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Cotney Consulting Group
The silica citation nobody sees coming
By Cotney Consulting Group. Why roofing crews are getting flagged, and how you can avoid it. Many roofing contractors are surprised when an OSHA inspector brings up silica exposure. After all, most roofers don’t think of themselves as “silica trades.” They’re not mining, blasting or pouring concrete, silica citations are appearing ...
A full backlog doesn't guarantee a healthy business
RCS Influencer John Kenney says revenue doesn't pay the bills, cash does. One of the biggest misconceptions I see in the roofing industry is the belief that a full backlog automatically means a healthy company. I've heard contractors proudly tell me they're booked six or eight months out, yet when we ...
Winning HOA approval starts with education
MCS Influencer John Kenney says contractors who educate rather than persuade often become the companies HOA boards are most comfortable working with. One of the biggest obstacles homeowners face when considering a metal roof isn't choosing the right panel profile or color. It's getting approval from the homeowners association. I've spoken ...
When wildfire smoke reaches the roof
By Cotney Consulting Group. Wildfire smoke has become an operational concern that many Canadian roofing contractors can no longer treat as an uncommon event. By mid-July 2026, hundreds of active wildfires were burning across Canada, with elevated fire danger affecting several northern and central regions. Smoke from those fires ...
Summer safety starts long before the temperature rises
OCS Influencer John Kenney says that fatigue affects judgement. Every summer, contractors remind their crews to drink water, wear sunscreen and take breaks. That's good advice, but after more than four decades in construction, I've learned those reminders alone don't create safer jobsites. Heat-related incidents rarely happen because someone didn't know ...
The case for restoration: A more profitable alternative for roofing contractors
By John Walker, APOC. Compared with traditional tear-offs and reroofs, roof restoration has emerged as a cost-effective, minimally disruptive and effective option for professional roofing contractors and their customers alike. Reroofing a commercial building can be a cumbersome but necessary task for major structures anywhere. Such projects can last for weeks, cause ...
Building safety that sticks
By Cotney Consulting Group. Turning compliance into culture on roofing jobsites. Safety isn’t just a program, a manual or a meeting. It’s what happens when leadership, training and accountability come together on a jobsite day after day, without exception. Yet, too often in roofing, safety culture gets reduced to slogans and paperwork. ...
Why roofing jobs fall apart after the sale
By Cotney Consulting Group. When execution is controlled, roofing jobs don’t fall apart after the sale, they perform the way they were intended to from the start. Most roofing jobs don’t fall apart because of bad work. They fall apart because of what happens or doesn’t happen after the sale is made. ...
Ladder safety: Getting the basics right across every trade
By John Kenney, Cotney Consulting Group. Consistent ladder safety protects your people, your productivity and your reputation. Walk any outdoor jobsite — whether it's a landscaping project, a tile installation, a lighting upgrade, a pool equipment repair or an outdoor living build — and you’ll see the same tool used in all ...
Why most roofing companies struggle with execution — Not strategy
By Cotney Consulting Group. Most roofing companies don’t fail because they lack ideas. They fail because they struggle to execute the ones they already have. Nearly every contractor Cotney Consulting Group works with can explain what they want their company to look like. They want better crews, tighter jobs, more substantial ...
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