The Midwest Roofing Contractor’s Association (MRCA) National Conference was held Nov. 12-14 at the beautiful Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas. The estimated 1,000 people in attendance were treated to an array of educational programs and a trade floor full of the newest products in the roofing industry, including the continued push of advertising for “green” products.
There were 110 exhibiting companies spanning 200 booths at this year’s show, which former MRCA President Rod Petrick said was dedicated to helping contractors “build their business, save money, and improve the roofing industry.”
Whether those attending were a residential or commercial contractor, consultant, architect, engineer, building owner, facility manager or code official, the MRCA Convention near Dallas was the place to be last month.
Among the activities that were available for attendees at the MRCA Convention included:
- TPO Factory Tour sponsored by GAF Materials Corporation, which allowed attendees to tour an 186,000-square-foot production facility on 25 acres of Texas land.
- MRCA Foundation Golf Tournament held at Bear Creek Golf Club near the Dallas/Fort Worth-International Airport.
- Educational opportunities, roofing forums, and contractor roundtables discussed everything from fall protection to software to back-office solutions.
- MRCA Board of Directors Meeting, which John Daly of Kaw Roofing & Sheet Metal in Kansas City, Kan., was named the new MRCA President replacing Rod Petrick.
Other highlighted events were:
- MRCA Legislative Lunch with Craig Brightup
- Hiring Practices and Immigration with Gary Auman
- Building Information Modeling (BIM) and the Roofing Industry with Matthew Dupuis
- Integrating Photovoltaics with Dr. William Miller
- Vented and Unvented Roof Assemblies with Joseph Lstiburek
- Foreman and Supervisor Programs (English and Spanish) with Edis Oliver