One of my favorite events is Roofing Contractor’s Best of Success conference. This two-day educational conference offers cutting-edge educational sessions, but what really distinguishes it from other forums is the many opportunities to share ideas and brainstorm with others in the roofing industry.

Contractor’s sixth Best of Success conference held Sept. 26-28 in Denver will go down as the most successful event ever.

“Nothing in America happens until something gets sold,” said Michael Kelley. “And hard work is the yeast which raises the dough.” Kelley, the General Manager of Kelley Construction Contractors, focused his presentation at Best of Success on building value with the customer. Right off the bat, he acknowledged that it takes time and effort.

Matt Spanton, Vice President of Mastercraft Exteriors in Rockton, Ill., credits new technology with helping him increase sales and boost his bottom line.

Before becoming the owner of Guardian Roofing and Windows in Tacoma, Wash., Aaron Santas worked as a branch manager for a major construction materials distributor. Santas worked closely with a lot of contractors, and he found out that the successful ones had something in common. “Successful contractors watch their numbers, and they know them intimately,” he said. 

Allen Lancaster, the current president of the National Roofing Contractors Association, updated Best of Success attendees on NRCA. “In a tough economy, there’s no shortage of issues,” he said. “My hope for the year 2011 is that we finally get a Congress that is business friendly.”

Roof consultant Mark Kelly estimates that in the United States alone there are more than 250 billion square feet of residential roofing and over 750 billion square feet of commercial roofing. Kelly has more than 30 years of experience in the design, construction, restoration and preservation of buildings, and his experiences inspired him to write an in-depth look at the U.S. roofing industry.

Storm work is by definition unpredictable. No one knows when or where Mother Nature will strike next - or how hard. 

Honesty. Integrity. Financial strength. A track record of superior workmanship spanning more than 30 years. 

Greg Hoffman is President and co-founder of Roofing Contractor Marketing, a company specializing in marketing and advertising for roofing contractors. (Despite the similarity in name, the company is not related to our magazine.)