegas these days, but the International Roofing Expo created its own stir in the city Feb. 14-16, at least as far as the roofing industry was concerned. In fact, performers from Cirque du Soleil were on hand to entertain onlookers before the ribbon-cutting ceremony that officially opened the show.
Metal roofs have topped barns, buildings and country homes in the United States since the 1700s. But today's metal roof is nothing like the familiar standing-seam tin roof of years ago. Thanks to modern technology, metal roofs are available in all colors and shades, and many styles are virtually indistinguishable from traditional asphalt shingles, cedar or slate.
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