Highlights from Expo Contratista 2024!

By Jessica Bravo.  

Fostering a sense of belonging and enriching collaboration. 

The leading Hispanic construction trade show, Expo Contratista, recently united industry leaders, contractors and professionals to come together and acquire valuable knowledge and networking opportunities. 

The atmosphere at Expo Contratista was vibrant, with great music and a lively ambiance. This year marked the first attendance of The Coffee Shops crew, who used the opportunity to promote their new En Español initiative, aimed at connecting with the Latino and Hispanic community. 

During a live introductory interview, Heidi J. Ellsworth stated, “We are here to celebrate not only Hispanic Heritage Month but the Latino community. I tell you what, the music here is fun... everybody's so happy.” Itzel Najera engaged with various companies and contractors, highlighting key moments from the event.  

For those interested in gaining more insights, you can find these interviews on the RoofersCoffeeShop En Español YouTube page. One notable interview features Julissa Chavez from SRS Distribution, who emphasized the importance of attending the show as a member of the Hispanic community, stating, “[We’re] united by the Spanish language.” Additionally, Octavio Vasquez from Owens Corning added, “We are all united by being Latino.” 

Expo Contratista also hosted two exciting competitions: "Roofer Mayor" and "Maistro Ninja." The Roofer Mayor competition focused solely on roofing skills, where competitors installed underlayment and shingles on a small frame representing a roof. This intense competition was so fun for attendees to watch and cheer on competitors. Itzel sat down with Lalo Perez, the proud winner of the Roofer Mayor competition, who expressed that he initially felt nervous controlling the nail gun. He stated, “The key to becoming a better roofer is to attend classes and education sessions like the ones GAF, CertainTeed and Owens Corning host. You have to attend these classes to know what the company requires to apply their products so that you provide quality work.” 

Itzel also interviewed the competitor for Maistro Ninja, Hernandez, before the competition. He shared, “I come from Fort Worth, Texas, representing Hernandez Construction,” and noted the valuable connections he made with numerous distributors. Hernandez was the winner of this competition, which involved a timed challenge requiring him to complete an intense course.  

The course began with transporting a wheelbarrow from point A to point B while maintaining balance. Competitors then moved on to the monkey bars, which led to the next task of nailing shingles to a frame representing a roof. Following that, they drilled nine screws into a piece of drywall attached to the same frame. After that, they cemented together nine bricks, ensuring a clean finish. Lastly, they connected PVC pipes to create a square. The competition was graded based on who completed the course the fastest while still delivering quality work. 

Overall, Expo Contratista 2024 was a fantastic event that brought together a vibrant community within the roofing industry to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Attendees had the opportunity to engage with one another, share insights and form meaningful connections. Many contractors expressed their excitement about RoofersCoffeeShop® now providing content in Spanish, highlighting the importance of inclusion and accessibility within the industry. This commitment to serving the Latino community not only fosters a sense of belonging but also enriches the conversations and collaborations.  

Expo Contratista extends a heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined them in Atlanta for this successful event and it is never too early to register for Expo Contratista in Dallas 2025!