WSRCA’s collaborative approach to industry education

By Emma Peterson. 

WSRCA’s technical bulletins build a bridge between contractors and experts to address industry issues.  

For Season 5, Episode 55 of Roofing Road Trips™, host Megan Ellsworth met with Kenneth Klein to discuss the Western States Roofing Contractors Association (WSRCA)’s technical committees and bulletins. Kenneth has been working at Simpson Gumpertz & Heger for over 38 years now, and currently he is a senior principal focusing on roofing, waterproofing and building envelopes. He started working with WSRCA in 2019 and explained that they brought him in as a source of technical information, both for verbal questions and written bulletins. 

Kenneth is not the only expert brought in by WSRCA for consulting, he explained, “There's four different committees — industry, low-slope, steep-slope and waterproofing — and we get together twice a year to review various concepts and ideas and problems that people are seeing in the industry.” From there, the committees determine which topics they will write a technical bulletin about. Kenneth personally writes eight a year and described the process, saying, “It's as much my choice and their choice. We work collaboratively, and what I put together is their content.”  

Recently, he wrote a bulletin pointing out a common design issue in wood-framed parapets that leads to condensation build up that causes contractors issues. His goal was to, “Provide help in designing these systems at the same time stressing that it's not the roofer's responsibility.” His company Simpson Gumpertz & Heger’s position as a partner and consultant to many companies gives him plenty of experience in helping the industry and Kenneth fell into this position naturally. He elaborated, “I've really enjoyed it. It's my way of giving back to the industry, and at the same time, it's fun to educate people.”  

Read the transcript or Listen to the podcast to find out more about Kenneth and WSRCA’s technical bulletins.