Tag: <span>Roofing</span>

Tag: Roofing

Using free inspections to land more service business

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By Jobba.

Over the last decade, RT3 member Jobba’s team has had the opportunity to work with thousands of successful roofing contractors. Not surprisingly, many of them have stated that their continuous growth was a direct result of increasing their service and repair work while also providing an exceptional customer service experience.

Recognize the Need for “Free”

These successful roofing contractors all understood one thing – that in order to have a steady pipeline full of prospects for their sales team and increase their service work, they needed to offer free, no obligation roofing inspections to get those customers in the door first.

Roofing companies that offer free inspections end up getting much closer to their potential customers – a lot faster. And, they are starting off the relationship on the right foot by positioning themselves as an advisor, identifying current and future problem areas on their roof right from the start.

It’s important to keep in mind that some activities that may currently be unprofitable can pay off in the long run if the customers are good long-term prospects. Sales efforts in 2019 will have a long-term impact on sales and profitability in 2020 and beyond.

Provide Detailed Inspection Reports

One of the ways to stand out from the competition is to provide a detailed roofing analysis report upon completion of the inspection. An Inspection Report instantly gives you more credibility and will also allow the prospective customer to make an informed decision on their roofing work – without having to set foot on the roof. These reports will provide the condition of the roof’s membrane, flashings, perimeter edge and fascia, expansion joint covers, pitch pockets and penetrations.

Inspection Reports should also indicate the exact locations in addition to describing and prioritizing the roof work needed (emergency vs. remedial) with any related costs and photos. These reports can also be used in preparing and submitting requests for warranty repairs.

Offer Ongoing Service Agreements

Your Inspection Reports should also ALWAYS be accompanied with an ongoing roof maintenance plan recommendation or Service Agreement which will maximize the capacity and longevity of their roof.
By offering customers ongoing Service Agreements, you create “sticky” relationships whereby customers stay loyal and continue to generate predictable revenue.

Consider offering a dedicated Service Agreement that includes a 2-hour emergency arrival time and locked-in rates that they can incorporate into their roof’s maintenance budget.

Get Ready for More Inspections

As the demand for your roofing inspections grow, you need to be able to manage them efficiently and offer an experience that keeps your customers happy. Here are some ways to be more efficient and profitable:

  • Follow-up with inspection inquiries ASAP as they may be requesting a free inspection from multiple companies in the same day.
    Track your inspection results and see how they measure up (i.e. how many new customers do your free inspections yield?).
  • Create a template for your Inspection Reports in which you can include photos, date stamps and canned recommendations for each deficiency.
  • Create a template for your Service Agreement in which you outline the various roof maintenance options you offer.
  • Store and track warranty information.
  • Go paperless by granting your customers online access to project management tools that help them track job progress, expenses, costs and historical information for budgeting and future reference.
  • Provide automated inspection and service/repair status updates via text or email.

Stay up to date on the latest roofing industry trends when you sign up for the RT3 Smart Brief e-newsletter. 

Source: Jobba

RT3 member Trent Cotney named NRCA general counsel

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Cotney Construction Law (CCL) takes a lead position as the roofing industry advocate.

Cotney Construction Law, the leading national law firm for construction, specialty trades and OSHA law, is pleased to announce the appointment of Trent Cotney as General Counsel for the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA). Cotney and the team at CCL will provide ongoing NRCA member benefits of legal consultation that will include a strong emphasis on proactive support surrounding construction, employment, immigration and OSHA law.

With the appointment of Trent Cotney as General Counsel, the roofing industry will benefit from Cotney Construction Law’s national reach since it is a law firm that employs almost 40 lawyers with 14 offices across the country, all focused on representing the construction industry. With over twenty years representing the roofing industry, Cotney’s passion and focus continues to be on roofing. He has built a law firm dedicated to giving back to the construction industries they serve. “Representing roofing contractors and helping their businesses both proactively and reactively is our focus,” said Trent Cotney. “We understand the law and we know construction so we can help contractors avoid getting into legal troubles in the first place.”

