Fact is, by the time you read this the 2007 tropical storm season will be officially under way. That makes this a good time to get ready for what may come.
One of the most daunting tasks the owner of a roof-contracting firm faces is in controlling costs. We tend to focus most of our time and energy on big-ticket items such as payroll, insurance, fleet and facilities. Some “leaks” can be so small that they are barely noticeable, but they can grow into big problems if left alone.
The International Roofing Expo continues to solidify its reputation as the must-attend industry event, and this year’s show set records for the number of attendees and exhibits. The 2007 IRE, the third edition of the show since it has been owned and managed by Hanley Wood Exhibitions, was held March 6-8 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The space this column takes up each month is set aside as part of the overall mission of Roofing Contractor to help you succeed in your roofing business. In February you were urged to take advantage of one of the industry’s premier educational events - the International Roofing Expo (IRE) held in conjunction with the National Roofing Contractors Association’s annual convention. I hereby claim one “I told you so” to those of you who missed out on attending.
What makes one roofing job a little more special than the next? A particularly finicky client, or perhaps a building with historical significance? How about a demanding set of specifications or a particularly daunting set of logistical challenges? Or the constraints of a schedule that allows almost no room for error? The reroofing project at Union Station (Old Montgomery Train Station) is one that featured a little (and sometimes a lot) of each.
If you still do not believe there is an emerging market for “green” and “sustainable” roofing, you really have to start paying better attention to current events. Throughout 2006, we witnessed report after report on the dangers of global warming and humankind’s activities that are exacerbating the problem.
My good friend David Stewart and I recently spent a week in Biloxi helping some folks rebuild their homes from damage sustained during Hurricane Katrina. It may not be page one news anymore (the Mississippi Gulf coast may never have been page one news), but there are still thousands of homes that remain uninhabitable a year and a half later.
While in preparations to pontificate and prognosticate and otherwise wax philosophical about the prospects for the roofing industry in 2007, I find myself too distracted by events of the present.
Of all the things one may find in a successful roofing contractor’s toolkit, a pool of well-trained and motivated workers would always be considered one of the most treasured. Being armed with great technical expertise and having a fantastic client base is not worth much if you cannot execute the work.
