By Emma Peterson. 

Learn about engaging and retaining new hires through intentional training. 

In a new episode of Coffee Conversations®, Heidi J. Ellsworth is joined by a panel of industry leaders to talk about the importance of contractors helping new hires engage and connect with their company. This panel included Amy Staska, the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA)’s VP of workforce development; Maureen Greeves, Tremco Roofing’s director of field operations; and Mandy McIntyre, WTI's CM development manager.  

Amy has been with the NRCA for over 20 years, and bringing new talent to the roofing industry has been a top concern during her tenure. She explained, “Training’s not cheap and a lot of contractors worry about if new hires are going to stick around...” The problem with this is that it creates a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy where contractors hold new hires at an arm’s length to make sure they’re serious about the job, and new hires are unable to show their interest in the job because of that distance.  

So, how do you build a company that can avoid this pattern? Mandy shared, “I think the industry sometimes forgets about the human component of hiring. Those new people have emotions, they have goals, they have questions, they have fears and if you can cultivate people to be the best versions of themselves, that’s when you’re going to engage them and retain talent.” 

The key to cultivating them into the best version of themselves? Intentionality. Amy explained:  

At NRCA, we talk constantly about the idea of doing intentional training. It’s impossible to train all your new people to be experts immediately. But if you work towards conversational competence, so that someone can go up onto a roof and at least is going to understand a little bit of what's happening, and will be able to have better conversations with the crew there, they’re going to be more connected to your company and more likely to stay to keep learning. 

This is something that Maureen and the others on her team at Tremco have implemented over the last couple of decades. She shared, “We grew very fast, and one of the downsides of that is you can lose some of that intentionality that Amy mentioned. We realized that was happening, so we made changes.” Some changes were bigger, like hiring Mandy into her current role, but others were smaller, like opening conversations. Maureen elaborated, “We started simply talking to people and making sure they knew that they were a part of something bigger. And just that has been tremendous.”  

Mandy summed the entire conversation up well, saying, “At the end of the day, it's all about actions and feelings. If you're having a problem retaining people and recruiting people, take a good, hard look at what's going on and make some intentional changes to help people belong.” 

Watch the entire Coffee Conversation to hear more of Amy, Mandy and Maureen’s discussion.

By Emma Peterson. 

Weatherproofing Technologies, Inc. is looking for dedicated people ready to start their career.   

Across North America, Tremco’s subsidiary, Weatherproofing Technologies, Inc. (WTI), is looking to grow their team! They offer remote, hybrid and in-person opportunities ranging from research and development to human resources, accounting and more!  

Some of the opportunities include:  

• Engineering and facilities: As part of the engineering, facilities and maintenance team, you would support “all engineering activities and for maintaining and upgrading the facilities and production equipment.” There are also opportunities for developing value stream design and improving material flow and progress tracking.  
• Production: The production team is hands-on troubleshooting and running manufacturing equipment. Safety and independent problem-solving are keys for this team. 
• Roof technician: Want to be out in the field? WTI has many positions for roofers of all levels, from intern to journeyman to supervisor. As a WTI tech, you will work with a variety of roof systems (such as BUR, EPDM and single-ply) as well as a variety of tools (such as hand tools and power tools).  
• Sales: The sales team at WTI is growing fast. If you are an “ambitious, self-motivated individual with a proven record of effort driven success,” this team is a great opportunity to continue growing your skills and career. 

This is a great opportunity for hard workers looking to kickstart a career with a company that cares about their employees as individuals. WTI prioritizes maintaining the small company atmosphere that Tremco was founded with back in 1928, even as they continue to grow.  

Their team is dedicated to fostering an inclusive and equitable work environment that empowers every person to learn and grow. As Robert Boykin, the CORE quality production manager for WTI, shared, “I’ve worked at Tremco WTI for 10 years and it’s been really exciting. I really like the fact that I can move into different positions and learn the different things that I need to learn to grow with the company.” 

A great example of how much WTI cares is the benefits they offer to their employees. These benefits include “competitive health insurance options, dental, and prescription drug coverage, pension, paid vacations and holidays, investment opportunities and much more.” They’ll even go as far as giving their new team members a new Milwaukee M12™ heated TOUGHSHELL™ jacket to keep them warm on the roof this winter! 

Check out all of their current job listings. 

Get more information about WTI and get started on your application!

By Emma Peterson. 

Through the RISE program, Tremco WTI builds roofers – not just roofs. 