Most of what the Cotney team will do will be pro bono including consulting, articles, research and support of NRCA committees. ProCertification has been the prime focus for Cotney over the last 18 months, where he worked with NRCA committees offering legal advice and consultation that helped determine the structure of the certification and training processes at no charge to NRCA.

“Trent Cotney has been diligently working with NRCA on the ProCertification program which is our top priority,” stated McKay Daniels, NRCA Chief Operating Officer. “We look forward to working with Trent and Cotney Construction Law.”

The CCL team serves as General Counsel or as an affinity partner for Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Association and several of its affiliates, Western States Roofing Contractors Association, Chicago Roofing Contractors Association, Tennessee Association of Roofing Contractors, National Women in Roofing, Roofing Technology Think Tank, Tile Roofing Institute, IIBEC Florida and the National Slate Association.  The firm is well known for their legal content, thought leadership, philanthropy and overall commitment to the roofing industry.

To learn more about Cotney Construction Law, please visit www.cotneycl.com or call (866) 303-5868.

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About Cotney Construction Law

Cotney Construction Law is a national law firm that provides representation for the construction industry. Experienced in the representation of businesses and professionals in construction disputes and transactions, Cotney is a well-known advisor and legal counsel. The firm’s practice areas include construction law, litigation, arbitration, contract review & drafting, immigration, employment, OSHA defense, licensing defense, bid protests, lien law, bond law and alternative dispute resolution. The firm has offices throughout Florida as well as locations in Birmingham, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Grand Rapids, Houston, Portland OR, Nashville, and Boston. For more information, visit www.cotneycl.com.

How to market your roofing company in a digital world

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By RT3 member Art Unlimited/Kandi Hamble.

We are living in an increasingly digital world. I can still remember life without the internet, and my how things have changed! Art Unlimited has been around longer than the World Wide Web, and now we find ourselves fully immersed in this fascinating, always changing digital space.

It seems like every day there is a new rhythm to learn, and we often see companies fail to thrive when they don’t keep up. This may seem like a scary monster to fight off, but it can be easier than you think to join the circus without going crazy. All you need is a plan. We’re here to help you with that plan!

Step one: Go digital.

Living in a Digital World

First impressions for your brand were once limited to yard signs, vehicle wraps, flyers, and direct mail – also known in the marketing world as ‘traditional marketing.’ However, when the first website launched in 1991, the marketing world began to shift. Having a presence online is no longer optional—it is necessary to thrive and grow.

Here are four areas we will discuss:

  • Internet Presence – having your own website and having company profiles on third-party websites (such as GMB, Yelp, BBB, etc) is an essential way to manage and share your brand.
  • Fresh Content – major search engines, like Google, give priority to websites which are always updating. Paying attention to your SEO and posting regular, quality blogs can assist in keeping your website ahead of the pack.
  • Social Butterfly – choosing 1-2 social platforms to have a strong presence in can give your brand visibility, and give you a leg-up on your competitors.
  • Paid Ads – having digital paid ads geared towards your dream customer can help you grow your brand and change digital interactions to in-person customers.

Benefits of Going Digital

We must continue to learn new things or risk becoming stagnant. A solid marketing strategy is no different. In the movie Tron, Dumont says, “All that is visible must grow beyond itself, and extend into the realm of the invisible.” Adding digital components to your marketing strategy may seem like growing into an invisible world, but they will give you enhanced visibility to potential customers and raise your brand awareness. Greater brand awareness can then bring you more leads while also lowering the cost to gain them.

Extend Your Internet Presence

If you don’t already, having a presence across the internet is a must to thrive in the competitive landscape of hardworking, talented roofers.

