Category: <span>RT3</span>

Category: RT3

Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3) Exploring the Future of Roofing

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The question that keeps presenting itself in every corner of the roofing industry is how are we going to hire and retain the labor we need to keep our industry strong? It is a question that is explored in every roofing association, roofing company, manufacturer and distributor. How are we going to attract talent?

A group of industry thought-leaders came together in the spring of 2017 to try and find solutions for this critical issue with a focus on how technology could make the difference. The Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3) was started to focus on research and dissemination of technology information that could make a difference not only with attracting and retaining talent but also improving the professional reputation of the roofing industry.

“RT3 is a consortium of thought leaders exploring emerging technology solutions for the roofing industry,” says Heidi J. Ellsworth, one of the founders and current directors of RT3 and a partner with RoofersCoffeeShop.com. “As a group we believe we can develop the atmosphere to inspire learning and networking that will bring important technology into our industry. We are striving to provide critical information about innovative technology and solutions for roofing contractors by bringing together progressive and disruptive expert solutions that can help build the professionalism and appeal of the roofing industry.”

RT3 is committed to finding innovative technology solutions to be used within the roofing industry by enabling ongoing thought leadership and insights from progressive leaders both inside and outside the roofing industry, along with identifying practical resources for implementing potential solutions successfully. The organization is encouraging and enabling roofing contractors to embrace technology as they seek to grow their businesses. With a commitment to disseminating technology advancement information, RT3 believes that technology is one of the top solutions for the labor crisis.

“The next generation is looking to use their technical skills in new ways and the roof is a prime area for innovation,” stated Tom Whitaker, CEO of Harness and a director on the RT3 Board. “Most of our U.S. workforce already use an iPhone and/or tablet daily for their personal life, why would they not want to use them in their work life? We have the opportunity for our labor force to utilize the power of mobile devices on the roof for documentation and education. We need to make it a part of all rooftop systems.”

“The move to robotics on the rooftop is happening,” said Steve Little, Head Coach at KPost Roofing & Waterproofing in Dallas, Texas and an RT3 Director. “At KPOST, we are already incorporating machines on the roof that are more robotic then ever before. Our work crews are learning how to maintain the machinery on the roof while giving even more attention to the details. It is part of the evolution of the roof and incredibly important.”

RT3 was formed to act as a conduit for curating knowledge on technologies that can help roofing contractors and the roofing industry overall. The group has grown from twenty founding members to over sixty. With a board of six directors, both directors and members work to successfully accomplish the objective of supporting the advancement of the adoption of technology within the roofing industry. According to its mission statement, “Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3), is a consortium of thought leaders exploring emerging technology solutions for the roofing industry, striving to inform contractors by bringing together progressive and disruptive solutions that help build the professionalism and appeal of the roofing industry,”

The think tank meets six times a year, four virtually and two live. Past live meetings included tours of Georgia Tech, BuiltWorlds and the U.S. Capitol. Future meetings will continue to be held at innovative locations that will help enlighten the group on progressive technologies that can make a difference in the roofing industry. “The live meetings have been instrumental to our learning curve,” said Ken Kelly of Kelly Roofing, Naples Florida and an RT3 Director. “The opportunity to see what other trades and the construction industry as a whole are doing is key to us curating information and not wasting time recreating the wheel.”

“It is about education and the initiative to understand and then disseminate innovative technologies into the roofing industry,” continued Ellsworth. “The dissemination portion is just as important as learning about modern technologies. If we cannot adequately share the information, then we will miss a key part of our mission as a think tank.”

To that end, RT3 partnered early on with BuiltWorlds, SmartBrief and RoofersCoffeeShop.com to share information from the think tank and its members. “We need to share the information that we are bringing in and our partnerships have been critical,” stated Trent Cotney, CEO of Cotney Construction Law and a RT3 Board Member. “As part of our incorporation, we looked to other groups who use technology effectively and have proven digital audiences that we could tap into. It has been very effective so far.”

As part of the RT3 mission, the next prime initiative is to launch an online solution directory on the RT3 website. “The solution directory is a place for all technology services or providers to share their technology,” continued Whitaker who developed the directory and website. “We want the industry to visit the site and provide reviews on the technologies. It is the only way we will truly get industry-specific feedback.”

Future meetings will continue to be held at innovative locations that will help enlighten the group on progressive technologies that can make a difference in the roofing industry. The goal is to learn, understand and then disseminate new technologies into the roofing industry. One of the ways to attract the new generation and a diversified labor force is to incorporate the use of technology including robotics, software, cloud solutions and cutting-edge technologies that we are not even aware of yet.

