Best of Success Continues Streak of Elevating the Roofing Industry

His voice wavering with excitement, Victor Smolyanov addressed the audience of 500-plus roofing professionals, witnessing him and his team receive the 2024 Residential Contractor of the Year award. He chuckled as a photo of his younger self attending the Best of Success conference appeared on screens, flanking him.

Channeling those memories, he recalled attending the conference in 2014 as a “scared little kid” and rubbing shoulders with major industry players, hoping to emulate their success. A decade later, accepting RC’s top honor, he seeks to inspire the next generation.

“I'm hoping there is someone up on the stage in 10 years doing the same thing, so thank you so much," he said.

It was a poignant moment celebrating the impact Best of Success has had on the roofing industry over the past two decades. Hundreds of contractors, suppliers and others descended on Bonita Springs, Fla., for the 20th annual conference, held Dec. 4-6, 2024, at the Hyatt Regency, gaining insights into bettering their businesses.

The event encourages attendees to let their guard down, be authentic, and share what has helped them thrive with others.

“It’s incredible to think that two decades ago, we started this journey with a simple mission: to bring the best minds in the roofing industry together to share, learn, and grow,” said RC Publisher Jill Bloom during the conference's opening. “Over the years, this conference has evolved into so much more — a place where ideas ignite, relationships flourish, and legacies are built.

“We’re honored to celebrate this milestone with all of you and are excited for what the next 20 years will bring.”

An Evolving Industry

This particular conference has become the go-to place to learn, to exchange, to network, and if you have any doubt about what you’re doing in your business or you need some validation, or where things are going in the industry, this is a no-brainer.

Anissa Westfall, Westfall Roofing

As the roofing industry has evolved over the past 20 years, so too has the conference. Following the launch of RC’s Spanish-language eNews, Techos y Más, last fall, this year’s BOS kicked off on Dec. 3 with a day of sessions presented in Spanish. Nearly 50 Spanish-speaking contractors and roofing professionals attended the event, moderated by RC partner Latinos en Roofing’s Amparo Sancen.

This year also saw an enhanced Young Guns event. Traditionally, the program gathers roofing professionals ages 40 and under for a quick chat. About a dozen Young Guns met for a round-robin discussion with Young Gun alumni this year.

Anissa Westfall, director of marketing and growth for Westfall Roofing in Florida, was one of many dynamic speakers who took the stage at the conference. Westfall is no stranger to the annual conference — she first attended in 2015 when she and her husband, Ryan, were named Young Guns.

The Young Guns speaking with her and the attendees watching her presentation on marketing were keen to listen to her message, as her company experienced a 150% increase in revenue over the past three years.

“This particular conference has become the go-to place to learn, to exchange, to network, and if you have any doubt about what you’re doing in your business or you need some validation, or where things are going in the industry, this is a no-brainer,” Westfall said.

Challenging the Norms

More than 20 industry experts took to the stage during the one-and-a-half-day event, covering a wide range of topics from legal issues to building effective teams and the benefits of hiring a business coach. Among the hot topics discussed was artificial intelligence. Josey Parks, CEO of RooFix, spoke about the impact of rapidly evolving technology on the industry.

“Workforce is an issue in this industry. I’m not saying let’s replace everybody. I’m saying let’s augment our employees to make them more productive” with technology, Parks said. “There’s some insane intelligence coming into this space, so the question is, are you preparing your business for the future?”

National Roofing Contractors Association CEO McKay Daniels spoke about what he dubbed, in a tongue-in-cheek fashion, “cheery” topics, including how subcontracting, the government and mental health affect the industry. In a sobering statistic, he pointed out that 400 workers die each year due to fatal falls, but 6,000 commit suicide in construction annually. The NRCA offers resources to assist companies in addressing mental health.

“There [are] ways that you can take steps in a way that fits with your company culture and a way that fits with our industry’s culture,” said Daniels. “You need to have that culture in your DNA that your employees know they’ve got somebody at work that’s got their back.”

Justin Dant, CEO of Soderburg Roofing in Colorado, emphasized the importance of presenting yourself and your company in a professional light. He told the story of losing a $2 million job due to looking unprofessional. The incident inspired him to trim his trademark bushy beard and reexamine his approach to conducting business.

“I used to think, ‘Who cares what people think?’ But I realized in our business it really does matter. Our clients are investing in us as people,” he said. “I definitely made it my mission to convey confidence and reliability from the moment I walk in the door. When I show up professionally, my team and my clients see that I’m serious, that I respect their investment, and that’s a message I pass down to everybody in the company.”

Recognizing Roofing Professionals

In addition to networking and educational sessions, the conference honors contractors who go above and beyond.

The Roofing Technology Think Tank, a coalition of roofing professionals who advocate for enhancing the industry with technology, named its 2024 Innovator of the Year during the event. The award recognizes individuals who advocate for advancing technology in roofing and contribute to product development in areas like safety, production and client service.

The 2024 winner is Paul Spies, CEO of Smart Safety Solutions. His company is designing a patent-pending harness camera that monitors whether workers are wearing their safety equipment properly. It uses artificial intelligence with real-time monitoring to notify site managers when a safety risk is identified, assisting companies in preventing workplace injuries.

“We're really excited, we think we've got an opportunity for roofing companies to deal with the kind of fall protection compliance issues that we struggle with,” Spies said.

RC revealed its Contractor of the Year awards, honoring contractors in the residential and commercial sectors. As mentioned above, Victors Home Solutions of Canton, Mich., just outside Detroit, received Residential Contractor of the Year; Coryell Roofing of Oklahoma City was named Commercial Contractor of the Year.

Upon accepting the award, CEO Chris Coryell promised those in attendance his company would continue representing the industry in the “best possible fashion.” Earlier that day, he spoke to contractors from the BOS stage about establishing a more robust standard for roofing school buildings, urging attendees to join forces.

“We can’t keep this all to ourselves because we’ll never get it all done,” he said. “We all have to work together, we have to go out into the industry, and we have to recognize we aren’t going to settle; we’re not going to expect our customers to settle for inferior systems anymore. We’re going to protect them.”

The RC staff also took a moment to honor Rick Damato, the magazine’s long-time editorial director, who officially retired this year. He helped RC launch more than 40 years ago and regularly contributed content, drawing on years of experience in the industry.

Damato was the driving force helping establish Roofing Supply Pro, RC’s publication dedicated to the distribution industry.

“I don’t do a lot of talking; I always prided myself on doing more listening,” Damato told the audience. “I just want to say I love you. I’ve needed you; you supported me, you helped me have a great career, and if there’s anything I can be proud of, it’s you.”