  • Your-domain-dot-com – A website with your company name as the domain is like a business office which is always open. Having your contact information, hours, available services, and photos of previous projects can help a person choose you over a different roofer. Adding one of the many AI bots means searchers can even ask questions – whether you’re manning the phones or not!
  • Third-Party Websites – Creating or claiming your company’s profile on websites such as Google my Business, Yelp, and BBB will give your brand an even further reach. Your information should be the same on each site, as well as your own. This will let search engines know you’re trustworthy so they start sharing your information in searches. It allows previous customers to leave reviews for potential customers to form a positive impression of your business before they even pick up the phone.

Creating Fresh Content

Search engine bots are constantly scanning websites to see what new information there is to be consumed by the billions of people entering queries. According to stats compiled by an internet statics company, Google processes over 7-10 billion search queries a day worldwide, and 15% of those queries have never been searched for on Google before. The algorithms used to find content to answer these searches are changing almost every day.

Is it any wonder that a website drops in search ranking when it is not publishing new content regularly? How can you stay on top of keeping your website current and relevant? The good news is you don’t have to make changes every day! Publishing 2-3 blogs each month about topics you are an expert in can go a long way. If you don’t know where to start or are crazy busy, you can hire someone to write and publish blogs for you.

Working on your website’s SEO value a little each month can also help immensely. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) can seem tricky, but let me explain it this way: Search engines are always on the lookout for answers to the questions they receive. SEO is making a website visible to the search engines (by updating relevant pages with the keywords and content people are looking for)…much like introducing friends at a party!

Becoming a Social Butterfly

Being a social butterfly generally means flitting from event to event, interacting with whomever you meet, and being an asset to the lives you are interacting with. Now, owning that strong social presence could include having profiles on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, or Pinterest, to name a few. We have seen how building a brand on social media isn’t often used by roofing contractors.

What does this mean for you? If you build your brand on one or two social platforms (no need to spread yourself thin!) you could have a presence and be an asset to your community in a place where your competitors aren’t focusing – giving you the upper hand and a pool of leads for your company!

Paid Ads

There is a right way and a wrong way to do paid ads. Knowing who your dream customer is and what they are searching for when they need roofing help can help you dial into where to place your ads and how to word them. As they are tooling around the vastness of the internet and seeing your brand in strategic places, they will start thinking of YOU when their roof springs a leak.

Growing your brand and converting digital interactions to in-person customers is a long-term process. Patience is a virtue, even in this digital age. If you want to learn more about how to include digital marketing in your strategy, give us a call today. Art Unlimited has the experience needed to assist roofing contractors across North America to help them create a solid digital presence and surpass their goals.

Stay up to date on the latest roofing industry trends when you sign up for the RT3 Smart Brief e-newsletter. 

Source: Art Unlimited

RT3 Members Explore the Innovative World of 3M

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By Karen L. Edwards, RT3.

Words aren’t going to do this event justice. There were so many incredible things we learned about 3M while touring their World of Innovation Center and hearing presentations from Maureen Kavanagh, Laboratory Manager and Josh Orman, Strategy and Marketing Manager, both from the Industrial and Mineral Products Division.

From a roofing industry perspective, most of the RT3 members knew that 3M makes the granules that are used in asphalt roofing products. We were also aware that 3M had created some pretty cool granule technologies including algae-resistant and smog-reducing granules (recognized by Time Magazine in 2018 as a Best Invention). What we didn’t realize was how 3M innovations are everywhere. There is a saying that wherever you are, there is probably a 3M product within 10 feet of you.

The World of Innovation was where RT3 members learned about the many innovations and provided a hands-on experience to see many of the technologies and experience how the products worked. We learned a little bit about William L. McKnight, 3M president from 1929 – 1949 and Chairman of the Board from 1949-1966. He was known for the saying “hire good people and leave them alone.” McKnight created a culture of inclusiveness, diversity and innovation.

