Long-time Contractor, First-time Attendee Wins GAF Truck Giveaway at IRE

By Karen L. Edwards, RCS Editor.

GAF had a strong showing in this year’s exhibit hall and perhaps the best giveaway: a Ford F-150 loaded with Timberline® HDZ™ shingles.

If you attended the International Roofing Expo® in Dallas this year, you couldn’t miss GAF’s presence at the front of the exhibit hall. Their large floor space featured plush light-colored carpet while a red ‘aisle’ separated demonstration and learning areas. Their latest innovation, the Timberline® HDZ™ shingle, was prominently featured and included a competition that let attendees try their hand in accurately hitting the industry’s widest nailing zone.

Perhaps the most eye-catching item in their booth was a shiny, red Ford F-150 that would be given away to one lucky winner as part of the GAF Timberline® Shingles by the Truckload Sweepstakes. That lucky winner turned out to be John Hackbarth, owner of Rooftec in the Denver, Colorado area.

Can you imagine that you’ve worked in this industry for years and, after attending your very first IRE, you end up being the winner of a brand new, Ford F-150 truck, loaded with 40 squares of Timberline HDZ shingles? Hard to imagine! We wanted to learn more about John and how he felt about winning.

“They gave me a call and I was pretty much in shock at first. It didn’t seem real,” said John. “People were talking about the giveaway on the roofers Facebook page and I let them know I won. They were in shock that there was really a winner.”

John started his business a few years ago but is no stranger to roofing. He’s a fourth-generation roofing contractor who started working for the family business right out of high school. He’s worked in Minnesota and now in Colorado. His company does both residential and commercial work and he said he enjoys installing EPDM, TPO and modified bitumen. He also says that GAF has always been great to work with, very helpful and ready to answer any questions.

Even though he has spent his life in roofing, he had never attended a national convention. “Me and two of my partners went,” he explained. “We went through the whole GAF exhibit and attended some of the classes to see their new stuff. I definitely didn’t think I had a chance to win that truck.”

There were hundreds of applicants in the giveaway but only one would win and that was John. His truck was delivered on March 11.

Learn more about GAF.