One of the amazing things about the roofing industry is that it welcomes people from all backgrounds. Whether you have decades of experience in an adjacent trade or roofing is the first trade you are joining, the roofing community will take you in and help you grow. This type of mentorship has always been a priority for Weatherproofing Technologies Inc (WTI), which is a subsidiary of Tremco. To learn more about how WTI finds and develops individuals’ talents, Heidi J. Ellsworth hosted James McDonald, WTI’s VP, and Maureen Greeves, their director of field operations, for an episode of Roofing Road Trips®. 

WTI hosts a variety of programs designed to introduce people to roofing and connect them with the training and mentorship needed to succeed. One of their major programs is called RISE (Roofing Individuals Succeed through Education). This program centers its operations around the idea that culture comes before everything else. James explained, “First and foremost, we're always looking for a cultural fit...I'd say that the traditional roofing requirements that most people are looking for are well down our list. Because we can train, that's what we do...We've created a culture here at WTI that we believe in; we know that it works. We all rise together. So, first and foremost we’re looking for people that will fit into that team.” 

Through the RISE program, individuals that want to be a part of the WTI culture start by participating in intensive training. Maureen shared, “Our apprentices in the RISE program get access to Tremco University. It's on-demand trainings that they can consume when they're on the road, when they're at home. We lead with safety and then give them an introduction of roofing.” In combination with the learning they are doing, these apprentices spend on-the-job hours learning as they work. As they work more hours, they can grow into new positions. Maureen explained, “You can come in with zero experience and, for curious and courageous people, you can work hard and learn quickly...And at the end of their journey, when they're done with all their phases, they end up with a journeyman card that they take with them.” 

That card is a huge accomplishment that has started many life-long careers. James shared, “It's impacting their lives, I've met with some individuals in the field that have come through this program and the joy and love for their jobs is second to none.” 

Read the transcript or Listen to the podcast to learn more about RISE and WTI’s other training programs. 

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn about the differences and similarities between roofing in the U.S. and the UK. 

In this episode of Roofing Road Trips®, Heidi J. Ellsworth sat down with Mardee Billingsley, the executive vice president of the Tremco Construction Products Group. Mardee has worked with Tremco for over 28 years and is part of the team that has been expanding their operations into international markets. This unique position makes Mardee an invaluable resource for insights on the global market.  

There are a lot of considerations when it comes to moving onto a global stage. Things like environment and climate are obvious differences, but there are also distinctions that are less thought of – like regulation differences. Mardee used the UK as an example, “I find the roof systems in Europe to be simpler in a way. Take our FM requirements that must accommodate all the regions of the U.S. as an example. There are thousands of products and systems in there. Alternatively, I remember when I first started going over to the UK in 2004 and it's simply base and a cap.”  

This simplicity can be cited to a variety of reasons, from the UK being smaller than the U.S. and having fewer regional differences to its history of governmental management of industries. One of the big reasons, however, is the weather. Mardee shared, “In the UK, it's a much milder climate. It rains a lot, kind of like the Pacific Northwest in the U.S. So, some of the need for a simple system comes from that. They have a big fluid market because of having to get systems down and cured up faster. Anything they can do to just go and be installed by the end of the day is good because of the weather.”  

And it’s important to note that simplicity does not sacrifice performance. Mardee explained, “These systems are 20-30 year systems. They come with 20-25 year warranties!” At the end of the day, roofing might look a little different across the pond, but there are still many similarities. Mardee explained, “They still use some of the same products we use, it just depends on the solution that they need. The key is just to really listen to what they're saying and what they need. Which works with Tremco’s core philosophy of keeping good roofs good and providing the best solution to meet the customer's needs for longevity, financial investment and technical requirements. 

Read the transcript or Listen to the entire podcast to learn more about Tremco and roofing on the global stage.

By Emma Peterson. 

From guardrails to roof hatches, Tremco WTI is creating safer jobsites and building team trust.  

A recent data bulletin from the Center for Construction Research and Training revealed a concerning trend – more than 300 fatal falls and over 20,000 nonfatal falls have been reported in the construction industry since 2013. In particular, the data from a 2022 study shows roofing as the leading source of these incidents. These statistics can seem disheartening, but there are things that companies can do to keep roofing professionals safer!  

