TAMKO Building Products Inc. and Atlas Roofing Corp. have announced sponsorship of National Women in Roofing, including the organization’s upcoming National Women in Roofing Day.

According to a release from Atlas, women make up less than 2 percent of roofing professionals in the U.S. NWIR and its business partners are working to increase that number.

“We’re thrilled to sponsor National Women in Roofing,” says Stan Bastek, director of marketing and sales development for Atlas Roofing. “NWIR is a game-changing organization, one that works tirelessly to promote women’s participation in roofing. Atlas is proud to support and be a voice for the women in our industry, and we will do whatever we can to foster their growth and success and inspire more women to pursue careers in the field.”

Tiara Searcy, digital marketing and technology specialist for Atlas, is especially excited about the opportunity to work with NWIR.

“As a woman working in roofing, I’m happy to see that our company is proactively encouraging more women to get involved in the field,” Searcy says. “There are so many opportunities for women to excel and advance in this industry — from working on the manufacturing side, as I do, to being a general contractor to heading up an organization like NWIR.”

TAMKO was one of the first manufacturers to sponsor NWIR as a Founding Sponsor when the trade group started two years ago. And recently, TAMKO deepened its relationship with the organization, pledging its support of NWIR at the Diamond Sponsor level.

“NWIR was a natural fit for TAMKO,” said Kim Eckerman, TAMKO director of communications and member of the national NWIR Communications Committee. “Our company is built on a deeply-held belief in the freedom of all people, regardless of gender, race or religion, to be as successful as they choose to be, pursuing their passions in business and life.”

NWIR is volunteer-based and its focus is on supporting and advancing the careers of women in the roofing industry, whether on the jobsite, or as executives, and everything in between. NWIR’s membership includes men in the roofing industry who support the inclusion of women, and since forming in 2017, the group has quickly grown to more than 1,100 members.

“Our focus is on connecting and empowering women so that their training and leadership skills can help drive the overall betterment and professionalism of the roofing industry,” said NWIR Chair Shari Carlozzi.  “We are bringing the industry to a new level of excellence by supporting and promoting the contributions of women as an essential component of the future of roofing.”

As a Diamond Sponsor, a TAMKO representative will speak during the upcoming National Women In Roofing Day, Feb. 9, in Nashville. This is the second year for the event that leads into the International Roofing Expo and serves as an annual connection point for hundreds of NWIR’s members who attend.

Atlas Roofing is a platinum sponsor of National Women in Roofing Day.