The National Roofing Contractors Association’s Future Executives Institute has announced its graduates for 2022.

Graduates were recognized on February 2 during NRCA’s 135th Annual Convention in New Orleans.

FEI is a comprehensive three-year educational program designed to develop the management and leadership skills of future and current roofing contracting company leaders. 

Following are FEI’s Class 9 graduates: 

• Matthew Adler, project manager for J.L. Adler Roofing & Sheet Metal Inc., Joliet, Illinois 

• Shaun Andrews, president of Phinney Industrial Roofing, Columbus, Ohio 

• Aaron Mark Antis, vice president, sales and field operations, for Antis Roofing & Waterproofing LLC, Irvine, California 

• John T. Barker, vice president, business administration & human resources, for KPost Company, Dallas

• Ben Cadle, estimating/project manager for Service Works Commercial Roofing Inc., Tampa, Florida 

• Joe Chajkowski, regional production manager, residential tract homes, for The Roof Depot Inc., Alpharetta, Georgia 

• Kaitlin Cox, account representative/administrative specialist for Bliss Roofing Inc., Clackamas, Oregon

• Brandon D. Dennis, director of sales and estimating for Sutter Roofing, Sarasota, Florida 

• Nick Fania, vice president of operations for The Fania Roofing Co., Dover, New Jersey 

• Kevin Filotto, project manager for Filotto Roofing Inc., Crest Hill, Illinois 

• Billy Guyette, owner/operator of Guyette Roofing and Construction, Montgomery, Alabama 

• Ryan J. Lauer, partner at Front Range Roofing Systems LLC, Greeley, Colorado 

• Zachary Littleton, estimating manager for R&B Roofing LLC, Garland, Texas 

• Stacey Lytton, chief operating officer of Horch Roofing Inc., Warren, Maine 

• Douglas J. Mackesty, vice president of Schefers Roofing Co., Grain Valley, Missouri 

• Ryan H. Malone, vice president of E. Cornell Malone Corp., Jackson, Mississippi

• Jarrell Perrin, senior project manager for Sun Commercial Roofs, Dallas 

• Jerry Pine, field operations for Pine Roofing Co. & Kedmont Waterproofing, Chicago 

• Kyle L. Price, service manager for AAA Roofing Co. Inc., Indianapolis 

• Lincoln Register, president of Register Roofing & Sheet Metal Inc., Jacksonville, Florida

• John Scalo, senior vice president of Burns & Scalo Roofing, Pittsburgh 

• Peter F. Schenkel, vice president of C. L. Schust Co. Inc., Fort Wayne, Indiana

• Andrew Strauser, president of Nations Roof, Springboro, Ohio 

• Jeremy Wohlfiel, owner and project manager for Merit Contracting, Rochester, Minnesota 

• Ashley N. Wood, Hagerstown division manager for Heidler Roofing Services Inc., Hagerstown, Maryland 

• Michael Zieverink, director of operations for Deer Park Roofing Inc., Cincinnati

For more information about FEI, visit nrca.net/education/fei.

About National Roofing Contractors Association

Since 1886, the National Roofing Contractors Association has been the home for generations of entrepreneurial craftsmen and enterprises who shelter and protect America’s families and businesses and each other. Our vision is the recognition of our members as professionals and to unite the industry to that purpose. NRCA is one of the construction industry’s most respected trade associations and the voice of roofing professionals and leading authority in the roofing industry for information, education, technology and advocacy. It represents all segments of the roofing industry, including contractors; manufacturers; distributors; architects; consultants; engineers; building owners; and city, state and government agencies. For information about NRCA and its services and offerings, visit nrca.net.

By Lauren White, RCS Assistant Editor. 

The NWIR Oregon council is dedicated to helping shelter and protect families, women and children in their community.  

We’ve had a whirlwind last couple years between the Coronavirus, material shortages in the industry and the devastation the nation endured from wildfires, ice storms, hurricanes and more. Amid all of this, people have continued to need roof repairs, replacements and safe places to live. The Oregon council of National Women in Roofing (NWIR), recognized this need and continues to serve the people of Oregon. 

NWIR encourages councils across the U.S. and Canada to get involved in their communities, and the Oregon council has taken that to heart. Their first major project in 2018 was a Habitat for Humanity build, where they roofed a home in one day.   

