What’s on the Horizon for 2022, According to Experts

By Cass Jacoby, RCS Reporter.  

Heidi and RT3 members discuss the cutting edge of roofing technology and how it is moving the industry forward. 

In Season 3, Episode 7 of Coffee Conversations, Heidi J. Ellsworth meets with some of the sharpest minds in the industry as they celebrate Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3), a group of thought leaders who have come together to bring technology into roofing. Sponsored by ABC Supply, Anna Anderson, Scott Riopelle and John Kiesel discuss all things technology, industry shortages, and what we will see coming in 2022.  

The conversation kicks off with sharing what roofing contractors should be looking at in 2022, focusing on the cutting edge of technology and trends on the horizon.  

Anna Anderson is the CEO of Art Unlimited and the current president of RT3. She is also on the executive committee of National Women in Roofing. Anna discusses the importance of integrations so the entire workforce can be empowered to do their job with excellence. 

“We need technology as a whole within the industry to embrace that and start collaboratively looking at how do we solve it," says Anna. She also talks about the knowledge gap, virtual reality and robotics “There's a lot of exciting things on the horizon for 2022.” 

John Kiesel is the president of Division 7 Roofing and is also the president of Imagine Technologies. Imagine Technologies is a newer company that is bringing drone opportunities to the roofing industry. He talks with Heidi about how this technology can be used to bridge the gap between the office side of the industry and what is going on in the field. 

“For me, it's imagery and how you can virtually see what's going on and connect the office to that in real-time and be able to influence the activities of the field from an office environment in real-time,” says John. “That to me is the technology that we need to be looking at, is how to bridge the gap between the white-collar side and blue-collar side of the business.” 

Scott Riopelle, who was the 2020 innovator of the year for RT3, talks about the importance of integrating technology and getting your software to talk to each other. His company is a leader in using technology in systems, which has allowed his company to expand nationally and internationally. 

“I think the back of the house technology is so often missed," says Scott. “Not only do we need technology for sales, we need technology to keep the sales and the numbers together. And that's something that really everybody needs to focus on in 2022.” 

Read, Listen or Watch the entire Coffee Conversation to gain more insight on the future of roofing technology and how it can be leveraged to empower the industry.