Dennis Ryan believes in taking the long view when it comes to his business. Ryan is the president of Waterproofing Associates, a commercial-industrial roofing and waterproofing contractor headquartered in Mountain View, Calif. He is also the current president of the Western States Roofing Contractors Association (WSRCA).
Ryan believes long-term thinking ensures top-quality workmanship and provides numerous benefits, including great referrals from clients and an energized workforce with minimal turnover. The attitude is perfectly suited for the roofing and waterproofing industry, which places a premium on doing things right the first time. When experts estimate that the building enclosure accounts for roughly 20 percent of the cost of a project, but building enclosures represent approximately 70 percent of building damage claims, you get an idea of how difficult designing and constructing the building envelope can be. Repairs are by definition disruptive and costly, so minimizing risk is the top priority.