In 2019, the council put new roofs on three POD shelters for Kenton’s Women’s Village, which provides homeless women with temporary shelter. Stephanie Baird, the community outreach chair for NWIR and the general manager of Bliss Roofing commented, “This was a no brainer. It’s women helping women in Oregon...I don’t have the answer to the homeless situation, but it was great our council of NWIR could do something productive to help.”   

And during November in 2020 they organized the 30 Days of Gratitude Box, where they encouraged other NWIR councils across the U.S. to donate to local food banks. Associated roofing contractors of Oregon and Southwest Washington joined the Oregon council’s cause and together delivered more than 100 Gratitude Boxes and $2,000 worth of monetary donations to the Oregon Food Bank. 

The need is always great, whether it's the middle of a pandemic, the height of fire season, or simply a hard month. Read on to learn more about how NWIR continues to serve others. 

Good Neighbor Center 

Devri Pieratt, the project administrator for Tecta America revealed that the Good Neighbor Center (GNC) in Tigard, Oregon identified the need for a laundry addition. Good Neighbor Center helps homeless families in crisis and provides them with safe and emergency housing, allowing the families to save money and stabilize themselves in the community. 

Some of the many services GNC offers include feeding everyone three meals a day, early childhood education programs, skill building classes and a Rent Well Course. In the U.S., 2.5 million children are now homeless each year- that's one in every 30 children. Between 2019 and 2020, GNC served 135 children and 117 adults, a total of 75 families.   

The addition of this laundry room will allow for more washers and dryers to serve the growing number of families they assist, and also create a designated space for linens. Materials and labor are being donated for this commercial roof by Tecta America. Bliss Roofing and other local companies will participate in the project as well. 

A Village for One 

A nonprofit that is near and dear to the hearts of those in the NWIR Oregon council is A Village for One. Formed in 2012 by Cassie Trahan and Austin Burres, this organization is dedicated to supporting and helping girls heal who have been impacted by commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking. “We were blown away by the statistics of sex exploitation in the Portland area,” shared Stephanie. As of when this article was written, there have already been 132 human trafficking cases in Oregon. 

A Village for One is situated in an undisclosed location to protect the children who are staying there. They host six clients at a time, ages 12-18, and work with them to provide a holistic healthcare approach, meeting each individual’s physical, mental and spiritual needs.   

In 2019, the Oregon Home Builder’s Foundation, the charity division of the Home Builder’s Association, which helps build and renovate housing for the homeless in the Portland area, provided A Village for One with a grant to build a house. When Cassie presented to the NWIR Oregon council about the need for a roof, there was no discussion, the council knew this was something they needed to do. “This is what NWIR is all about; women supporting women,” Stephanie shared. 

Local companies worked together to complete the house, called Anisa’s Place after Anisa Swearingen, a sexually exploited teen who was murdered in 2012. All materials and labor were donated for the project. Malarkey Roofing donated the shingles and local contractors assisted with the construction- Bliss Roofing, Interstate Roofing and CC&L Roofing. “Everyone wanted to be involved,” Stephanie commented. “Those who couldn’t donate labor or materials brought lunch and other supplies.” 

Since then, A Village for One has become “our charity,” according to Stephanie. She shared, “We will continue to monitor their needs and continue the relationship. Devri from Tecta America installed Christmas lights on the home and the Oregon chapter of NWIR brought Christmas to the house with gifts for the girls to open on Christmas morning. 

A Village for One’s latest need is for an animal shelter, and there’s talk of building another house to serve more youth. NWIR is already prepared to help with their new roof.   

The need is always great for organizations and nonprofits like these whether it’s a roof or a bag of food. If you can, please consider supporting the nonprofits in your community.  

This year at the 2021 Building Hope Gala and Auction, the work on Anisa's Place done by the NWIR Oregon council, in addition to the other companies who worked hard to bring the home to life, will be featured. The event will be hosted in person and virtually June 19, 2021 and benefits Home Builders Foundation.

Learn more about NWIR and Bliss Roofing in their RoofersCoffeeShop® Directories or visit nationalwomeninroofing.org and blissroofing.com. 

Accidental release of steam filled with tiny metal particles created rust stains all over the exterior of steel plant.

Watts Removal Products communicated directly with the customer to find a solution for their problem, which resulted in an order of a Watts Removal product called Cleansweep. Workers on-site were able to use the product as specified on its label to effectively remove all the rust stains on the building.

