In the fourth quarter of 2008, Roofing
Contractor and Architectural Roofing & Waterproofing
magazines turned to contractors to take the pulse of the roofing industry in an
exclusive survey sponsored by GAF Materials Corporation and conducted by Clear
Seas Research.
The fourth quarter of 2008 was a tumultuous time, to say the
least. A presidential election was taking place. Commodity prices were volatile.
As the economy was in turmoil and bailouts and loans seemed the only ways to
salvage the financial and automotive sectors of the economy, Roofing
Contractor and Architectural Roofing & Waterproofing magazines
turned to contractors to take the pulse of the roofing industry in an exclusive
survey sponsored by GAF Materials Corporation.
I recently spoke with Allen Bradley, 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,
Amerisafe has seen the economic downturn take its toll on its clients.
Sales the lifeblood of any business, and selling becomes
even more important in a tough economy. I recently spoke with Rick Davis, the
president of Building Leaders Inc., a Chicago-based sales training company, who
shared with me some tips for selling in a down market.
Cliff Chen of the Union of Concerned Scientists
issued a statement this week lauding California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s
signing of an executive order to facilitate renewable energy project
development in the state.
Imagine a science-driven, objective online database covering
all aspects of high-performance roof systems that allows users to comment and
conduct peer reviews with an interactive format like Wikipedia.
Many building codes now mandate intake and
exhaust ventilation for attics. It’s easy to see why. A properly ventilated
attic can save energy, eliminate excess moisture, prevent mold, and prevent ice
damming in winter. And, by minimizing heat buildup in the attic, proper
ventilation can even prolong the life of the roof system.
Chuck Howard, P.E., president of Metal Roof
Consultants, was in the metal roof contracting business for almost 30 years,
and he now serves as a consultant to contractors, architects, engineers, and
building owners. He gave a presentation about metal retrofit roofing at
METALCON titled “Do it Right the First Time.”
“When it comes to metal roofs, details are where your money
is made or lost,” said Vaughn Bacon, manager of Technical Services for MBCI NCI
Building Systems, during his METALCON seminar titled “Metal Roofing: The Devil
Is in the Details.”
At Architectural Roofing & Waterproofing, our goal is to cover all aspects of roofing and waterproofing design. I must admit, when it comes to roofing problems, I hadn’t given much thought to bird control. My eyes are open now.
