So when Hale sees that a roofing job calls for a PVC system, he breathes a little easier, knowing there are fewer things he needs to worry about. "It's a lot easier to put down than the old built-up systems we used to use," says Hale, the owner of Triple H Roofing out of Panama, Okla. "With those you had to pull roofing kettles all over the United States and then we had to worry about finding propane to heat them with. Then you had to worry about getting burned. With the PVC system, you can even wear shorts and put it on and it's no problem. It makes it a lot better."
Building Relationships
Hale and his crew recently completed a job for a new store in Marietta, Ga., for a leading auto parts retailer. It's one of the latest of the approximately 400 jobs he has completed since he introduced himself to the retailer 11 years ago when he saw a project underway at a store about 10 miles from his home.He stopped to inquire about the roofing system and who was doing the work. That impromptu meeting helped him forge relationships with other contractors who work on projects for the retailer, which enabled him to get in on other jobs early in the process.
Today, Hale is averaging two roofing jobs a week for the company, with 30 more jobs on the books. The retailer, which has more than 3,400 locations in 48 states and the District of Columbia, calls for either PVC or built-up systems for its roofs, both of which Hale has done. Hearing that a job calls for a PVC system is always great news for Hale, as well as his insurance company.
"If you're mopping at 400 degrees with hot asphalt, it's hard work and your insurance company doesn't want to hear you own a torch or a kettle," he says. "I'd rather do single-ply systems or PVC over built-up. I don't even like doing built-up anymore."
The Marietta store, which totals about 6,500 square feet, was completed in late February of this year. Hale's crew of nine men installed the roof system, using Mule-Hide .050 PVC, over three days.
Product Plus Support
"I like it because it's clean to install. That's about all I use anymore," he says, adding that he started using Mule-Hide products about three years ago. "The guys love the application.""There are a lot of hazards doing built-up systems," adds Tim Fletcher, Triple H Roofing superintendent. "It's pretty easy for people to get hurt, but not with this. It's a lot easier to get the people to work on jobs like these, because they like this PVC and it's a lot better to install."
Hale purchases materials primarily from ABC Supply in Memphis, Tenn., where manager Roger Propst and his team go above and beyond to meet the needs of Triple H Roofing.
Hale says he's loyal to Mule-Hide for a number of reasons. Not only does Mule-Hide make a superior product, he says, but its Special Solutions Support program assists him in other ways as well. As a contractor, he can get individualized assistance, ranging from job layout and unique detail assistance, to more technical assistance at the project level.
"Lloyd sometimes requests for us to come out to a job site to demonstrate an installation, and then we'll train his men on the installation of a product," says Scott Ray, a representative from Mule-Hide.
Hale was pleased that the auto parts retailer-and several other stores he's worked with-chose to go with the Mule-Hide PVC System. Although the Marietta job was a pretty straightforward installation, he was reassured that if problems did arise, support was no more than a phone call away.
National Network
Because Mule-Hide products are distributed through the nearly 290 ABC Supply stores located throughout the country, he's assured of getting the products he needs, when he needs them. He's also had products shipped overnight to him in the past when necessary."Lloyd travels all over the United States, and when you travel and you get to a town for a job, you want to have your product there," Ray says. "ABC Supply has Mule-Hide product availability in numerous stores and if, by chance, something doesn't show up, we can get it there. It costs him money to sit there, and we understand that. We take care of him."