The customer thought they were going to need to re-side the entire building. The simple cleaning product and application saved them tens of thousands of dollars and countless man hours.

Watts Removal Products are exclusive to Sherwin-Williams Coil Coatings and won’t void the warranty! This exclusive partnership ensures roofing and siding contractors, property owners and maintenance professionals have access to removal products designed to help revitalize and restore metal wall, roofing panels, manufactured products, extrusions and so much more.

RoofersCoffeeShop® contractors can enter to win a Metal Maintenance Sample Kit that includes the powerful Cleansweep that tackled rust easily for the steel plant. Each week, six kits will be awarded. Meet this week’s winners:

1. Stephanie Baird, Bliss Roofing Inc.

2. Kurt Schneider, Centimark

3. Dallas Mallory

4. Brittany Doerpfeld, Azalea Dwellings

5. Bianca Ramon, Johnson Roofing

6. Lydia Lane, Design Systems & Services Corp.

Common problems that the Metal Maintenance Sample Kit can handle include:

• Oxidation & chalking

• Removal of strippable film

• Graffiti

• Over-sprayed paint & adhesives

• Paint spills

• Surface rust stains

• Tiger-striping

• Dirt

• Smog

• Mildew & other biological growth

• Smoke damage

• Exhaust staining

Enter for your chance to be one of six winners every week!

Learn more about Sherwin-Williams in their RoofersCoffeeShop® Directory or visit www,coil.sherwin.com

About Sherwin-Williams Coil Coatings

Sherwin-Williams Coil Coatings delivers a full range of high-performance coatings in polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), silicone-modified polyester (SMP), and polyester formulas, designed to meet the most demanding environmental requirements while providing protection against weathering and pollution. The Coil Coatings Division is part of the Sherwin-Williams Performance Coatings Group, which supplies a broad range of highly engineered solutions for construction, industrial, packaging, and transportation markets in more than 110 countries in the world. Founded in 1866, The Sherwin-Williams Company is a global leader in the manufacture, development, distribution, and sale of paints, coatings, and related products to professional, industrial, commercial, and retail customers. For more information about Sherwin-Williams Coil Coatings, visit coil.sherwin.com.

By Colin Sheehan, RCS Reporter. 

Join us in celebrating Bliss Roofing who has been serving the roofing needs of Oregon and Washington for 50 years. 

Stephanie Baird from Bliss Roofing kicked off the first episode of Roofer of the Month brought to you by RoofersCoffeeShop® with host Megan Ellsworth. In this episode, Stephanie and Megan discuss what it means to be a pitched residential roofing contractor and what changes Bliss Roofing has gone through over the years.  

The company began as Bliss Roofing Company and was founded by Art Bliss in 1969. His son, Don, worked originally as a loader and eventually became a roofer, learning the tricks of the trade. In 1985, Don purchased the roofing division and established Bliss Roofing, Inc. 

Stephanie is the general manager of Bliss Roofing and has been with the company for 27 years. Since she started, she’s seen the company go through tile roofing, cedar shake roofing, luxury designer shingles, metal and a lot of composition work. The tile shingles seemed to fade out after learning that they don’t perform well in the cold, wet weather of the Pacific Northwest. Cedar shakes also seem to be a thing of the past as asphalt roofing continues to be a residential staple and metal roofing is on the rise in popularity. 

“We do a lot of composition, the luxury designer shingles, the presidential. We do some cedar shakes, but probably only two or three jobs a year now. We're doing a lot of metal the last couple of years with the modern farmhouse look. And we do a little bit of commercial roofing, but mostly when it's in connection with a pitched roof. Maybe a flat deck or some sort of big crickets that adjoin a multi-dwelling. So mostly pitched residential,” said Stephanie. 

Stephanie talked highly of Bliss Roofing and their company culture that focuses on celebrating each other and keeping everyone’s sprits high. Prior to COVID-19, they participated in a variety of outside charity events as a group and even ran a 5K fun run for five years in a row.  

"I kind of have a saying around here when somebody gets hired that if you've got any deep dark secrets, don't tell us because we'll use them against you later,” said Stephanie. “We're all a family here. We tease each other, we play on each other and we celebrate each other.” 

Listen to the full interview to hear more from Stephanie about the culture, practices and history of Bliss Roofing.

