Tag: <span>Innovator of the Year</span>

Tag: Innovator of the Year

Roofing Technology Think Tank Announces 2021 Innovator of the Year

Posted on

The award recognizes a roofing contractor who contributes to the advancement of the roofing industry.

York, Pennsylvania, September 21, 2021 –- Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3), a group of progressive roofing professionals focused on technology solutions for the roofing industry, awarded the 2021 Innovator of the Year award to Ken Kelly, president of Bonita Springs, Florida-based Kelly Roofing. The award was announced during the 2021 Best of Success Conference.

“Ken is a visionary leader who embraced the potential that technology could bring to both his company and the roofing industry,” stated Anna Anderson, CEO of Art Unlimited, Award Task Team Leader and RT3 Board President. “He fully leveraged technology to automate many of the processes in his company, doubling the size of his business without adding additional staff.”

The Kelly Roofing team is willing to share their knowledge and help others in the industry. Ken has been a speaker on several RT3 webinars and educational panels, sharing his experiences and helping other contractors with their technology journey. He has also hosted contractors at his company who want to see the operation and understand how the company is using technology on a daily basis.

In addition, Ken is heavily involved in philanthropy. He partners with Habitat for Humanity, donates a roof to a family in need each year and is also the wing leader for the Southwest Florida Angel Flight, where he arranges missions and recruits pilots to transport people in medical need.

Kelly Roofing is a member of the Roofing Alliance and National Roofing Contractors Association where he serves on the board. Kelly was a founding board member of the Roofing Technology Think Tank.

Congratulations to Ken Kelly and Kelly Roofing on being named the 2021 Innovator of the Year.

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. Learn more at www.rt3thinktank.com.

Roofing Technology Think Tank Announces 2020 Innovator of the Year

Posted on

The award recognizes a roofing contractor who contributes to the advancement of the roofing industry.

York, Pennsylvania, December 8, 2020 –- Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3), a group of progressive roofing professionals focused on technology solutions for the roofing industry, awarded the 2020 Innovator of the Year award to Scott Riopelle, the owner and CEO of Denver, Colorado-based Interstate Roofing. The award was announced during the virtual 2020 Best of Success Conference.

“It’s clear that Scott is an early adopter and eager to integrate the latest technologies into Interstate Roofing,” stated Anna Anderson, CEO of Art Unlimited, Award Task Team Leader and RT3 Board Member. “To eliminate any chance of bias, our panel of judges did not know the names of the persons or companies that they were reviewing. They ranked nominations based solely on the technological information provided on the nomination form.”

According to the nomination, Scott was one of the first contractors to adopt using EagleView measurement reports as a standard in his business, as well as Xactimate and Scope Assist. “Technology is the new future in the roofing industry,” stated Scott. “By providing aerial and mobile access in seconds it is going to save time and be more cost effective for the jobs. I will never forget the first time I saw Xactimate. I was blown away by how far we have come in the last decade.”

Scott shared that Interstate Roofing has begun using virtual reality and augmented reality in their business. “This technology speaks to the new generation of contracting salespersons. It has increased our retention base by allowing multiple avenues of education, while providing another way to evaluate the skills of a contractor before we finalize a contractor agreement or put them in the field blindly. What this caused is a more loyal base of employee and contractor alike,” he explained.

He also is willing to share knowledge and help others in the industry, often presenting and educating other contractors, even competitors on how to implement technology into their businesses. “Due to the pandemic we have been forced to look at digital technology from a different perspective. I see the challenge and accept it as a good thing. It is not always about growing more jobs but defining the good jobs from the bad ones and keeping the crews safe,” he said.   

Interstate Roofing is a member of the Colorado Roofing Association, National Roofing Contractors Association and Scott serves on the board for the Western States Roofing Contractors Association. Interstate Roofing is rated in the highest tier with manufacturers such as Owens Corning, Versico, Boral Steel, GAF and CertainTeed.

Congratulations to Scott Riopelle and Interstate Roofing on being named the 2020 Innovator of the Year.

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. Learn more at www.rt3thinktank.com.

Roofing Technology Think Tank Announces Innovator of the Year

Posted on

Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3), a group of progressive roofing professionals focused on technology solutions for the roofing industry, awarded the Innovator of the Year award to Curtis Sutton of Carthage, Tennessee-based Rackley Roofing. The award was presented at the 2019 Best of Success Conference in Miami.

“We had many great nominations and it was very hard to narrow the field down to just one,” stated Anna Anderson, Award Task Team Leader and RT3 Board Member. “We selected Rackley Roofing because they embrace technology and have demonstrated that they are early adopters when it comes to implementing new innovations.”