A great example is what Tremco WTI has done with their safety initiatives. Their Director of Health and Safety, Rolando “Ro” Lewis, shared a bit about the original push for safety programs at Tremco. He shared, “Safety wasn’t a focal point for every employee in the organization, and we transformed that so that every person in the company understands that safety affects everyone.”  

Today, the people at WTI are the first ones to bring safety into the conversation. Ro explained, it, “We organized our safety programs with the goal of making safe practices prevalent and the first thing we think about.” And they’re not just working on promoting safety internally, Tremco WTI also manufactures a variety of products that can help other companies make their worksites safer! These include:  

• Guardrail systems: These ballasted railings protect roofing professionals from falling off the roof edges, sides and/or openings.  
• Hatch guards: Make it easier than ever for your crews to get on and off the roof with the roof access hatch.  
• Skylight guards: Protect your crew from falling through skylights (which are technically considered holes in the roof) with these custom-designed guards.  
• Crossovers: These are pre-engineered safety systems that make access across rooftop obstacles like piping or conduits more secure.  
• Weighted fall protection systems: This is a modular system that creates a rooftop anchor to keep your crew safer in the case of slips. 
• Grated walkways: Make sure you’re standing strong with these safe, slip-resistant walkways that use gritted panels to avoid water ponding.  

Learn more about these products and how Tremco WTI is leading roofing forward with safety in mind!

Por Jessica Bravo.  

¡Descubre cuáles fueron los temas que más llamaron la atención de los lectores de The Coffee Shops™ durante agosto!   

No es sorpresa que “La guía de The Coffee Shops™ para el WRE 2025” ocupara el primer lugar entre los artículos más leídos del mes de agosto. Con la Western Roofing Expo a la vuelta de la esquina, todos buscaban prepararse para aprovechar al máximo el evento. The Coffee Shops ayuda a los lectores a elegir las sesiones más relevantes a las que asistir.  

En segundo lugar el artículo “El compromiso de CertainTeed con los ruferos hispanos”. RoofersCoffeeShop En Español tuvo el placer de conversar con Ana Pulido, de CertainTeed, sobre los recursos disponibles para contratistas hispanohablantes. Uno de los recursos incluye la iniciativa Construye con CertainTeed que fue diseñada específicamente para profesionales latinos del roofing, con herramientas y materiales adaptados a sus necesidades. 

El tercer artículo más leído fue “GAF trae la Expo 'Latinos in Roofing' a Atlanta para ayudar a los contratistas de toda la región a hacer crecer sus negocios” Los contratistas de techados que estén interesados en asistir a la exposición pueden obtener más información y registrarse en línea aquí. 

En la cuarta posición, Moises Morales, uno de los influencers, conversó con Jessica Bravo sobre la pregunta del mes: “¿Cómo pueden los contratistas y sus equipos superar la renuencia cultural de hablar sobre el dinero?” Moises compartió su experiencia personal, “Lo que pasa es que muchos contratistas empiezan a hacer más dinero del que están acostumbrados. En mi experiencia personal, no tenía muy buena relación con el dinero antes. Simple y sencillamente por el hecho de que me empezó a llegar mucho dinero, pues a gastar, a gastar.” Otros influencers también compartieron su opinión sobre este tema tan importante: “Dinero y Cultura.”  

El quinto artículo más leído se centró en el papel que está desempeñando Tremco WTI en la industria, “Impulsando el talento diverso en la construcción.” Como nos contó Lorna, “Tremco cuenta con uno de los programas más completos en cuanto a desarrollo profesional.” Es importante resaltar las oportunidades que TREMCO WTI brinda a profesionales diversos dentro del sector. 

Hay mucho más contenido para leer y escuchar en nuestro sitio web. No te pierdas los artículos más leídos de agosto y prepárate para lo que viene en septiembre, porque se acerca el Mes de la Herencia Hispana y la Western Roofing Expo… y sin duda estaremos hablando de ello. 

5 - Impulsando el talento diverso en la construcción 

4 - Disciplina y control: El verdadero aprendizaje al manejar el dinero 

3 - GAF trae la Expo 'Latinos in Roofing' a Atlanta para ayudar a los contratistas de toda la región a hacer crecer sus negocios 

2 - El compromiso de CertainTeed con los ruferos hispanos 

1 - La guía de The Coffee Shops™ para el WRE 2025 

Por Jessica Bravo.  

Diversidad, inclusión y desarrollo: Tremco WTI como puente profesional. 