To this day, 3M employees are encouraged to spend 15 percent of their working hours developing new ideas and solutions. Our host, Maureen, explained in her overview of the company that 3M sees itself as a company that develops solutions to its customers problems. That got the attention of RT3 Members as they headed into breakout sessions to discuss some of the roofing industry issues that 3M might be able to help us solve. There were some creative ideas that came from the session that if possible, could really impact our industry.

The ideas included:

  • Robotic tearoffs
  • 3D manufacturing
  • Tarps that are like Post-it® notes

    Creating safer safety harnesses that predict energy absorption
  • Fastening applications using their adhesives
  • Safety strips for steep-slope roofs
  • Scaffolding in truck to eliminate ladders
  • Sensors in the roof system to eliminate need for core samples
  • Carfax for roof history to see past damage
  • Emergency temporary spray for repairs
  • Insulation that bleeds through membrane if there is a leak for easy identification
  • Pressure seals between layers of insulation to detect leaks
  • Storm kits
  • Full head gear systems for silica safety, fan-force air out and create cool air inside
  • Clothing that prevents heat exhaustion
  • Smog reduction into more materials than granules, i.e. tile
  • Carbon capture technology
  • Printed single ply to resemble shingles, shakes, etc. to increase SRI
  • Retractable lifelines that elevate above the roof
  • Leak detectors under the roof to alert before significant damage occurs
  • Solar integrated roofing systems
  • Ergonomic tape for tools
  • Non-stick, gripping material for work boot soles and roofing materials
  • Granules in spray format to extend roof life and reduce smog for existing roofs
  • Water recapture systems with sanitization
  • Film for over skylights that can support body weight
  • Safety gear that alerts employers if it is removed

After RT3 members shared their ideas for the 15-percent time, the group discussed ideas for future meetup locations and other initiatives, such as the development of a technology-focused podcast. The day concluded with a visit to the 3M Roofing Innovation Center with a tour of how color blends are created and how samples are run to visualize what the new blend would look like on a roof.

It is our hope that by learning about innovations in other industries, it might be possible to adapt those solutions for use in the roofing industry. By meeting with innovators and problem solvers like 3M, we provide insight into the challenges being faced in the roofing industry with the goal of developing new technology solutions that can change the industry and improve health, safety and material performance.

Stay up to date on the latest roofing technology news and happenings when you sign up for the RT3 SmartBrief e-newsletter.

Are Rooftop Farms the Future?

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Rooftop in Paris to feature 150,000 square feet of vegetables.

A Paris-based urban farming company, Agropolis, designed the rooftop farm that will sit on top of a redesigned entertainment complex, according to an article in Fast Company.  While rooftop farms do exist in the U.S. with a 75,000 square foot farm in Chicago and a 55,000 square foot one in Brooklyn, this new one in Paris will be more than double the size.

Crops are set to be grown in open air, similar to traditional farms but will use vertical growing towers that aid in the ability for a plant to produce more food in a small growing area. There’s no need for dirt either, since the growing towers are an aeroponic system. Plants are fed by a nutrient-filled mist that meets organic standards and saves water.

An Agropolis spokesperson, Pascal Handy, told Fast Company that the size of the rooftop farm has advantages. “Size is an opportunity to reach profitability, as balance on small or [mid-size] rooftops is difficult.” Hardy also said they like using the outdoors to grow because an indoor environment uses other resources such as energy. “When you have a controlled environment, you get rid of many hazards, but you also use lots of resources, like energy, to produce vegetables and fruits,” Hardy explained in the interview. “We decided to have productive systems, like growing towers, but in an uncontrolled environment to reduce investments and to avoid wasting resources.”

Making up for lost farmland

According to James Kauffman, Director of the Commercial Tower Garden Division of Agritecture, we lose “more than 50 acres of American farmland to urban development every hour and in that same amount of time the human population grows by 240 people.”

Rooftop farms and gardens can enhance the urban landscape and make cities greener. Not only can rooftop farms help reduce the urban heat-island effect, they can lessen the environmental impact from food transportation. TowerGarden.com says that these vertical growing systems use only 10 percent of the land and water required for traditional farming. The aeroponic system is a closed system and recycles 100 percent of its nutrients and water.

