Let's coat this town!

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn how coatings are the key to building a cooler future.  

In this episode of Roofing Road Trips®, Heidi J. Ellsworth spoke to CEO and President of Topps Products Inc., James T. Thomas. Topps was founded in the 1950s and James came into the company in 2018. He spoke about how the company’s heavy involvement with the sustainability and subsequently the Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) originated, “When we developed a Topps Seal in 1983, that's when we realized that white coatings, white roofs are the way to one, reduce energy costs, two, reduce the thermal movement (the expansion/contraction of buildings).” Essentially, even before CO2 and fossil fuels became a huge conversation, Topps was pushing for more sustainable, white coated roofs due to the energy and maintenance savings that come with them! 

So, when CRRC was formed in 1998 to develop standard methods for evaluating and sharing impacts of coatings and roofing products on the heat and energy used in the environment, Topps was a perfect fit! James emphasized, “When CRRC formed, Topps was a member of it.” To help understand CRRC’s mission and the significance of an exterior coating or product on heat and energy efficiency, James described a work site he was on, “We had three air conditioner units in this 40-foot container unit. When we coated five sides of this container, we realized it started freezing on the inside. So, instead of using those three air conditioner units, we went down to one.” 

That container was just the beginning. James has teams all over the world working with both Topps and CRRC to help make people happier and healthier. He described one such project, “We went to an outdoor market in Da Nang, Vietnam where people bring in their vegetables and their wares, spices, et cetera. Our team coated that roof, and the people actually felt the difference, even though there's no walls, it's open air, but also their vegetables did not wilt as quickly.” And James isn’t ready to slow down any time soon, he has visions and goals of expanding and marketing cool coatings and products in cities all over the globe.  

Read the transcript or Listen to the full podcast to learn more about Topps and cool coatings are building a better future.