By Cass Jacoby, RCS Reporter. 

In honor of Women's History Month, we celebrate some women-led businesses in the roofing.

Roofing is an overwhelmingly male occupation. Whether contractor or crew, the majority of workers are typically men. The U.S. Department of Labor considers roofing a male-dominated profession, but that doesn’t mean women in roofing are unicorns. Take Marianne Sumter, owner of Wil-Mar Products, as proof of how women are not only present in the roofing industry, but are essential to its success.  

With a desire to continue her husband’s legacy, Marianne became the owner of Wil-Mar Products, stepping into a leadership role in a male-dominated industry. And she has successfully led the company with strength and expertise. To this day, Marianne continues to provide excellent customer service, meet the demands of the industry and develop lasting relationships with women. 

And there are even more stories of women revolutionizing the roofing industry. Women now fill positions ranging from roofing, marketing and sales to consulting, manufacturing and research. Female professionals are also stepping into leadership roles at roofing manufacturing companies and starting their own roofing companies. Read on as we highlight women leading the roofing industry! 

Ethelmae Humphreys has been a trailblazer for women in roofing since the 1940s. She had just graduated from high school in 1944 and her parents moved to Joplin, Missouri to start TAMKO Building Products. Ethelmae headed to college at the University of Kansas, earning a bachelor's degree in liberal arts. Upon graduation it became clear that her father’s failing health meant he would need assistance running the company, so she came home and helped out, and was named the executive vice president of TAMKO. Together with her husband, she grew the company into one of the largest privately owned roofing manufacturers in the country. After her husband’s death in 1993, she took over as CEO until her son took on the role of president and CEO the following year. 

Associations 

Plenty of roofing associations pride themselves on being women-led or having women in high-ranking positions. The Roofing Alliance, celebrating 25 years as the foundation of the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA), has appointed Alison LaValley as the new executive director and recently has made Kelly Van Winkle the first female vice president. 

Additionally, Lisa Pate serves as the executive director of the Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association (FRSA), Tracey Prociw is the executive director and board secretary of The Roofing Contractors Association of Washington (RCAW) and Suzie Boyd is the current president of the Colorado Roofing Association (CRA). With female leadership, these associations have prospered and grown; these women have paved the path to a better roofing industry.  

Plus, there are plenty of women in roofing who hold leadership positions. Johns Manville is proudly led by a team of women who represent their Roofing Systems Leadership, including: Director of Human Resources Brandi Duncan, Director of Product Management and Marketing Jennifer Ford-Smith, Owner Services Leader Mandy Schweitzer, Director of Commercial Services and SIOP Tesha Kroll and Director of Technology Zebonie Sukle. 

Many women have started their own businesses in the industry too. Art Unlimited is a women-owned business, with the second-generation leadership of Anna Anderson and Elizabeth Chapman taking the company’s digital and marketing expertise to a national stage. 

RoofersCoffeeShop® is women owned and led too! Established in 2002 by Vickie Sharples, the Coffee Shop is “where the industry meets.” Heidi J. Ellsworth became a partner in the company with Vickie in 2015 and today the RCS crew is led by Heidi, who also has her own marketing and consulting business, HJE Consulting.  

RCS COO Karen L. Edwards has helped Heidi grow the website and push boundaries in this male-dominated industry that is slow to change. She is also the Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3)’s communications and engagement leader and owns her own marketing and sales company, Casimir Group. Studies show that women who support other women are more successful. Research conducted by Harvard Business Review found that having a network of close female contacts helps females land executive positions.  

According to Forbes, these inner circles provide necessary support and recommendations when their peers are faced with challenges and cultural bias, especially in male-dominated industries like roofing. As the president of RoofersCoffeeShop, Heidi has exceled in empowering other women to be successful within the roofing industry, fostering employees at all levels within the company to build a strong network that is both diverse and supportive of all people, brining then into the trades for an opportunity of a great career. 

Furthermore, organizations like National Women in Roofing, of which Heidi is a founder, are providing opportunities and support for women in the roofing industry. Today, with the efforts of many in the roofing industry, NWIR has created a new understanding, interest and demand for diversity. Women are more prevalent than ever in the field and at trade shows, meetings and board meetings. Through mentoring, education and networking, women have more support than ever to find a rewarding career in this industry.   