Rooftops-to-restaurants

Restaurants are embracing the concept of Rooftop-to-Restaurants by growing herbs and vegetables on their roofs and serving them to guests. Bell, Book & Candle installed one of the first rooftop gardens in Greenwich Village in New York City. Chef John Mooney had so much success with the idea that he started another one, Bidwell, in Washington, D.C.

There’s little doubt that growing food on rooftops delivers some powerful benefits for urban areas and the people who live there. Using aeroponics and no dirt is an interesting approach that should make it easier for contractors when performing service or maintenance on roofs that feature one of these farms.

Image credit: Agropolis and Bell

Source: RoofersCoffeeShop

RT3 member Ken Kelly named Top Contractor of the Year

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Kelly Roofing, a roofing contractor dedicated to serving their industry and state with care, consistency, and communication, received recognition as a Top Contractor of the Year by Roofing Contractor Magazine.

“Ken has a great roofing story, from being thrust into leadership at such a young age to navigating a family business through ups and downs over decades,” said Roofing Contractor Publisher Jill Bloom. “But beyond his business success, he’s the kind of guy you want to surround yourself with because he’s organized, motivating, and inspirational.”

Roofing Contractor Magazine awarded Ken Kelly, President of Kelly Roofing, the 2019 Residential Contractor of the Year award at this year’s Best of Success conference in Miami, Florida, on September 16. 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.

Every August, Roofing Contractor Magazine compiles The Top 100 Roofing Contractors list comprised of the most successful roofing companies in America. This list has been compiled yearly for more than a decade. The rankings are based on self-reported revenue from roofing contractors in all fields across the United States. These companies also share their reasons for improvements — or failures — to help others become more successful. Out of this list, Roofing Contractor Magazine selects the top Residential and Commercial Contractor of the Year.

Kelly Roofing’s commitment to outstanding workmanship, raising leaders within the company, and using cutting edge technology has put them at the national forefront. By combining old-world values and cutting-edge technology, Kelly Roofing has earned recognition as an innovator in the roofing industry. They have been awarded the 2015 Visionary Award at Microsoft Convergence and have the distinction of being on the Top 100 Contractors list yearly since 2003, continually rising in the ranks to now sit at 52.

About Kelly Roofing

Kelly Roofing is a family-owned company, serving Naples and the surrounding areas since 1972. Serving residential and commercial property owners with customer-forward thinking has been their goal from day one. Kelly Roofing has consistently made the Top 100 contractor list since 2003, demonstrating their customers appreciate their dedication to offering only the highest quality products. All Kelly Roofing employees live by the core values of Care, Communicate, and Consistency, allowing them to provide outstanding workmanship using the most advanced methods. To learn more about Kelly Roofing, go to
www.kellyroofing.com .

 

Fighting the labor shortage means a dedicated recruiting program for this contractor

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By Karen L. Edwards, RT3.

The roofing industry and the trades in general are facing a labor shortage of epic proportions and it doesn’t look like it’s going away anytime soon. When the recession of 2008 hit, the construction industry lost 600,000 jobs. According to GlobeSt.com a recent report from the Associated General Contractors of America shows that 79% of construction companies want to hire more employees this year, but the industry is only estimated to grow its workforce by .5% annually for the next 10 years. This means competition for workers is fierce.

Developing a hiring pipeline.

Baker Roofing, headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, has implemented an aggressive program to recruit the labor they need. Brendan Hale, regional operations officer and former director of career development and recruiting explained that they had to shift their approach to recruiting. “We used to only advertise when we had open positions,” explained Hale. That method turned out to be challenging and they recognized that they needed to try something different. Like a sales pipeline, they realized they needed to create a hiring pipeline in order to have a pool of candidates in the funnel when positions opened.

