Greeted in the
morning by a panel of industry superstars at the keynote address and
complemented in the afternoon by nearly 400 companies showing off the newest
trends, the International Roofing Expo opened Tuesday at the Mandalay Bay
Convention Center with a
pledge for better times ahead.
Greeted in the
morning by a panel of industry superstars at the keynote address and
complemented in the afternoon by nearly 400 companies showing off the newest
trends, the International Roofing Expo opened Tuesday at the Mandalay Bay
Convention Center with a
pledge for better times ahead.
The eye-popping
keynote opened IRE with a panel of the industry’s most distinguished hierarchy
that included: moderator Bill Good, Vice President of the National Roofing
Contractors Association; Keith Rozolis, Senior Vice President of Strategic
Marketing and Planning for ABC Supply Co. Inc.; Mike Vall, President, Firestone Building Products; Bob Tafaro,
President of GAF; Fred Stephan, Vice President and General Manager of Roofing
Systems, Johns Manville; and Marcelino Susas, Vice President and General
Manager - Americas Uni-Solar.
In a changing
economy, knowledge is everything, which made Tuesday’s keynote that much more
remarkable. The expert panel talked about the current state of the roofing
industry, emerging technologies, economic trends, issues facing the industry,
and future growth.
“We were blessed in
‘08 by Mother Nature,” said Keith Rozolis of ABC Supply.
Mike Vall from Firestone Building Products said he looked forward to new
year and noted Firestone’s
certified contractors indicated that going into 2009 there’s a “back log” of
work, referring to contracts on the books and roofing projects ready to begin.
“Plan for a
challenging year,” said Bob Tafaro, President of GAF.
Tafaro commented
that GAF was doing more with less, and that despite the down economy, it’s a
good market to “recruit people” and to spend money on “infrastructure” needs.
“The outlook
long-term is very strong,” said Fred Stephan, Vice President of Roofing Systems
for Johns Manville.
When the topic at
Tuesday’s keynote turned to solar initiatives, Marcelino Susas, Vice President,
Americas Uni-Solar, said with the new Administration in office in Washington D.C.,
he sees growth in the solar market over the next eight years. Susas said he
would like to see the new government put together “more incentives” for
builders “to get things going.”
“I think of solar as
relatively new to the market,” Susas said, despite acknowledging that solar’s
“been around for 30 years.”
Tafaro said it’s
only a matter of few short years before there’s a significant breakthrough in
solar technology like integrated photovoltaics. But Tafaro also noted the big
winners in 2009 would provide the “whole system” like roof membranes and solar
and warranties.
“There’s a lot more
to learn” in integrating photovoltaics, Stephan told a full audience at the Mandalay Convention Center.
Bill Good,
meanwhile, said he would support some of the proposed stimulus package plans
backed by President Barack Obama.
“We are watching
credit carefully,” Mike Vall commented about any stimulus plan.
Tafaro, who noted
that the economy would not get going “until credit is flowing in a free and
responsible way,” offered one final tip. “Know your costs and customers,” he
said. “Buyers will be more inclined to buy quality and reliability.”
The IRE continues
today and Thursday at the Mandalay
Convention Center. In-depth sessions will cover educational
tracks addressing key roofing segments including technical, workplace safety,
leadership/management, green building, legal/HR, money matters, sales/service
and general business.
The target audience
includes commercial, residential, and metal roofing contractors, business
owners, CEOs, general managers, superintendents, foremen, architects,
designers, consultants, salesmen/estimators, manufacturers, suppliers, building
owners and facility managers.
Of the 48 sessions
at IRE, 92 percent feature new topics, with six of last year’s most popular
sessions back by demand. Thirty-three of the sessions involve issues relevant
to the residential roofing professional, while the Spouse Program offers 28
sessions for the involved spouses who are looking for ways to help manage and
grow their businesses.
With sustainability
and environmentally friendly roofing growing in demand, the new green building
track will teach attendees about energy efficiency, green roofs, solar energy
and how the green movement affects the roofing industry.
Complementing the
educational conference is the product-filled show floor of 364 exhibiting
companies in 910 booths covering 91,000 square feet of space.
The show - expected
to draw over 8,000 attendees during the three days - offers the newest, most
advanced materials, equipment, tools, services and technology.
The IRE moves to New Orleans in 2010 so
make sure to make your stay at the IRE in Las Vegas one to remember.
For more information
about this year’s Ire or any questions or suggestions on future topics should
be forwarded to IRE Conference Manager Brandi McElhaney at 972-536-6392 orbmcelhaney@hanleywood.
Expert Panel Discussion on Growth and Trends Opens IRE 2009