Josey Parks, RT3’s Workforce Development Task Team Chair, recently announced a new millennial toolkit. “We want to help contractors attract millennials, but it is about understanding what they are looking for in a career,” stated Josey Parks, CEO of Metal Roofs of Texas. “Technology is key, but it is also about culture. The two go together and what the next generation is looking for is commitment to its employees. This group of thought leaders that are a part of RT3 are bringing so much more than just information about technology, we are exploring how technology can create a culture of success for us as a trade.”

“The next generation of millennials will demand the use of technology, if we want to compete for talent as an industry, we will need to create an appealing workplace,” confirmed Karen Inman, COO of Antis Roofing out of Orange County, CA. “With a dwindling workforce, we need to be on the front end of recent technologies that will automate the rooftop. Labor is just one of the urgent business problems that can be addressed with these types of progressive ideas.”

“We are encouraging everyone to visit our website at www.rt3thinktank.test, sign up for the RT3 SmartBrief e-newsletter, follow the blogs, review the companies in the solution directory and if interested, apply to join,” confirmed Karen Edwards, communications and engagement leader for RT3 and owner of Casimir Group. “This is the type of organization that brings on change and we want to invite the industry to be involved.”

Photo by Eddie Kopp on Unsplash

Roofing Technology Think Tank Elects Board of Directors

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The newly elected board of directors will serve terms that range from one to three years in length.

Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3), a group of progressive roofing professionals focused on technology solutions for the roofing industry, announced that it has elected six directors of the board at its May 9 virtual meetup.

 

RT3 was formed to act as a conduit for curating knowledge on technologies that can help roofing contractors and the roofing industry overall.  Formed in July of 2017, the group has grown from twenty founding members to over sixty.  The think tank was officially incorporated in 2018 and now is proud to announce its new board of directors.

 

Heidi J. Ellsworth, Partner, RoofersCoffeeShop.com and Karen Inman, Chief Operating Officer, Antis Roofing and Waterproofing, will serve three-year terms on the board. Steve Little, Head Coach at KPost Roofing & Waterproofing and Ken Kelly, President of Kelly Roofing will serve two-year terms while Trent Cotney, Cotney Construction Law and Tom Whitaker, President of Harness Software will serve one-year terms.

 

The board will support the RT3 mission statement and work to successfully accomplish its objectives to support and advance the adoption of technology within the roofing industry.  According to its mission statement, “Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3), is a consortium of thought leaders exploring emerging technology solutions for the roofing industry, striving to inform contractors by bringing together progressive and disruptive solutions that help build the professionalism and appeal of the roofing industry,”

 

The think tank meets six times a year, four virtual and two live.  Past live meetings included tours of Georgia Tech, BuiltWorlds and the U.S. Capitol.  Future meetings will continue to be held at innovative locations that will help enlighten the group on progressive technologies that can make a difference in the roofing industry.

 

“It is about education and the initiative to understand and then disseminate innovative technologies into the roofing industry,” stated Heidi J. Ellsworth.  “One of the ways to attract the new generation and a diversified labor force is to incorporate the use of technology including robotics, drones, software, cloud solutions and cutting-edge technologies that we are not even aware of yet.”

 

For more information about RT3, visit www.rt3thinktank.test.

RT3 Members Discuss the Current Issues, Trends and Opportunities for Technology in the Roofing Industry

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by Anita Lum

Technology has been at the forefront of nearly every industry for the past decade and roofing is no exception. The industry is ripe for change and has been transforming rapidly as more and more contractors embrace the use of technology in their day-to-day operations. David Huval of National Roofing Partners interviewed Trent Cotney of Cotney Construction Law, Lynn Foster of AccuLynx, and Tom Whitaker of Harness Software, to learn more about the current issues, trends, and opportunities with technology in the roofing industry during the International Roofing Expo in New Orleans.

Both Cotney and Whitaker expressed a current challenge that the whole industry can resonate with – the lack of skilled labor. To combat that need, the adoption of technology in the workplace is critical. Technology can be used to supplement this shortage by doing more with less; there are currently programs geared towards all facets of construction, including project management, work orders and health and safety.

Opportunities for technology in the industry are plenty. With the integration of applications in the workplace, the industry as a whole can really go digital. For instance, smartphones and tablets have become part of our daily lives, so integrating it into our businesses should be the next step. As Foster put it, “…the next couple of years is really going to be the mobile revolution.” This technology will allow instant transmission of information from the field to the office, which is critical to increase efficiency, decrease risks, and drive performance.