To build that pipeline, the company increased their online activities. “We’ve got a heavy presence online through social media, staying on top of the latest trends,” said Hale. “We are on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Snapchat with the goal of publishing content that could be of interest to younger people.”

Baker Roofing maintains a strong presence on job boards too, with hiring ads rolling throughout the country to create awareness of their company and the opportunities. They also rely heavily on word-of-mouth from current employees, friends and family. These referrals are important for the company. “People choose to come here because they have confidence in the types of people who work here,” stated Hale.

Partnering with local schools and colleges.

“We do a lot of outreach with local high schools, especially in Raleigh,” explained Hale. “We sponsor Shed Day where all throughout the state, the trade classes build these sheds that they auction off and our head of recruiting is on the board. We donate time, materials, and money and talk to the kids broadly about construction but more specifically about a career at Baker Roofing.”

Hale said the company tries to have a corporate presence throughout the schools in their service areas and assists the local offices with building the relationships when they can. “We’re a big company with 22 offices. Right now, we’ve got a presence in the high schools in Charleston, SC, Raleigh, NC, Asheville, NC and Richmond, VA. Every year we try to grow that a little bit with the staff that we have and the resources we have.”

Baker Roofing is a big believer in internships for college students hiring interns throughout the company in accounting, recruiting, construction management and estimating. The students work for Baker Roofing over school breaks and the company has programs in place where if they are interested, they can be hired full time.

“We are a growing company and we know that people are your most precious resource; if they spent the time with us and we feel they have the right cultural expectations, morals and ethics we can typically find a spot for them here,” stated Hale.

Veterans are a resource for recruitment

Baker Roofing has also turned to the pool of veterans who are looking for work after leaving the service and reserves. “We have a large number of our employees who are veterans,” said Hale. “We have a registered apprenticeship program so we try to appeal to veterans where they can get started with us, learn the industry from the ground up and utilize their GI Bill benefits.”

When Baker Roofing hires a veteran and places them into the registered apprenticeship program, the veterans can receive money from their GI benefits in addition to the paycheck that they are receiving as a Baker Roofing employee. “As they are getting promotions and moving up within the company, the GI benefit begins to taper off. By the time they complete the three-year program, the idea is that they would be on their feet in a stable and long-term position,” explained Hale.

Starting a strong recruitment program

Hale says it’s tough to share advice on how to start and build a strong recruitment program because there isn’t one simple answer. “For smaller contractors it’s going to be harder. There isn’t a silver bullet out there that will solve all the problems,” said Hale. “It takes a variety of strategies. For a smaller contractor who may have a smaller team, it’s difficult to assign these kinds of tasks to someone who already has a FT job doing something else.”

“Ideally if a company has the capability, they need a champion who does this, and it needs to be their full-time focus. In order to sustain it someone has to constantly be working on it and thinking about it,” stated Hale.

Benefits are important too. Hale says that Baker Roofing employees have access to company benefits including health insurance, dental, vision, short-term and long-term disability, a 401K that offers a match. They also offer a clear guide for employees, so they understand what it takes to advance within their career, and they understand what the opportunities are within the company.

If a contractor doesn’t have the manpower or resources to do it on their own, it’s possible to get involved with the many other organizations who are already looking at recruiting into the trades. SkillsUSA and Keep Craft Alive are two initiatives that may offer an opportunity for a roofing contractor or someone on the team to volunteer and help introduce the youth involved to the idea of a career in roofing.

Another area to think about tapping into for recruiting is the female workforce. There are a very small number of women in the roofing industry and National Women in Roofing wants to change that. They recently surpassed 1200 members and one of their efforts is the recruitment of women into the industry. They are exploring initiatives that partner with organizations serving women in crisis to help those women get back on their feet and show them what a career in roofing could be like for them.

RT3 member KPOST puts safety first at new Texas Rangers stadium

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By Karen L. Edwards.

