As part of our State of the Industry survey, we asked an open-ended question of our contractor participants: “What advice would you give a roofing contractor in order to ensure they have a profitable and successful future in the industry?”

As part of our State of the Industry Survey, we asked contractors about sales volumes across product categories.

The fourth quarter of 2008 was a tumultuous time. A presidential election was taking place. Commodity prices were volatile. As the economy was in turmoil and bailouts and loans seemed the only ways to salvage the financial and automotive sectors of the economy, Roofing Contractor turned to contractors to take the pulse of the roofing industry in an exclusive survey sponsored by GAF Materials Corporation.

There is one thing manufacturers and industry leaders agree on as 2009 gets under way - it won’t be “business as usual” for the roofing industry this year. The economic environment is unprecedented and the uncertainty created will likely force the residential and commercial roofing sectors to become more efficient and innovative.

The solar market is a bright spot in a shaky economy. It’s expected to grow, and as it does, longtime roofing contractor DRI Companies is poised to meet the needs of builders and building owners with a powerful combination of proven roofing experience and innovative solar products, designed for both the commercial and residential sectors.

BAMCO, Inc., a manufacturer of metal wall panel systems headquartered in Middlesex, N. J., has seen its business grow by 91.7 percent in the past four years, earning the company a spot on the Inc. 5,000 as one of the fastest-growing privately owned companies in the nation.

In the fourth quarter of 2008, Roofing Contractor and Architectural Roofing & Waterproofing magazines turned to contractors to take the pulse of the roofing industry in an exclusive survey sponsored by GAF Materials Corporation and conducted by Clear Seas Research.

As the economy was in turmoil in the fourth quarter of 2008 and bailouts and loans seemed the only ways to salvage the financial and automotive sectors of the economy, Roofing Contractor and Architectural Roofing & Waterproofing turned to contractors to take the pulse of the roofing industry in an exclusive survey.

Monroe Porter is the president of PROOF Management Consultants, a company specializing in business consulting for contractors. He is also founder of PROSULT Networking Groups developed to help noncompeting contractors, and his business management column is a mainstay of Roofing Contractor.

I recently spoke with Allen Bradley, the CEO and President of Amerisafe Inc., a provider of high hazard workers compensation insurance. He shared some insight on the roofing market from the insurer’s perspective.