En este episodio de La Voz de los Ruferos, Jessica Bravo habla con Lorna Rojas de Tremco WTI sobre las oportunidades de carrera que ofrece la industria del techado. Lorna destaca cómo Tremco no solo proporciona empleos, sino que construye trayectorias profesionales significativas.  

Lorna comenta, “Cuando comienzas a trabajar en Tremco, se te ofrece una orientación de Recursos Humanos y en esa orientación se te enseñan todos tus beneficios, los deberes, las obligaciones pero también, todas las oportunidades que tú tienes de crecimiento.” 

Explica también cómo funciona internamente el área de Recursos Humanos, “El equipo está compuesto por seis reclutadores, cada uno con un enfoque específico. Cada reclutador está enfocado en diferentes regiones y posiciones. Algunos se dedican a ventas; otros, a ingeniería, project managers y construction managers. Otros, como yo, reclutamos personal de campo: techadores, superintendentes, capataces y también manejamos programas de prácticas.” 

Tremco cuenta con uno de los programas más completos en cuanto a desarrollo profesional. Según Lorna, “Tenemos programas para personas con mucha experiencia y especialización, pero también contamos con programas de formación. Trabajamos con pasantías, con el Apprentice Program, que se ofrece a todos los empleados nuevos. Si no tienes experiencia, pero tienes las ganas de aprender, puedes ingresar al programa y empezar a desarrollar tu carrera.”  

Además, Lorna destaca el compromiso de Tremco con la comunidad,“Trabajamos con muchos programas comunitarios. Colaboramos con programas de corrección, con programas juveniles, para ofrecer segundas oportunidades. Lo bueno es que contamos con equipos especializados que se encargan exclusivamente de esas iniciativas y se mantienen enfocados.” 

En Tremco WTI hay oportunidades para todos, desde quienes buscan su primer empleo hasta quienes desean crecer profesionalmente en una industria sólida y en expansión. 

Escucha el podcast o lee la transcripción para aprender sobre todas las oportunidades que ofrece Tremco.  

Por Jessica Bravo. 

Descubre cómo “¿Por Qué el Techado?” de Tremco WTI está creando oportunidades para muchos. 

En este episodio de La Voz de los Ruferos, Jessica Bravo conversa con Lorna Rojas de Tremco WTI sobre el poder de las carreras en la industria del techado y cómo el movimiento “¿Por Qué el Techado?” está ayudando a cambiar mentalidades y atraer nuevo talento al sector. Lorna comparte cómo WTI está abriendo puertas, ofreciendo capacitación, crecimiento y un trabajo significativo que va mucho más allá de simplemente instalar techos. WTI está demostrando que el techado puede ser una carrera con verdadero propósito, innovación e impacto. 

Como señala Lorna, “Todo el mundo necesita un techo, sea en el trabajo, sea en su casa, en cualquier lugar de diversión, de deporte.” Pero se trata de mucho más que solo mano de obra y poner techos. Como ella misma dice, “Yo creo que se ha empezado más a concientizar y realmente hay una gama de oportunidades dentro de la industria que se está viniendo a ser más reconocida, obviamente, con el lag de empleomanía. Se ha estado tratando de diversificar más, promocionar más, tanto para los hombres como para las mujeres.” Es una industria que va más allá del trabajo físico y no está limitada solo a los hombres. 

Lorna explica con pasión cómo su rol le permite mostrarle a las personas que hay muchas oportunidades en el techado. También enfatiza que las oportunidades son muy diversas, “Yo creo que tanto esto es para hombres como para mujeres. Es muy diverso, hay muchas oportunidades bastante prometedoras y es cuestión de aprender.” El roofing es una industria con muchas oportunidades para todos. 

Escucha el episodio o lee la transcripción para descubrir cómo Tremco WTI está creando carreras en el mundo del techado.

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn how businesses can empower their teams by creating inclusive and supportive workplaces. 

Last month, we hosted a special Pride Month edition of Coffee Conversations, sponsored by Tremco WTI! In the episode, Megan Ellsworth spoke with a panel of roofing experts and advocates from across the industry for an enlightening conversation about inclusivity. The panel included Kristin Crandall, Tremco’s northeast regional dispatcher and fleet administrator;, Josh Adams, longtime contractor and founder of Roof Scout; and Janette O'Shaugnessy, founder of  Resonating Brands . 