With more than 2,000 workers on the project, the general contractor is requiring monthly safety meetings with RT3 member KPost Roofing and Waterproofing hosting the March meeting.

Groundbreaking for the new Globe Life Field was September 28, 2017. According to the Texas Rangers’ website, “the roof at Globe Life Field will be the first of its kind in baseball. With portions made of a transparent material, Rangers fans will enjoy outdoor ambience in air-conditioned comfort. The roof will retract in a matter of minutes, bringing the great outdoors to the ballpark experience.”

Nick Post, marketing and brand assistant at KPost Roofing and Waterproofing, told us that Manhattan Construction Group, the general contractor on the project has done a great job enforcing safety procedures and hosts a mandatory monthly safety meeting. “KPost was allowed the opportunity to run the monthly safety meeting because we were nominated as the Safe Contractor of the Month for the month of March,” said Post.

KPost’s Safety Director, Luciano Perez, and Director of Special Projects, Thomas Williams, were the speakers and they discussed distractions in the workplace such as cell phones, side conversations, music.

The new stadium is set to open for the 2020 baseball season. You can get more fun facts about this project at the Rangers website.

KPost is no stranger to working on large, complex projects. They opened their doors in January 2004 with a core group of eleven roofing professionals that together had more than 250 years of combined construction experience. Today the team consists of over 400 employees, including more than 60 specialized crews, totaling over 5,000 years of experience.

Since inception, KPost has completed over 1200 projects, valued at over $525+ million including high profile contracts such as the Perot Museum of Science and Nature, The Statler Dallas, JP Morgan Chase Headquarters, Facebook Data Center – Fort Worth, and AT&T Stadium. They have added more high caliber projects to the list this year in Charles Schwab Campus, Pioneer Natural Resources, and the Texas Rangers Stadium – Globe Life Field.

They are also the official roofing contractor of the Dallas Cowboys. The stadium will be the featured project for the Roofing Alliance’s student competition that is taking place at the International Roofing Expo held February 4-6, 2020 in Dallas.

Get more news and information in your inbox when you sign up for the RT3 Smart Brief e-newsletter..

Source: RoofersCoffeeShop

Solar installations in the U.S. hit 2 million mark

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By Karen L. Edwards, RCS Editor.

Solar in the U.S. is on the rise with installations expected to double again by 2023. A new report shows that there are now two million solar installations in the U.S. The two million number was reached only three years after the installations first reached 1 million, a number that took 40 years to reach.

The report and numbers were release by Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables and the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA). The number of installations in the U.S. is expected to double to four million in just four years, reaching that number by 2023. “We believe that the 2020s will be the decade that solar becomes the dominant new form of energy generation,” SEIA CEO Abigail Ross-Hopper said in the statement.

According to Reuters, solar has grown in popularity due to falling prices on the technology, state mandates that require energy companies to source larger amounts of renewable energy and federal tax credits that can be worth up to 30 percent of the cost of the system.

Solar installations in the U.S. can now produce enough electricity to power more than 12 million homes according to the SEIA statement. California was responsible for 51 percent of the first million installations and 43 percent of the second million. Other states that helped to drive the growth include Texas, Rhode Island, Florida, Utah and Maryland, which combined have grown from around 50,000 installations to more than 200,000.

The statement reports that “Looking ahead, Illinois will see cumulative installations increase from 4,000 today to nearly 100,000 by 2024. While California will continue to lead the nation in installations, the remaining top 10 state markets will see faster growth. Nearly 750,000 installations are expected in those markets over the next 5 years, compared to 500,000 installations over the last 5 years.”

“According to our latest forecasts, by 2024 there will be, on average, one solar installation per minute,” said Michelle Davis, senior solar analyst at Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables, in a May 9 statement. “That’s up from one installation every 10 minutes in 2010.”

Stay up-to-date with the latest roofing technology news when you sign up for the RT3 SmartBrief newsletter.

Photo credit: SEIA.

Source: RoofersCoffeeShop.