A bizarre incident occurred near my community last winter that holds lessons for everyone in the business world. A suburban commuter train filled with hundreds of passengers during the morning rush was delayed for almost two hours while local police searched for a man aboard with a gun.
With the recent passing of Mr. Charlie Raymond, 87, of Florida, the roofing industry lost a titan. Out of the day-to-day business of being a roofing contractor for over 20 years, he never really “retired” from the roofing industry.
In the current economy we see more and more contractors losing money. It’s a no-brainer to cut your field force when you have nothing for them to do. Unfortunately, too many contractors mistakenly think that cutting field wages solves their cash problems.
Flashings are the most common source of roof problems. Leaks often occur at these areas due to improper termination design, improper workmanship or use of inappropriate materials. Oftentimes flashing design is omitted from project specifications and it falls upon the roofing contractor to provide guidance in these locations.
My good friend, Tom, caught me by surprise the other day. My pastor needed some help with the storm-damaged roof on his home and I was on the phone with Tom discussing how he might help out. He said something to the effect of, “You still writing the ‘good news’ editorial in the roofing magazine?” I bit my tongue, and instead of responding with, “Yeah, why the hell are you not reading it every month?” I asked what he meant with the “good news” comment.
Amazing, isn’t it, that 41 years after being honorably discharged from the service, this veteran can still recite his military serial number instantly. I’m pretty sure I could still field strip an M-14 rifle as well. (OK, I might poke myself in the eye trying to present arms, but close order drill was never my favorite thing.) The U.S. military has its wacky ways, but I have to admit military training sure does lock in the lessons intended.
Metal roofs are now common sights on schools, shopping plazas, churches and municipal buildings. The aesthetic value of metal roof systems is making them more appealing to the architectural community.
When you are struggling to sell your higher end products, introduce less expensive options. You will be surprised to discover that your clients still purchase the more expensive goods. The response results from a psychological phenomenon called the Law of Contrast. When two options are presented side-by-side, the law of contrast reveals that people will choose the preferred option even at a higher price.
Things are tight and still getting tighter. How much can we cut our already lean bids and still get the job? If we eventually win the bid, can our crew feasibly get it done given the M-L-E (material, labor, equipment) ratio so common these days? If we unfortunately forgot something critical in the estimate, is there enough “fat” somewhere to balance the loss or will the profit column have to take the hit? What if four “weather days” in September turn unexpectedly into 14 come October?
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