Roofing Contractor is proud to be one of the most trusted sources for roofing industry news, whether it is reporting the latest insights and trends, generous roofers or crazy stories about snakes on roofs.

RC took a look at stories that intrigued roofing professionals throughout 2019. By checking how often these stories were clicked on and read, we discovered which stories interested our readers the most and compiled them into a look back at the past year.

10. ABC Supply Co. Announces 30 New Managing Partners

A massive promotion of 30 ABC Supply Co. Inc. branch managers to managing partners captured the attention of roofing contractors in 2019. Managing partners are leaders within the company that serve on ABC Supply’s National Branch Advisory Board, which provides senior management with feedback on a variety of topics. 

“These managing partners play an instrumental role in making ABC Supply a great company where our associates want to work and our customers want to do business,” said Keith Rozolis, ABC Supply’s president and chief executive officer.

9. Roofr Raises $4 Million in Funding, Plans Disruption of 'Archaic' Roofing Industry

In San Francisco, Roofr announced in February that it raised $4 million in seed funding. This money went toward developing a roofing service that uses aerial imagery to provide customers with free roofing estimates online. Roofr released its free tool, Roofr Measurements, in May.

“As a third generation roofing contractor, I’ve experienced the broken roofing industry first hand,” said Richard Nelson, founder and CEO of Roofr. “Homeowners and business owners have no transparency into price and roofing contractors have difficulty sourcing high quality potential customers. Roofr aims to solve these issues.”

8. TAMKO Unveils New Heritage IR Shingles

TAMKO Building Products nailed it in February when it announced the new Heritage IR shingle. The innovative reinforced shingle is classified by the Underwriters Laboratories for compliance with Underwriters Laboratories’ 2218 Class 4 Impact Resistance, the highest impact resistance rating from the lab.

“TAMKO is our primary shingle manufacturer of choice, so this new product allows us to offer a full line of shingle choices that includes all the options our customers request,” said Curt Boyd, owner of Academy Roofing Inc. in Denver.

7. World’s Largest Roofing Company Launches Solar Startup

Standard Industries, the world’s largest roofing and waterproofing manufacturer, announced in January that it was launching GAF Energy. By partnering with GAF, a Standard Industries company, the manufacturer aimed at revolutionizing the adoption of rooftop solar for everyday consumers.

“GAF Energy capitalizes on the historic challenges facing the rooftop solar industry — acquisition and installation costs — and turns them into demonstrable strengths, making it easy for customers to say 'yes' to solar rooftops,” said Martin DeBono, president of GAF Energy.

6. 33-Year-Old New York Worker Dies in Four-Story Fall from Roof

In October, the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office in New York reported that Frankie T. Torchia, 33, was doing construction work on a four-story building. He and another worker were setting a 30-foot piece of roofing metal when the wind caught the steel and knocked Torchia from the roof. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Deputies reported that Torchia was not using safety equipment or harnesses at the time of the accident.

5. Snake On A Roof: 18-Ft. Python Discovered on Detroit Rooftop

In this amusing but terrifying story, an 18-foot reticulated python named Juliet made its way onto the roof of a garage in Detroit. The python’s owner was at work, but eventually arrived to climb onto the roof and retrieve his pet. The owner admitted to news crews that he likely didn’t lock Juliet’s cage properly.

4. Roofing Contractor Killed in Fall from University of Richmond Residence Hall

In June, a roofing contractor named Cristino Santiago Vasquez Clemente, 55, fell from the roof of the Lora Robins Residence Hall at the University of Richmond in Virginia. He sustained several injuries and later died at the VCU Medical Center.

Reports indicate Clemente fell four stories from the roof.

3. 2019 State of the Industry Report

This exclusive report from RC is based on a survey sent to contractors around the country. By sharing their insights on industry trends and economic forecasts, contractors are able to peek into the coming year to determine how they can position themselves for success.

Check www.roofingcontractor.com in February for the 2020 State of the Industry report.

2. 16 Unlicensed Florida Contractors Arrested in ‘Operation Freelancer VIII’

In November, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office in Florida conducted “Operation Freelancer VIII,” a sting operation set up to catch and arrest unlicensed contractors.

By setting up in a home and putting out cold calls, deputies waited for contractors to arrive and provide estimates. The subjects were checked against a database to verify they were licensed, registered and had proper work compensation coverage or exemptions.

The sheriff’s office arrested 16 men who were slapped with 16 felony charges and 32 misdemeanor charges.

1. Top 100 Roofing Contractors of 2019

In a bit of irony, the number one story on our top 10 list is another list. This was RC’s 11^th consecutive year creating its Top 100 list, and it has grown to become a marketing tool that contractors use to differentiate themselves from their competitors.

Every year, RC canvases the industry to determine which roofing contractors are performing the best. The list is ranked solely on the self-reported annual revenue, so in order to qualify, a contractor must enter a submission or have someone submit on their behalf.

RC will begin collecting submissions for the 2020 Top 100 list in January, so be sure to prepare your submissions.