A conversation with IFD president Dirk Bollwerk

By Emma Peterson. 

How the IFD supports roofers worldwide through connection, shared standards and next‑generation training.  

The Internationale Föderation des Dachdeckerhandwerks (in English known as International Federation for the Roofing Trade or IFD) was originally founded in 1952 with the simple goal of creating a space for roofing professionals to exchange knowledge and insights. In the decades since then, they have established themselves as a leading organisation for the worldwide roofing industry. They are driven by their mission, which states:  

The purpose of the International Federation of the Roofing Trade is to serve as a permanent bond between its members, to study common professional problems and to derive from them knowledge for individual members or the organisation as a whole and to safeguard and support the common economic, business, technical, social, cultural and other professional interests of the members at international level.  

To learn more about how they pursue this mission, we interviewed current IFD president Dirk Bollwerk, president of ZVDH. Dirk has a long history in the roofing world, with experience in roofing, sheet metal and carpentry.  

When asked about the work IFD conducts, Dirk highlighted three special focuses:  

1. Networking: The original goal of IFD from the 1950s is still key to their operations today. As Dirk put it, “One of the main things IFD focuses on is networking. It is a place for roofers all over the world to come together.” By bringing professionals from all different regions together, IFD is able to see the common issues roofers are facing and provide resources that can help individuals build their businesses.  
2. Standards: Another big emphasis for IFD is pushing the industry forward. Dirk explained, “We do a lot of work with training guidelines. We have roofers from all over the world and each region has its own standards. What we do is make sure that everyone knows the same rules so we’re all succeeding.” 
3. Training: And last but certainly not least, Dirk mentioned the work IFD does to train and inspire the next generation. He highlighted their World Championship for Young Roofers, “This event really elevates and supports the young people who are excited, motivated and loving their job...Yes there is only one gold medal but everyone here is winning by getting an experience they’ll remember for a lifetime.” 

To learn more about IFD, check out our full interview with Dirk!