Building the Right Relationships Builds Business

By Dani Sheehan. 

Join Heidi J. Ellsworth and regional representatives from APOC to discuss trends in the coatings industry from labor to training, and so much more! 

This year’s Western Roofing Expo (WRE) just wrapped up, but the excitement is still buzzing from the exhibit floor. During the expo, Heidi J. Ellsworth caught up with the regional managers of APOC for a live interview to talk about some of the trends in roof coatings across the western states. She sits down with Scott Johnson, director of sales for the Pacific Northwest, Anthony Martin, territory manager for southern Arizona and Phoenix, and Fernando Silva, territory manager for northern California, to discuss how great the roofing industry is and what is happening across the various territories. 

As Heidi puts it, the regional and territory managers, sales manufacturers and representatives are the heartbeat of the industry. They’re the boots on the ground and see the trends as they emerge – and the coatings industry is starting to take off. Anthony says a lot of the newer technology is saturating the Phoenix market. He explains, “We’re seeing a decrease in the amount of hot mop that’s being used due to the safety concerns and the insurance concerns for those contractors. And they’re switching more to self-adhered systems or foam systems.”  

Not surprisingly, the trends they’re seeing in coatings seem to directly relate to the labor force and the post-pandemic environment. While there are less people entering the roofing industry as new roofers, many of the experienced roofers are looking to expand their business. As Heidi mentions, a lot of residential contractors are expanding into the commercial market. Scott has noticed, “If they can find the right labor or staff, they might move into single-ply next [after residential steep-slope] because it’s pretty easy to learn how to install. The overhead to buy the tools to install single-ply, it’s not substantial...Once they have some single-ply installation or installers and they have that team, it’s typically then when they’ll start looking at adding a service department.” This is where APOC can be an invaluable resource to companies. 

APOC has a few training centers across the nation and their team is more than willing to get involved with roofing projects to help contractors succeed in adding their products and services to the company’s offerings. They are growing their training programs, and Fernando believes, “If we get the right contractors that want to be partnered with us, we’re going to answer our phones. We’re going to help you with the questions. We’re going to help you with some of the solutions, and I think we’re going to have some product available.” Now is the best time to get involved and start building that relationship between contractor and manufacturer to help their business grow.  

Watch the full interview below to learn more about other roof coatings trends in 2023 and how you can partner with APOC to expand your coatings services and further expand your business.