Other trends in roofing technology include drones; “Drone technology has gotten so much better over the last few years and it’s going to continue to make a huge impact,” said Whitaker. Cotney mentions the use of blockchain, a new way of engaging in contract payment method, to improve productivity by cutting out the middlemen.  According to Foster, integration is also set take off in the next couple years with “all these different entities getting together on one platform and integrating.” This will ensure much smoother processes by keeping all business information in one space.

While the roofing industry has been slow to adopt the new technology into their processes, this is beginning to change. With the technology tools identified by Cotney, Foster, and Whitaker, roofers can streamline workflows, manage clients, and share projects across the board, and ultimately grow their business.

Watch a recap of the interviews below.

RT3 Members Spend the Day on Capitol Hill

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By Shashi Bellamkonda, Surefire Local.

 

It is a good day when you can meet a group of technology thought leaders and exchange notes.  The occasion was the meetup of Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3), a consortium of thought leaders exploring emerging technology solutions for the roofing industry at the U.S. Capitol on March 6, 2018.

 

Showing the power of networking, Heidi Ellsworth of RoofersCoffeeShop.com  and co-founder of RT3, reached out to Sasha Bernhard, Legislative Aide to Senator Cantwell and created a program of talks from inspiring leaders. Thank you both very much. Of course, it wouldn’t have happened without the persistence of the amazing Laura Bartolozzi who made sure everyone got to this meetup in one piece and David Huval, both from National Roofing Partners (BTW, thank you to NRP for sponsoring the startup costs of RT3 and for the lunch and coffee, and RoofersCoffeeShop.com for sponsoring the reception.)

 

High level takeaways:

 

Sasha Bernhard – Legislative Aide to Senator Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.

At a previous visit to the House and Senate a few years ago, I was amazed at the smartness, intelligence and enthusiasm of the staff of the House of Representatives and Senators. I am confident that this is a very good reason why America is such a great country. The people we elect for the most part surround themselves with excellent people. I was very impressed by Sasha’s talk where she laid out all the ways that a group like RT3 can influence the conversation both to the public, contractors, media and the legislature. Everyone can make their voice heard if they take the initiative to reach out.

 

Congressman John Delaney – D-MD, 6th District

Congressman Delaney
Congressman Delaney (D-MD)

Rep. Delaney launched the AI cause and acknowledged that there will always be disruption  “In my view, there is tremendous potential for AI to be a positive transformational force, but also understandable concern about the impact that disruption could have on existing jobs.”

 

This is a good position, almost every speaker acknowledged that the nature of jobs will change and it is important to think about how to “upskill” the workforce to make them suitable for the new jobs that will be created and some jobs will disappear.

 

Reid Ribble – Executive Director, National Roofing Contractors Association

Reid is the new executive director of the National Roofing Contractors Association and this week about 400 roofing professionals flew into Washington, D.C. to make their voices heard. Reid mentioned a few areas where roofing professionals can make changes. The perception of the roofing industry in the Congress and Senate is driven by the opinions in the media, homeowner complaints about a few bad players. In order to change the perception all around, all professionals have to join together. Showing up in strength definitely helps. Technology advancement in the roofing industry should be highlighted and professionals should think of more innovation. Reid mentioned a thought of how roofing contractors control the roofs where so much of rainwater touches. IF there was a way to collect and use this water this would help with such a rare resource in the world “water” ( Water according to Reid is costlier than oil)

 

Dr. Nicol Turner-Lee – Fellow, Center for Technology Innovation at the Brookings Institution

Heidi Ellsworth, Sasha Bernhard, & Nicol Turner-Lee
Left to Right: Heidi Ellsworth, Sasha Bernhard, & Nicol Turner-Lee

Dr. Turner-Lee started her talk with a stark truth that half the population on this earth is still not online. While there is a rapid change in digital platforms, predictive analytics, automation, and machine learning, small and medium businesses are finding it hard to keep up. Over 66% of the new jobs in the US are created by small and medium enterprises. The rise of automation and AI will dismantle jobs and render some positions obsolete. 

 

Specific to the roofing Industry:

Major goals are productivity and the application of innovation

  • Construction robotics
    • “Masonry robots” – speed up brick pattern courses
    • Wearable robotics, including exoskeletons for mobility to robotic arms for strength
    • Drones for equipment delivery and to check on inventory
  • Big data analytics
    • Jobsite efficiencies & optimized equipment
    • Weatherization
  • 3-D Printing
    • Showing up in cranes for improved layering of concrete
    • Mapping & design
  • Remote management and design
    • Pre-fabrication through digitization

 

Overall these speakers inspired the group to take back thoughts and work into their businesses and the community.

Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3) Chooses Leadership

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RT3 has secured the services of veteran industry marketing communications professional Karen Edwards to advance the efforts of the organization.

Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3), a group of progressive roofing professionals focused on technology solutions for the roofing industry announced that it has chosen Karen Edwards as its communications and engagement leader.

In this role, Edwards will lead the RT3 membership in engagement activities that drive the group’s technology research, evaluation, testing and thought leadership to continue to promote the adoption of technology into the roofing industry. She will also manage all of RT3’s communication efforts, ensuring that the group’s message and efforts surrounding the adoption of technology are effectively shared with contractors, manufacturers, distributors and industry media.

“RT3 is very excited to work with Karen on moving the RT3 initiative forward and taking it to the next level,” said RT3 co-founder Dale Tyler. “Her background in the roofing industry combined with her understanding of how to introduce new technologies into the industry from her time spent as a marketing leader at EagleView bring the perfect skill set to RT3.”

Edwards has been a marketing professional for more than 25 years and has focused the past 15 years on marketing for the technology and construction industries. She led the contractor marketing program during her tenure at Carlisle SynTec and oversaw the marketing behind the company’s secondary brands including Versico, EcoStar, Insulfoam, Carlisle Coatings and Waterproofing and Carlisle Residential before moving on to lead marketing efforts at EagleView Technologies. As president and owner of Casimir Group, Edwards provides strategic marketing consulting for roofing manufacturers and contractors, she is also the editor for RoofersCoffeeShop.com and leads Marcomm activities for the Property Drone Consortium.

She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from Millersville University of Pennsylvania and resides in the York, Pennsylvania area. When not working, she enjoys traveling, relaxing on a beach, partaking in good food and wine, taking long walks and yoga.

About Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3)
Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3) strives to find innovative technology solutions to be used within the roofing industry. RT3 provides insights from progressive thought leaders both inside and outside the roofing industry along with practical resources for implementing potential solutions successfully. The organization will encourage and enable contractors to embrace technology as they seek to grow their businesses. With a commitment to disseminate technology advancement information, RT3 will help build the professionalism and appeal of the roofing industry. http://www.rt3thinktank.test.

Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3) and SmartBrief Partner

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SmartBrief And RT3 Work Together To Promote Progressive Roofing Practices

Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3), an emerging technology-focused group of roofing industry thought leaders, and SmartBrief, a leading digital media publisher of targeted business news, are seeing success with their partnership to promote technology throughout the roofing industry.

Launched December 11th, Roofing Technology SmartBrief powered by RT3 is a subscription-only publication that provides essential technology and diversity news and thought-leadership content three times a week to over 11,000 roofing professionals.

“Partnering RT3 with SmartBrief is one of the best ways to share the technology information that this group is curating and researching,” stated Dale Tyler of National Roofing Partners.  “As a group, we are committed to the dissemination of information to the industry about technology advances and opportunities to improve the roofing process and business.  Our goal is to have the entire industry receive these informative newsletters.”

RT3 is focused on serving the needs of the roofing industry with ongoing education, research, and dissemination of their findings.  “The Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3) is a consortium of thought leaders exploring emerging technology solutions for the roofing industry, striving to inform roofing contractors by bringing together progressive and disruptive solutions that help build the professionalism and appeal of the roofing industry,” is the mission statement for the group.

Learn more and subscribe to Roofing Technology SmartBrief powered by RT3.  Additional information can also be found at https://192.241.168.40.

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About Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3)
Visualized by Dale Tyler of National Roofing Partners and Heidi Ellsworth of RoofersCoffeeShop.com and HJE Consulting, the Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3) is a group of progressive roofing professionals focused on technology solutions for the roofing industry.  The think tank strives to find innovative technology solutions to be used within the roofing industry.  RT3 provides insights from progressive thought leaders both inside and outside the roofing industry along with practical resources for implementing potential solutions successfully. The organization will encourage and enable contractors to embrace technology as they seek to grow their businesses.  With a commitment to disseminate technology and advancement of information, RT3 will help build the professionalism and appeal of the roofing industry.  https://192.241.168.40

 

About SmartBrief
Serving nearly 6 million senior executives, thought leaders and industry professionals, SmartBrief is the leading digital media publisher of targeted business news and information by industry. By combining technology and editorial expertise, SmartBrief delivers the most relevant industry news – curated daily from thousands of sources – in partnership with leading trade associations, professional societies, nonprofits, and corporations. Using industry expertise and an engaged network of readers, SmartBrief’s content marketing offerings cut through the clutter and provide real solutions to targeted business needs.