Don’t fake it. Slate it!

By National Slate Association. 

The National Slate Association looks back at another successful IRE. 

The International Roofing Expo (IRE)  is the biggest event in the industry, boasting over 15,000 attendees from around the country and over 500 vendors. The National Slate Association (NSA) was proud to be in Las Vegas with the rest of the industry this year. Hopefully you had a chance to stop by booth #8849 and say hello! But if you didn’t, we’ve put together a quick recap of the events. Not everything that happens in Vegas has to stay in Vegas! 

The SRCA meeting 

A meeting of the slate minds took place within the convention center on Tuesday morning, 2/6/24. The National Slate Association and Slate Roofing Contractors Association (SRCA) boards got together to share ideas on industry improvements. The meeting started with a discussion on the NRCA ProCertification Slate program which has now officially launched. Meaningful dialogue took place about the SRCA developing a ProCert specific training course with the idea of not only helping the installer pass the test, but to understand concepts seen on the roof. The NSA’s involvement is to tackle finding qualified installers to take the exam. This being a significant investment from the industry, it’s critical this is a priority among the associations. 

Other discussion points were an industry specific promotional video. This video can be geared towards target audiences (homeowners, design professionals and contractors) and broken down into chapters. Highlighting the material life cycle costs and product benefits, as well as telling our story is a project that should not be overlooked as other industries have hi-jacked the distinguished reputation of the word slate. Involving a younger generation through social media could also be accomplished through this project as the content can easily be shared. A final note was the NSA using the newly finalized CAD drawings and exhibiting at the AIA show in June. 

The meeting was opened to members after an hour, and ideas were brought up on combating the Solar Reflective Index issue hampering slate in certain states. The concern is that if the material doesn’t pass in one state, it will spread. Next it was brought up whether synthetic slate was taking natural slate’s market share. Attacking synthetics and clarifying the differences between the two is a future agenda item.  

30+ members attended this meeting and it was agreed to continue holding meetings in this format once a year as attendance was a bright spot. It was wonderful to see so many interested parties and hopefully at the next meeting we can see 50+. 

NRCA ProCertification 

The National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) had a ProCert booth where Korby Grist and Orion Jenkins of the SRCA slated a mockup. This was a great introduction to what an installer will likely see on the ProCert exam. Not only is it beneficial in garnering interest for the ProCert exam, but it’s a great representation of craftsmen in the slate industry. This program aims to create a test for slate installation which qualifies the installer to help reduce poor slate projects and keep the quality of the industry high. 

The natural slate industry has its challenges with material lead times, product knock offs, installation standards and many more just like any other industry. This is a tight knit group of prideful people who understand that slate is an excellent roofing material. Helping people understand their investment in a slate roof is a lifelong investment that serves future generations is a paramount value. It’s exciting that we all can come together and share our stories, as it can only help us move forward. 

Original article source: National Slate Association