Each year Best of Success features the sitting president of the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA), who updates attendees on the priorities of the NRCA and key issues to watch in the industry. Current NRCA President Nelson Braddy Jr., the president and CEO of King of Texas Roofing Co. in Grand Prairie, Texas, began his presentation by relating a story about how the NRCA helped his company defend itself against a lawsuit.
“I joined the NRCA in 1984 after the technical staff helped me with a roof failure,” he recalled. “I was about to get sued and couldn’t understand why the roof had failed. By talking with the NRCA, I learned that the roof system that had failed had a very bad history, and that I was seeing a well-known and well-documented material failure. I was able to successfully defend the lawsuit because of the technical support I received from the NRCA. That assistance is still available today to our members, and the NRCA has become more proactive by notifying its members of known material and system failures so contractors can make informed decisions before they install a potentially deficient system.”
Braddy outlined the history and detailed the functions of the NRCA for the Best of Success audience. “The association was formed in 1886, and it offers educational and training opportunities and meetings like this where you can talk and learn from your competitors,” he said. The NRCA has members in 47 countries, noted Braddy, who has traveled to India, China and Europe while representing the association. He detailed the many benefits the association offers its members, including technical knowledge, information on ways to improve business, legal help, safety advice and industry advocacy in Washington. The association also connects roofing contractors with consumers through its website, www.nrca.net. Its “Find a Contractor” function generates 15,000 hits per month. “If you’re not a member, and you’re not getting leads, you need to think about that,” he said.
Affinity programs also offer members savings on items such as gasoline and hotels. “These two offerings alone bring me savings of two times the cost of NRCA membership,” Braddy said.
Ongoing training is essential in today’s economy, Braddy noted, and NRCA is in the perfect position to help contractors stay on the cutting edge. “The industry is changing very rapidly,” he said. “If you don’t keep up with things, you will get left behind.”
One of the greatest values of the association is the ability to network with peers and learn from one another. “The NRCA can do so much for you as a contractor,” Braddy commented. “In fact, I took the list of Best of Success attendees and looked at the speakers. They are all NRCA members.”
