Each year, the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative at Stanford University’s School of Business releases a national survey of Latino business owners in the U.S. to better understand their current experience. Though there are no data points or questions specific to roofing, some of the biggest takeaways do reflect how Latino roofing contractors continue to make an impact in multiple markets.

That’s only part of the calculated decision RC made to launch our Techos Y Mas free digital enewsletter in Spanish later this month. Sign up now for the latest news and insights geared toward the Latino roofing contractor.

Among the report's findings, more than 3 million people in the United States are employed by nearly 350,000 Latino-owned businesses -- the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. business population. Similarly, Latino representation in the roofing industry – and in leadership positions in particular -- has grown significantly across the United States over the past decade. The industry responded – first through specialized consultants and eventually by developing their own contractor enrichment initiatives with the growing Latino roofing workforce in mind. 

Many manufacturers, distributors and even large roofing companies are creating ways to engage this growing segment now, with the idea to support their success along the way. Multi-lingual workshops, networking events, virtual meet-ups and specialized trainings are just some of the ways companies in the roofing industry are reaching out.

“Hispanics are the future of the roofing industry, and why not help them be prepared and help them be the best they can be?” said Alan Lopez, who leads GAF’s Latinos in Roofing Summits across the country.

Roofing Contractor first brought Latino roofing leaders together for a special meeting during the 2015 Best of Success conference in Phoenix. Many there predicted the growth of the Latino roofing workforce in the near decade since, but also signaled genuine worry about the lack of leadership training they were seeing industrywide. The need for future leaders to emerge from the next generation has only grow since then.

Roofing Contractor is also taking its next and largest leap to engage with Latino roofing contractors by launching the first digital newsletter for roofers in Spanish. While doing anything new for the first time can be difficult, Bloom said the timing was right for RC to offer Spanish content as the industry continues to evolve. Research also played a factor. Roofing contractors that responded to our annual State of the Industry Survey indicated that on average, more than one-third of their crew (36%) speak languages other than English on the jobsite. About 20 percent of senior management also speak other languages than English on the job. The vast majority (74%) indicated Spanish was the most common language spoken on roofing jobs, with English far behind at 51%.

“Not only does this provide us a direct access point to the Spanish-speaking roofers and crewmembers out there, but we’re doing our part to help uplift the Latino roofing contractor looking to establish or grow their business,” said RC Publisher Jill Bloom.

Techos Y Mas, or “Roofing and More” will provide original content across RC’s multimedia platforms, including in-depth profiles, analysis of the latest events and trends impacting the industry, and how Latino contractors can gear their roofing businesses for success.

Whether you’re a veteran roofer that’s worked your way up, or a new and just starting out, Techos Y Mas will feature a mix of English and Spanish content you won’t find anywhere else. We’re working hard with our partners to gauge the information needs and deliver the content they want to read, see or hear, exactly how they like to get it.

Sign up now and enjoy!