The conversation  highlighted the importance of supporting LGBTQPIA+ employees, during Pride Month and beyond. In discussing the positive impact of organizational support, Kristin shared, “Support from your company and support from people around you can really make you develop into an amazing person and grow both personally and professionally.” Josh added, “Good business is about creating spaces that see people on merit and talent, not labels. And talent is in all groups, no matter their identity. By being more inclusive, a company will be able to find the best person for the job and develop their talent.” 

So, how do you make sure your company is inclusive and supportive of all people? The first step is making space for empathy and normalization. Kristin elaborated, “Making it a point to show empathy and grace as you make it a safe space for someone to be open is key. And once people are open, you have to show them that you support them regardless of which community they're part of, it doesn't change who they are on the inside of a person.” This is something that has to happen both on a company level from management and a personal level from coworkers. Janette explained, “Allies play a big role because they normalize and validate marginalized or LGBTQ+ community members by affirming that people in marginalized groups aren’t actually that different, that we’re all just humans doing the best we can.” 

At the end of the day, building a space where people can authentically and honestly be themselves is the goal, so that they can do their best work and feel valued. Josh put it simply, “The majority of people in marginalized groups just want to feel like they're not marginalized. It doesn't mean that somebody needs to put them up in a castle of rainbow flags and blinking lights. It's just saying, ‘Hey, don't drag everyone to filth if they're just being authentic.’ And I think that's a big difference that we all can probably support.” 

Read the transcript, Listen to the conversation or Watch the episode for more about building a stronger roofing industry through inclusivity.

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of a live interview with Doug Schultz and Josh Johnson of Tremco WTI. You can read the interview below or listen to the podcast.

Intro: Welcome to Roofing Road Trips, the podcast that takes you on a thrilling journey across the world of roofing. From fascinating interviews with roofing experts to on-the-road adventures, we'll uncover the stories, innovations and challenges that shape the rooftops over our heads. So fasten your seatbelts and join us as we embark on this exciting Roofing Road Trip. 

Karen Edwards: Hello and welcome to another episode of Roofing Road Trips from RoofersCoffeeShop. My name is Karen Edwards and in today's episode, we are welcoming the team from Tremco and WTI to talk about the importance of roof inspections and maintenance for maintaining that roof health. So Doug Schultz, Josh Johnson, welcome to the program. 

Josh Johnson: Thank you, Karen. 

Doug Schultz: Thank you very much. 

Karen Edwards: All right. So let's get started first by telling us a little bit about you. So Doug, maybe you could introduce yourself, tell us what you do at Tremco and talk about how you got into the roofing industry, because I always find that interesting too. 

Doug Schultz: Okay. So I'll be with Tremco WTI, it'll be 11 years coming up September 15th. I actually was a correctional officer for 15 years before this job and I had the luck of having, one of my neighbors is Joe Lee and he is the RBM for the Gulf Coast region. And we became friends and one day he's just saying, "Hey, we're hiring." And I was looking for a change in this job, so I thought, "What the heck? Let me give it a shot." So I started out as a tech going all the roofs and doing patch and repair. And then about four years in, I was able to get onto the inspection side. And then about five years in, one year later, the inspection foreman became open. The guy that was there went to work for a sales rep and the spot opened up and Joe asked me if I'd like to fill that spot. And I did. And I've been here, it's been about five years now. Five or six years, been the inspection foreman for the Gulf Coast region, which includes Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Puerto Rico and Mississippi 

Karen Edwards: And Mississippi. Okay. So you have a lot of time on the road, I'm sure. 

Doug Schultz: Yeah. 

Karen Edwards: All right. Josh, tell us a little bit about you. 

Josh Johnson: Sure. So I'm currently one of the Gulf Coast regional supervisors. My territory is basically all of southwest and southeast Florida. I work with a couple of different sales reps. I've got a couple of foremen under me and basically, I started the same way Doug did. Started as a tech, came in with the company and also I came into this company because of Joe Lee, same guy. We had mutual friends. I had been in the trades all my life. I did custom cabinetry for 20 years and in out of some different construction type items and whatnot. 

Josh Johnson: So always been in the trades in some form or fashion, but he asked if I wanted to possibly come on board with them doing some roofing and I was moving down to Florida at the time and it sounded like a great opportunity for me. Like I said, I love being in the trades and this was just a new opportunity, something new to learn, but a lot of my background could cross over into this. So I took the chance and came on board and it was just a great fit. I worked as a tech for about four years and then got promoted to a foreman and I did that for about five or six years. Then most recently got promoted to a supervisor. So it's been a great company to work for, a great opportunity and there's always room for growth. So yeah, it's been a good thing. 

