LafargeHolcim Ltd.’s $3.4 billion blockbuster acquisition of Firestone Building Products last spring recharged the conversation about companies delivering innovative and sustainable building solutions on multiple continents. As part of the deal, Firestone — a brand recognized by contractors as an industry leader in roofing, wall and lining systems for decades — was due to change, and became Elevate™.

Leading the transition is Jamie Gentoso, a civil engineer by trade with decades of experience in the construction industry, most recently in the concrete space. The mother of three is very passionate about sustainability, and committed to helping architects, designers and building owners choose materials that will have less of an environmental impact. As the global head of the solutions and products business unit for Holcim, Gentoso is keenly aware of the challenges ahead and says she’s ready to seize the opportunity to help shape the roofing industry’s future.

RC recently caught up her to discuss the rebrand from Firestone Building Products to Holcim's Building Envelope Division, as well as future goals for innovation.

RC: YOU’VE SHARED SOME BIG NEWS RECENTLY?

JG: Firestone Building Products became the Holcim Building Envelope Division. Now Elevate is the commercial brand of roofing products underneath the Holcim umbrella, along with Gaco, Malarkey, GenFlex. We’ve got the same great people and the same great products, so we won’t have to change a thing there.

RC: HOW IS THE TRANSITION TO ELEVATE GOING, AND WHAT’S BEEN THE REACTION?

JG: The transition is going well and it is a long process. What we’re so excited about is the engagement we’re getting with it. People are so excited to be part of what we’re doing. Our sales reps and teams are really excited about it. We’re now Elevate and the new name is our commitment to producing high-quality products; elevate who we are, and innovate building solutions in the future.

RC: TELL US ABOUT THE GENESIS OF THE REBRAND?

JG: We knew that we could not keep the “Firestone” name and really looked at this as an opportunity to reinvent who we are and at the same time build on what Firestone was to roofing and its legacy. We did a lot of research, beginning last April. We talked to hundreds of people not just about the Firestone brand, but our other brands as well, like Gaco, GenFlex, and what Holcim meant to them as well.

RC: WHAT DID YOU LEARN DURING THAT PROCESS?

JG: Two things came from those conversations. First, Holcim is a respected brand in the construction industry, and holds a lot of weight, especially with a global footprint. Second, we needed to tie a red thread through it all and not forget who we were.

RC: AND SO HOW DID YOU LAND ON ELEVATE?

JG: It’s extremely difficult to trademark a brand that’s active in 70 countries, and to have it translate into something that means something to everybody and across markets. We had hundreds of names we were choosing from, and in the end, we wanted something that carried on the legacy of who Firestone was and represents. It also shows who we are in the industry and do things in a better way — to elevate it.

RC: IS THE REBRAND IMMEDIATE OR PHASED IN?

JG: The latest milestone was the actual legal entity name change Oct. 3. Firestone Building Products Company, LLC is now Holcim Solutions and Products, U.S., LLC. We began to change everything over from Firestone then, including packaging changes. We’re already phasing in Elevate for events and trade shows.

Then a number of certifications and licenses all need to be changed.

RC: HOW IS THE BLENDING OF TWO COMPANY CULTURES GOING?

JG: As we got a closer look at Firestone, one of the things we knew was that the culture was very similar to our own. It’s a resilient culture, always facing challenges. But this team was very similar to Holcim so it was not as difficult an integration. We didn’t see cultures as that different. One thing I don’t think people were prepared for was the level of investment Holcim is willing to put into the business in order to grow it. We’ve doubled our capital budget and improved reliability of the production plants.

RC: HOW WILL SALES STRUCTURE AND MARKETING COMPARE TO THE PAST?

JG: That’s something we’re not changing at all. The people representing us are not changing — from what they’ve been through to now, they’ve been very resilient.

We’re going to improve the overall customer experience. There’s a lot of things we can do to digitize and give our customers the tools to do their jobs easier and better. I’ve expressed to the team to find where we need to improve to make customer experiences better. And we’re already on our way.

RC: WHAT KIND OF NEW PRODUCT LINES, INNOVATION WILL WE SEE?

JG: We’ve already announced our new polyiso plant in Salt Lake City. We just purchased SES Foam in Houston, which will triple our ability to serve the market from a spray foam perspective. We’re going to continue to invest in key areas like coatings and from a product innovation perspective, we’re going to continue looking at other companies that can bring products to us in those areas or some things in the coffers ourselves.

We’re also making an effort to ensure our supply chain distribution process is robust and that we’re still able to supply the market when issues arise within the market.

RC: ANY HINTS ON WHAT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IS ONGOING?

JG: R&D efforts are underway to replace key raw materials that are creating some of these supply issues. We’ll continue to develop products that make our customer’s jobs easier. I do think insulation will be a key area for us because we need to make buildings more efficient. Better insulation, lower cost, higher efficiency.

We’re also making an effort to ensure our supply chain distribution process is robust and that we’re still able to supply the market when issues arise within the market.

RC: YOU AND THE ORGANIZATIONS YOU REPRESENT HAVE AN EXTENSIVE HISTORY IN GIVING BACK TO THE INDUSTRY. HOW WILL THAT CONTINUE AT ELEVATE?

JG: It’s very important for us as an industry to get involved and talk about what a great industry this is and drive people to it. I’m very passionate about trying to pull young people into this industry and get them thinking about it even right out of high school. It’s super important we get out there and talk about it and I’d encourage other leaders in the industry to do the same.

Foundations are where the research is happening. I’ll push our team to get involved with anything that will help develop the industry in general.

RC: WHAT’S YOUR MESSAGE TO ROOFING CONTRACTORS ACROSS NORTH AMERICA?

JG: You’ve got the same great products and same great people behind you at Elevate as you did with Firestone, and we’re only going to get better. We’re bringing more sustainable, innovative products to market, expanding our product line and finding ways to service you even better. For those that aren’t doing business with us, give us a try! You’ll see we’ve got great people and can service you perhaps better than the competition.

RC: WHY IS NOW AN EXCITING TIME TO BE IN THE BUILDING SCIENCES?

JG: It’s an exciting time right now because things are changing faster than ever. It’s a great time to be part of an industry that can take and adopt these changes and help transform the building sector.

We know that buildings are responsible for roughly 40% of the world’s CO2, and we need to build better. The roof is a huge part of that. Holcim knows we’re investing in these businesses because they know that we can build better.