Improving performance in products and processes

By Emma Peterson. 

How contractors can use technology to deliver better roofs in a more efficient manner.  

While at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)’s 2026 International Builders’ Show (IBS), we had the opportunity to film a live Coffee Conversations® thanks to our sponsors, SRS Distribution! The episode featured an expert panel of industry leaders, including Eric Fortenberry of JobTread Software, Mitch Heitsch of Westlake Royal Building Products and Chris DePatria of HOVER. One of the main discussion points of the conversation was the trends that this panel is seeing across the industry this year and how contractors should adjust future operations accordingly.  

Mitch opened the conversation by sharing what product trends he’s seen, sharing, “From the product standpoint, we're seeing a heavy push to more resilient products. This is partially from an aesthetic perspective, but mainly about performance. A lot of this is because insurance is driving a lot of conversations, but homeowners are also wanting to upgrade their homes with the next best thing.”  

And this push for better performance extends beyond the manufacturing space. Clients and competitive markets are putting more pressure on contractors to perform at a high level of efficiency. Eric explained, “Contractors are realizing that they need to implement systems and technology to be able to keep up with everything that's going on in the industry. Because it’s the contractors who can create the most streamlined, efficient processes that are able to deliver the service homeowners want and run business that succeed even in tough markets.”  

So, what can contractors do to improve the performance of both the roofs they install and the operations of their business? Integrate technology. Chris shared some examples of what this type of integration might look like:  

In terms of internal operations, programs like what we have at HOVER take what used to be a 30+ minute process of measuring a roof and turn it into a two-minute program. And as for delivering performance to clients, visualizers have become key in helping homeowners understand how materials will actually look and act on their homes...In fact 74% of homeowners want to see a visualization before they purchase or make a commitment.  

Overall, these are just two examples of the countless technological solutions that are on the market helping contractors take performance to the next level. Mitch summed up the conversation neatly, adding, “Contractors need to not be afraid to adapt and to change with what the market is demanding. There's a lot of people that get scared about that, they don’t want to change products or processes, but these types of changes are needed to bring you to where you need to go.” 

Listen to the whole episode or Watch the recording to learn more about the trends shaping the industry.