Karen Edwards: That's fantastic. I know that we've talked with WTI team a lot and everybody has said the same thing. It's a great place to work, great culture. So it's good to see that you guys as well agree and that you've been there so long. So let's talk a little bit about what Tremco and WTI, how their approach to roof inspections set it apart from other providers in the industry. What's your secret sauce if you can tell us? 

Doug Schultz: Sure. So what we've done with WTI is we've actually developed individual teams across the nation to drive commitment and consistency to complete the inspections for the entire nation. Other roofing companies don't do that. And actually, quite frankly, we didn't do that in the very beginning. It was all scattered around. They almost use it like if the techs needed hours, they would jump to the trim care side and go on those jobs when the passenger repairs slowed up. Well, Joe Lee took a different approach and we got these teams together and we focused just on the inspections and it really helped to drive the consistency up and get our backlog down. So that's what we do that's different is we have individual teams that specialize just in the inspections and they don't do any passenger repair. 

Karen Edwards: Okay. So let's talk a little bit about the TremCare program because I know there's different levels of service involved and can you just explain what it is, what's included, why a building owner should consider signing up? 

Doug Schultz: Sure. So our main objective is to have the life of the roof last as long as possible. So we offer TremCare Gold and TremCare Platinum service. Those services include, we're going to give you the core construction info of your roof. If you didn't already know what that was, we'll give you the perimeter details and conditions of the roof. We're going to let you know if any penetrations need attention. We're going to give you the overall roof conditions and any problems that we see. We're going to offer recommendations in order to keep your roof system lasting as long as possible and functioning properly. We do also perform housekeeping with the TremCare, so we're going to clean out your gutters, clean out your drains and just clean the roof in general, especially in high forested areas and areas with trees all around them. They'll really get clogged up and it can really be detrimental to the roof system. You want to keep all that debris off and all the water from ponding, if you can, from the roof system so it doesn't have premature deterioration. 

Doug Schultz: We're also going to perform preventative maintenance. We have what we call a three to five on every roof, meaning we're going to perform three to five different repairs for that roof, for each roof section. So we're actually not just looking at the roof and taking pictures and sending overviews in. We're actually performing housekeeping and preventative maintenance on each roof section with either the TremCare Gold or TremCare Platinum. We're also going to provide the customer with work performed pictures, so they'll be able to see what we did before and after pictures of the work performed. We'll have overviews in the report as well, just so you know what roof section we're on and give you an overview of that roof section. 

Doug Schultz: They're also going to have drawings and measurements, so you'll have what we call a shaded drawing where you'll be able to look at your facility, look at the number of roof and it's going to tell you how big it is and what condition it's in through our shaded drawings. We're going to note anything out of spec. If we see something that's not up the roofing standards, we're going to let you know about that and we give you anything out of ordinary of the details, penetrations or flashings. 

Doug Schultz: And last but not least, we also offer a leak response. So if you get the TremCare Platinum or Gold, during that timeframe, we will come out to your facility if there's leaks and you have a leak call. Now, the only difference is for a Platinum, we do not charge for leaks and on Gold we do charge for leaks. So that's a little difference on that. But other than that, the TremCare Gold and Platinum are essentially the same. 

Karen Edwards: Okay. I'm curious just to know what types of roof, do you have this for? Any type of roof, any material, any system out there? 

Doug Schultz: Yes. Yeah. We deal with single ply, modified bitumen, gravel, EPDM, metal roofs. Yes ma'am. On any roof you can think of, we can put a TremCare on it. 

Karen Edwards: Nice. Okay. So I'm curious to know, because I'm sure you have stories, you go on a lot of roofs. So have you had any success stories where you were able to really help a building owner address an issue that was on the verge of becoming something really bad? 

Doug Schultz: Well, I got with my boss and we talked about that and one of the examples that he wanted me to bring up was we had a big customer down in Miami that had all new roofs and then they hired us to perform the TremCares on them. And after 15 years of being on the roofs, they just need to be restored at this point instead of being replaced. So if we wouldn't have been on the roofs taking care of to prevent the maintenance and the housekeeping and any issues that came up, nip them in the bud, most likely all those roofs would've had to been replaced. So we were able to save the customer a lot of money by doing our preventative maintenance with the TremCares and they just have to be restored now. So it gave them some peace of mind as far as spending a little bit every year. And then at the very end, you don't have to spend a ton of money, we can just do a restoration, which is relatively cheaper than replacement. 

