Quennville
While everyone else is just catching on, Adam Quenneville, President, Adam Quenneville Roofing in South Hadley, Mass., has been ahead of the game when it comes to recycling roofing materials.
“I got into roofing by learning how to take shingles off,” he said. “Started working with my father. I eventually got some business going and started my own business in 2006.”
Wanting to cut his disposal costs and minimize his contributions to landfills, Quenneville explored some options. He crunched the numbers and found he could buy a truck, dumpsters, and employ a full-time driver for less than the cost of his current waste disposal contract. He also realized he would be able to capitalize on the marketing value of being a green company if he could recycle the shingles.
Quenneville purchased 10 dumpsters and a truck, adorned them with company logos, and hired his uncle as the company’s full-time driver. “We do 15 tear-offs a week and had the work to keep the driver busy,” he said. “We’ve gotten a lot of attention for our recycling efforts. I’ve gotten numerous calls from articles on my business in local newspapers.”
The recycling process begins with separating the felt and drip edge from the shingles, which are then put through a grinder, which separates the nails with a magnet. The fees at the recycling yard are less than tipping fees at a landfill.
“They charge me to recycle, but only about one-half the price,” he said. “We’re green. We’ll recycle your roof. We show customers where our truck piles are going. Our dumpsters are black, with ‘Recycled Shingles’ written all over it, along with our logos. People are seeing our dumpsters all over. Nobody’s got trucks like me; nobody’s doing it.”
Quenneville said his business is up 20 percent from the previous year. “We are different,” he said. “We are getting known.”
Quenneville urged attendees to take home at least one idea from the conference and come up with a plan. “Be different,” he urged. “Do something different. Use flaming pink, lime green - just be different. How are you going to stand out? We have a lot of work because we’re different.”