There is more than enough space on the roof for women in this industry. With so many female role models and female-led roofing initiatives, the future of roofing looks female! 

Stay up to date with the latest roofing industry news when you sign up for the RCS Week in Roofing e-news.

RCAW hosts “Tenacious Trio” of events including sporting clays, a biannual dinner and the PNW regional tradeshow. 

The Roofing Contractors Association of Washington (RCAW) is hosting their Pacific Northwest regional tradeshow April 21- 22, 2022 at the Muckleshoot Events Center. With up to 79 exhibitors and nine educational track sessions, and live demonstrations this is a day for anyone at any level in the company to come and learn and get updated on the latest and greatest in the roofing industry. 

RoofersCoffeeShop® will be on hand live streaming and the Roofing Contractors Association of Washington is looking forward to welcoming contractors and industry professionals alike to a redesigned and reimagined show for the Pacific NW.  

Check out the three big events happening this year: 

Sporting Clays 

Seize the day at the 2nd Annual Sporting Clays Competition! Held at the Tacoma Sportsmen's Club from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. This is a limited attendance event and includes lunch, prizes/some bragging rights, and a great trophy. 

Biannual Dinner Meeting with Gary Smith from the IBA 

After a morning of fun, enjoy an evening of networking and learn how what happened in the latest legislative session in Olympia will affect your business – now and in the future. In addition, we will be handing out RCAW awards and some other surprises. Get your first introduction to the Muckleshoot Events Center at the Muckleshoot Casino starting with a cocktail hour at 5:00 p.m. in the foyer and dinner and the presentation from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. in the Green River Room. Enjoy a five-star buffet-style dinner including a main course of seared sirloin with Bordelaise sauce or salmon fillet with a seasonal sauce. 

PNW Regional Trade Show   

On April 22 at 9:00 a.m. RCAW will cut the ribbon on the newly imagined Pacific NW Regional Trade Show.  Recognizing a need for a regional opportunity to see and learn and holding firm to RCAW’s need to grow with the industry, they have planned this show to fill that need! Check out the tradeshow itinerary: 

Friday, April 22 

9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Pacific NW Regional Trade Show Begins 

10:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. Fall Protection Safety Class - Part 1 – Jennifer Richards - SMTI 

10:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. Effective promotion of your roofing company – Anna Anderson – Art Unlimited 

10:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. Managing by the Numbers – Gary Cohen – Certified Contractors Network 

11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Break out session – Heidi J. Ellsworth, President – RoofersCoffeeShop 

11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Estimating the Right Way – John Kenney, CEO – Cotney Consulting Group 

11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Fall Protection Part 2 – Jennifer Richards — SMTI 

2:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – Rae July, Steep Slope Manager – Chinook Building Envelope Services 

2:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. How to manage L&I Citations on the job site – Ruth Lewis, CEO - Stop Claims Corp 

2:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. Workers Compensation – Shea Carroll – Brown and Brown 

The event guarantees fun, networking and education that will leave you and your business feeling empowered. RCAW has crafted a program that is designed to give you new tools for your business that will help you be the best you can be.  

The two-part fall protection certification class is being provided free of charge to trade show participants and is a value of $75 per person, and we have many other national speakers on hand with a wealth of information for the business owner or manager. 

Register for this trio of events today! 

Learn more about RCAW in their RoofersCoffeeShop® directory or visit rcaw.com.

By Cass Jacoby, RCS Reporter.  

RT3 member John Kiesel talks about how empowering tech savvy employees to bring technology into your company helps move the industry forward. 

Season 3, Episode 7 of the Coffee Conversations podcast celebrates Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3), a group of thought leaders who have come together to bring technology into roofing. Sponsored by ABC Supply, Heidi J. Ellsworth meets with Anna Anderson, Scott Riopelle and John Kiesel to discuss roofing technology and trends for 2022.  

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 that 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.  

The 2020 innovator of the year for Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3), Scott Riopelle, speaks to the importance of integrating your software. His company is a leader in using technology in systems. 