In an interview after the presentation, Reid Ribble commented on the importance of innovation in roofing, saying, “Given the workforce demands and the changing technology, the companies that are innovating are going to be winning. Innovation really matters if we are going to reach out to that new, young 18-, 19- or 20-year old worker who still sees roofing as something hot and dirty and not something technologically advanced.”

Curtis Sutton, President of Rackley Roofing commented on winning the award, “It’s an honor because innovation is one of our six core values. Innovation is driven in our company. Innovation to us also means being open to change. We lead everything with technology in the decisions we make in our company.”

Sutton brings a respect for the traditional craftsmanship of a professional roofer and passion for the latest technological innovations. Under his leadership, Rackley has introduced industry-leading technologies like Rackley RoofCheck and Rackley RoofView. They have implemented the use of virtual reality safety headsets that allow everyone to experience being on a roof and learn best safety practices. The company is beginning the use of in-ear translators that can translate speech into any language and dialect.

As a founding sponsor of National Women in Roofing and a member of RT3, the company is committed to always innovating and learning about new technologies and solutions that will help advance the roofing industry overall.

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. Learn more at www.rt3thinktank.com.

Photo: (L-R) Jill Bloom, Publisher, Roofing Contractor; Michelle Boykin, COO, Rackley Roofing; Curtis Sutton, President, Rackley Roofing, Anna Anderson, CEO, Art Unlimited; Charles Antis, CEO, Antis Roofing.

RT3 Members present and receive recognition at Best of Success Conference

Posted on

By Karen L. Edwards, RT3.

RT3 is made up of progressive, forward-thinking roofing industry thought leaders who are passionate about the advancement of the roofing industry. They frequently use their own time and expenses to travel to conferences to present and share their knowledge to help improve the industry overall.

In its 15th year, the Best of Success Conference is an intensive two-day conference that presents new and improved ways to run roofing businesses for both commercial and residential applications. We were excited to have RT3 member Jill Bloom from BNP Media as the conference host as well as eight members on the stage throughout the event, sharing their knowledge and experiences.

Presentations from members included:

  • Doing Well by Doing Good – Charles Antis, CEO & Founder of Antis Roofing & Waterproofing
  • From Google to Approval – Anna Anderson, CEO, Art Unlimited and Ryan Groth, Founder & CEO of Sales Transformation Group
  • Smart Growth: avoiding the Legal Pitfalls when Scaling Your Company – Trent Cotney, Cotney Construction Law
  • Your Image and the Power of Marketing – Victor Smolyanov, CEO/Owner, Victor’s Roofing
  • Panel: Career Wins and Losses – featured panelists included Steve Little, President/Head Coach, KPost Company and Gregg Wallick, President & CEO, Best Roofing

Roofing Contractor Magazine’s Roofing Contractor of the Year was awarded to RT3 member Ken Kelly and his company, Kelly Roofing. The Contractor of the Year award is a once-in-a-lifetime achievement that honors contractors who are committed to giving back to their community, have outstanding leadership, and bring innovation to the industry.

The RT3 Innovator of the Year inaugural award was awarded to RT3 members Curtis Sutton and Michelle Boykin of Rackley Roofing. This award was created to nationally recognize a Roofing Contractor that has contributed to the advancement of the roofing industry through technical innovation and/or product development.

Stay up-to-date on the latest industry news and innovations when you sign up for the RT3 Smart Brief e-newsletter.

Roofing Technology Think Tank Seeks Nominations for Innovator of the Year Award

Posted on

The new award seeks to recognize a roofing contractor who has contributed to the advancement of the roofing industry.

York, Pennsylvania – Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3), a group of progressive roofing professionals focused on technology solutions for the roofing industry, announced the launch of its first award program to recognize the Innovator of the Year.

This award was created to nationally recognize a roofing contractor that has contributed to the advancement of the roofing industry through technical innovation and/or product development in one of the following areas:

  • Production/Technology Efficiency
  • Safety Innovation
  • Client Service/Quality of Delivery
  • Employee Recruitment/Training/Retention
  • Environmental Impact

Award judging criteria will be based on innovation, results, design and strategy. The recipient will be announced in September at the Best of Success conference.

To be eligible, a roofing contractor must be licensed and bonded for a minimum of five years and have a minimum $5 million in annual revenue. They also must be a member of a professional industry association and be able to cite community enrichment ties through support of non-profits or company culture programs.

For more information and to submit an award application visit www.rt3thinktank.com/innovator-award. There is a $50 nomination fee to cover processing and award costs. Deadline for nominations is July 30, 2019.

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. Learn more at www.RT3ThinkTank.com.