Karen Edwards: Are you seeing more building owners opting to do the restorations after 10 or 15 years of having that maintenance? It just seems like that is such a growing area. 

Doug Schultz: It is. That's what we specialize in is the restorations. So yes, a lot of building owners, once they reach the point where then something needs to be done, most of them would opt for a restoration because it is a little financially cheaper. And we do give great warranties on that as well. So once we do all our tests, we can determine whether it's capable of being a restoration and make sure there's not too much wet insulation or the roof's not too far gone. Yes, most building owners would choose to do a restoration over a replacement. 

Josh Johnson: Yeah. And not to mention that it's less intrusive. A lot of buildings that we work on, they're sensitive to some degree, hospitals, schools, stuff like that, to where they got guys climbing around up there and tearing their roof off, banging around. It's hard to have a classroom underneath that, but we can be up there restoring the roof, applying a liquid applied monolithic coating on their roof and they hardly even know we're there other than they'll see the materials and they'll know their roof is flagged off, but it's very quiet. It's less intrusive than to go in there and start tearing their roof apart. And that's why hospitals like it a lot too, because for the same reason. They've got sensitive areas maybe for smells, for just ventilation purposes. It's much harder to control that when you're doing a tear off than it is for us to come in and just do a restoration. So beyond the monetary value of it, there's a lot of other factors that weigh in into that make it much more appealing to a business owner and a facility director or owner. 

Karen Edwards: Sure. And not to mention you're keeping the old roof out of a landfill. 

Josh Johnson: Correct. Yeah, that as well. That's a huge point. 

Karen Edwards: So I want to circle back to, Doug, you shared a lot of information with what you do and what you give to the building owner. How do you put that together to make it easy for them to understand and access it? What does that look like? Is it a report? 

Doug Schultz: Yes. So what we do is we have a tablet that we take on the roof. It has the edge program that we've developed and it has all the important questions and spots to fill in as far as the year of the roof, penetrations, any issues, any problems. Once we input all our information into the tablet and we upload it and then it goes through a QC process with our company and then we generate a very nice professional report that gives you budgets on there, it'll give you every roof section that we did. It'll give you all the information that we input it into the tablet and it puts it in a nice form and a nice report, easy to read. And that way the customer has that and they can use that moving forward with their budget to decide what roofs need to be either replaced or restored going forward. 

Karen Edwards: Yeah. I was curious about that because you can only do repairs and maintenance for so long before a roof gets to the point where it's going to either have to be replaced or go through that restoration. So how does having that routine, I would imagine that's really valuable for the building owner or the facility manager because they could almost do year to year comparisons of condition? 

Doug Schultz: Correct. Yes, they sure can. Sometimes we go out twice a year. Most jobs, most customers, we go out once a year and then yes, once they get the report, they can definitely compare the reports from last year, from the previous years and see whether the roofs are deteriorating at a faster rate than normal or a slower rate. Another thing to take into mind with the deterioration of a roof is how much foot traffic they have. If you've got a lot of air conditioners and vents and whatnot on top of a roof, chances are you're going to have a lot more professional HVAC guys up there, elevator guys up there, just more foot traffic. And the more foot traffic you have, those guys are notorious for dropping things on a roof, little screws, little nails and then the next person comes by and steps on it. Now, all of a sudden you got a hole in the roof. So the more foot traffic you have, will definitely add to that as well. 

Karen Edwards: Are you able to make recommendations for, you're doing maintenance and repairs, but if they do have a lot of foot traffic, do you have... We could put walkway pads, we could do... Are you looking for those small wins for the building? 

Josh Johnson: Absolutely, yeah. In fact, that's part of the inspection process for us too, is not only to help to maintain their facility, but also to look for any patch repair items that may exist up there. And we'll give them those recommendations and then it's up to the customer whether or not they want to spend any additional money to do those at that time. Some of them aren't necessarily detrimental to the life of the roof, but they may be something that's important at the time to just keep them in the dry or just to prolong the life of that roof. But we do always try to make recommendations for any patch and repair items as well. 

Karen Edwards: Yeah. And talk a little bit about safety too. If they do have HVAC units and other traffic on the roof, are you guys pointing out ways that if you have people coming up here, we want, one, to not damage the roof, but we want to make sure anybody on the roof stays safe? Are you making safety recommendations at all? 