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 that turn imagery into virtual reality, which can then turn into 3D models. 

John 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, the tech of the future is 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.” 

Putting more technology in the hands of roofers is all about recruiting and supporting people within the industry who can work to bring more tech to your business. “That may take a champion, as we like to call it in the industry, that's tech savvy and understands working out in the field to be that liaison person,” says john. “So find the champion, find the techy person that embraces this stuff, and start picking their brain and see how they can help you.” 

Learn more about the Imagine Technologies Group in their RoofersCoffeeShop® Directories or visit www.imaginetechnologiesgroup.com. 

Read, Listen or Watch the entire Coffee Conversation to gain more insight on the future of roofing technology.

By Cass Jacoby, RCS Reporter.  

As NWIR Day draws closer, look forward to these highlights. 

National Women in Roofing (NWiR) day is just days away! The fifth annual National Women in Roofing (NWiR) Day will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 30, just before the International Roofing Expo (IRE). If you aren’t already excited to connect, discover and cultivate new relationships with other women in the industry, read on for some exciting highlights.  And if you haven’t registered for the event yet, register today! 

1 - Keynote speaker Heather Whelpley  

Heather Whelpley is a speaker, consultant and author who focuses on leadership development for women. She works with women to help them let go of expectations and create their own rules. She will be giving a talk titled “Creating Your Own Rules for Success: How to Let Go of Perfect and Live your Truth.” 

Join Heather as she teaches you how to let go of the constant pressure to feel productive and like you are responsible for everything. Learn from Heather’s story of how to go from overcommitted and burnt-out to feeling joy and freedom. Through a blend of personal stories and practical tools, Heather will guide you on how to slow down and rediscover what you want, and how this helps you generate a greater impact.  

Key takeaways include: 

• Understanding the roles you’re playing by now, where they come from and if they still make sense for you. 

• Redefining success on your own terms. 

• Creating a new set of rules that align to your values, goals and the impact you want to have. 

2 - 45 Marketing Tips in 45 Minutes 

Join marketing specialists Liz Garza of My Roofing Crew, Anna Anderson of Art Unlimited, Mara Chapin of OMG Roofing Products and Chantalle Hepburn of Tremco for their personal marketing tips and playbooks. You won’t want to miss this action-packed session of 45 practical ways to level up your marketing strategy.  

3 - Workplace Conflict De-escalation 

Learn how to best handle different kinds of conflicts in the workplace. From leadership conflicts to work style differences, personality clashes and culture-based clashes, speaker Ashlee Poplin of Cotney Attorneys & Consultants has you covered on how to mediate any situation. 

4 - Demo of REAL Roofing  

This demo will highlight REAL Roofing, an interactive multi-media education program to bring Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) education to the roofing industry. The program will be available at a low cost to the entire industry. NWiR’s Executive Director Ellen Thorp, M.A., CAE, SRS Distribution Inc.’s Operation Manager Jess Cress and Chinook Roofing’s Director of Steep-slope Operations Rae July will lead this demonstration! 

5 - Roofing Is...Being an Upstander 

This interactive working session uses real examples from the industry to explore how to stand up and deescalate microaggressions so that we can create a more inclusive environment. Learn how to speak up when needed and become a better ally from GAF’s Jennifer Keegan. 

6 - 7 Resolutions for Making Better Technology Solutions for Your Company 

Cotney Consultants and Attorney’s Lee Lipniskis shows us how aerial imagery, lead tracking software and a good CRM can increase your organization's profitability and efficiency. Furthermore, she will teach us how to choose the best technology solution. 

7 - Fighting the Mental Health and Suicide Epidemic in Construction 

Construction comes with plenty of hazards, but we don’t always acknowledge the mental health aspect of the job. Construction workers are more likely to die by suicide than all other job site hazards combined. In this presentation, Harness Software’s Sue Drummond covers why that is and ways each of us can help combat it from both the perspective of the employee and the employer. 

View the full schedule for NWiR Day 2022 here! 

Learn more about NWiR in their RoofersCoffeeShop® Directory or visit www.nationalwomeninroofing.org.