By Lauren White, RCS Reporter.

Volunteers give back to others and mentor women in roofing.  

Women in the roofing industry are being encouraged by a new organization, the National Women in Roofing (NWIR).  Founded just three years ago and run solely by volunteers, their focus is on mentoring, networking, education, and recruitment.

“...Women have been making a real mark on the profession in the last 10 years— from the rooftop to the boardroom, to sales and manufacturing,” according to Stephanie Baird, Oregon Council Chair of the NWIR.  Stephanie has been in roofing for 25 years, and is the general manager of Bliss Roofing, a residential and commercial roofing company in Portland, Oregon.

Stephanie shared in her interview with KOIN6 that, “...Women are able to make a great income in our industry.”  Nationally, women make $0.80 for every dollar a man makes. However, in roofing, the pay is nearly equal with women earning $0.95 for every dollar.  

“When we come together we’re all just roofers, we’re part of the industry and we’re there for one goal just to help our communities...” Stephanie expressed to KOIN6.

Group members have worked on multiple projects that give back to others.  In December they assisted with a Habitat for Humanity build. Last spring they built tiny homes, known as pods, for the Kenton Women’s Village having partnered with Professional Women in Building and the Home Builders Association.  The Kenton Women’s Village is a collaborative approach to ending houselessness and providing services to women, assisting them in their transition to permanent housing once they leave the village.

Not only does NWIR encourage women, but they also encourage dedication to others.  People have benefited significantly from the work this group has done. “We want to give back to women, we want to give back in our communities so we’re really doing lots of things and it’s an aggressive movement,” Stephanie revealed. 

Learn more about joining National Women in  Roofing.

Do you know of someone in the industry who is ‘doing good deeds’ in their community? Help us catch them at it. Send news and information to info@rooferscoffeeshop.com.

About NWIR (National Women in Roofing)

National Women in Roofing (NWIR) is a volunteer-based organization that supports and advances the careers of women roofing professionals. We provide networking, mentoring, education and recruitment opportunities from the rooftop to the boardroom, for the young professional at the start of her career to the seasoned manager in the executive suite.

Our focus is on connecting and empowering women so that their training and leadership skills can help drive the overall betterment and professionalism of the roofing industry. Our membership also includes and welcomes men who support the inclusion of women in the roofing industry. Working together, we are bringing the industry to a new level of excellence by supporting and promoting the contributions of women as an essential component to the future of roofing.

By Stephanie Baird, NWIR.

National Women in Roofing, Oregon Council teamed up Friday, March 15, 2019, with Professional Women in Building to help roof four temporary housing PODs as part of the Kenton Women’s Village Build-Out Event.

Kenton Women’s Village PODS will provide temporary shelter to homeless women in the area. The General Contractors of these four PODs are Stephens Homes, Legend Homes, BC Homes, and Elite Development. The Legend Homes and Stephens Homes are partnering with Professional Women in Building.

Stephanie Baird, General Manager of Bliss Roofing and Co-Chair of NWiR, Oregon Council said she attended the POD launch on February 1. “I learned that last year 21 women that were in this type of temporary housing were placed in permanent housing. Home Builders Association (HBA) has made this a contest with all the 21 general contractors working on the PODs so the end results should be fabulous! To me, it is a given that NWiR should be involved. We are women in roofing partnering with women in building to help aid with the women homeless population.” I don’t have the answers on how to curb the homeless problem in the Portland area but am proud and grateful to have worked on a project that could be working toward a resolution. The women in roofing offloaded roofing panels, removed the protection tape, prepped the metal by crimping and notching it and helped load it on the roof. It was a great experience for all and an honor to have been asked to work on the project.

The metal roof panels were generously donated by Taylor Metal of Salem, OR. ABC Roofing Co and Bliss Roofing, Inc. provided the remainder of the material and Bliss Roofing and Columbia Roofing & Sheet Metal provided metal roof installers.

Sheila Zentz Stephens of Stephens Homes noted: “We are honored to be a part of supporting women in our community. Stephens Homes, LLC, a majority woman-owned business, is keenly aware of the contribution women are making in all levels of construction. Partnering with Professional Women in Building, National Women in Roofing, and Girls Build is a natural fit to uplift homeless women in the Portland area.

Learn more about National Women in Roofing.

Source: NWIR