Josh Johnson: Yeah, all the time. In fact, there's a lot of different codes on commercial buildings that require certain safety railings and tie off points to be on the roof for mechanical workers or as the roofers up there. As far as even access points, if we're accessing that roof through a hatch that we have to climb up a ladder and go through a hatch onto the roof. Now, in most cases, pretty much any commercial building, they require a safety railing around that hatch, so that if that hatch is open or whatever and you're up there, well now that's a fall hazard. It's an opening in the roof that someone can fall through. So the requirement is to have a safety railing with a safety gate that goes into the area where the hatch is. So if they don't have that, that's always a number one recommendation. 

Josh Johnson: But anywhere that mechanicals are within and don't quote me on this, but I think it's like 6 to 10 feet. They're required to have a safety railing along the edge of the building. Of course, we would look into all those things and make sure that all these recommendations are accurate and true, but there are definitely safety things that we're constantly looking for that will make our jobs easier, but as well, make any other contractor or mechanical contractor their job safe as well. 

Karen Edwards: Yeah. You really are partnering with that building owner or facility manager to not only make sure the roof system is performing, but to make sure that the building overall is safe and that reducing liability. 

Josh Johnson: Correct. Yeah. And it's in the same with any accessories that are on that roof, like a lot of buildings have skylights. Skylights are a huge hazard, especially on metal roofs. If they have fiberglass skylight panels, a lot of times they get weathered, they get aged and they start to blend in with the roof panels, the metal panels and it gets harder and harder to see where those fiberglass panels are. And once they're aged and weathered, they're very brittle and a person will go right through one. You step on it and you just go right through it. So we offer all kinds of different safety items for those skylights as well as domed skylights and skylights that sit on curbs and anything else on a roof system that would keep someone from falling through that, different types of safety screens and fall prevention items that safeguard those items as well. 

Karen Edwards: Yeah. It's really important. People don't ever think about the roof until there's a problem or there's an issue. So I always say it's changing the oil in your car or going to the dentist. It just makes sense to have someone come up there, check for issues, make any repairs. Yeah. This is a great program. How does somebody that's listening to this and says, "You know what? I think I need to do something like this for my roof." How do they get started? 

Doug Schultz: Well, what we'd have to do is align them up with a local area, depending on what area of the country they were in, we got reps across the whole country. And what they would do is, they'd have a meeting with the rep, we'd get the customer and the rep and maybe a supervisor or foreman with them. They'd walk the roofs, they'd look at the needs of the roofs to include the age of the roof, foot traffic of the roof, does it have leaks right now? When's the last time it was replaced or restored? And once they get a general consensus of all that, the sales guy will make a recommendation, "Hey, I think we should put a trim care gold on this for twice a year because you got a lot of trees around your building. So we want to make sure everything stays, unclogged and working properly." 

Doug Schultz: So basically it would start with a meeting with the local sales rep and then once they get everything in order, we get a PO. Then I would send my team out there to perform the trim care, the inspection and we'd gather all the information that we went over a little earlier as far as what's in the core of the roof, what's it made of, any issues, anything we see sticking out that needs to be addressed right away. And then we'd make recommendations on that. 

Karen Edwards: Okay. So what's your website? 

Josh Johnson: Tremcoroofing.com. 

Karen Edwards: Easy, tremcoroofing.com, you can find information there. Tremco and WTI have full directories on rooferscoffeeshop.com as well. So contact information is there, links to the website. This has been really informational. I want to thank you both for being here and for sharing what you're doing out there every day in the field. Thank you. 

Josh Johnson: Yeah. Thank you. Thank you very much for your time and getting us involved in this. It's wonderful. 

Karen Edwards: Yeah. Thanks Doug for sharing. 

Doug Schultz: Yes. Thanks, Karen. I appreciate it. It's really great to be able to get on here and let everybody know that's listening, what we're about, what we're involved with. And yeah, if you have any questions or you want to talk to a local sales rep, please get ahold of us and we'll be more than happy to set something up and get the ball rolling. 

Karen Edwards: Nice. All right. Thank you everybody out there for listening to this episode. Be sure to subscribe and follow us on your favorite podcast platform because we want to see you on a future episode. Bye-bye. 

Outro: If you've enjoyed the ride, don't forget to hit that subscribe button and join us on every roofing adventure. Make sure to visit rooferscoffeeshop.com to learn more. Thanks for tuning in and we'll catch you on the next Roofing Road Trip.