In its 25 years of operation, PetersenDean Roofing and Solar Systems has designed and installed roofs and integrated roofing and solar systems valued at well over $2 billion. Since its founding in 1984, the company has grown to become the largest privately held integrated roofing and solar contractor in the country, employing 4,500 people and operating coast-to-coast in over 15 offices in five states.
Rod Menzel is the founder and co-owner of GreatWay Roofing Inc. in Moorpark, Calif. After attending the Roofing Contractor Best of Success conference in 2007, he implemented several ideas that revolutionized his business, and he shared his experience with this year’s attendees in a session titled “Rebranding: Expect a Great Experience.”
Attorney Doug Ehlke urged attendees of Roofing Contractor’s Best of Success conference to make sure they understand their rights when it comes to dealing with OSHA. “You’re number four on the hit list of OSHA,” said Ehlke, owner of Ehlke Law Offices in Federal Way, Wash. He dispensed some tips on dealing with OSHA in the event of an accident on the jobsite and detailed the elements of the unpreventable employee misconduct defense.
“Green is real to building owners today,” said Dr. James Hoff, Director of Research for the Center for Environmental Innovation in Roofing (CEIR). At the Roofing Contractor Best of Success event, he detailed ways contractors could use green programs and incentives to build their businesses in his session titled “Roofing Green.”
David Montross prides himself on his company’s ability to do it all. Montross, the President of Montross Weatherproofing Systems Inc. in Lake Forest, Calif., is a fourth-generation roofer.
People talk about “win-win” situations all the time, but a business that keeps asphalt shingles out of landfills and saves contractors money at the same time sounds like an ideal example.
Just got back home from the Roofing Contractor Best of Success Conference, which took place in Nashville Sept. 21-22. As I look at my pile of notes, handouts, business cards and our three-quarter-inch-thick Best of Success Handbook, I reflect back a whirlwind two days jam-packed with actionable information.
It’s almost here! The Roofing Contractor Best of Success Conference will take place in Nashville Sept. 21-22. This two-day educational conference is jam-packed with educational opportunities for contractors. Seminars this year will cover topics including safety, sales and marketing, recycling, garden roofs, alternative dispute resolution and business management - and that’s just the first day.
This week I met with Todd Foster and Chris Edwards of Ideal Recycling in Southfield, Mich. Ideal expects to keep more than 15,000 tons of asphalt shingles out of landfills this year alone. The shingles are ground up and re-used by asphalt companies, which can use up to 5 percent recycled asphalt in hot asphalt mix used for paving roads and parking lots.
Whether it’s a large commercial project or a single-family residence, one company is poised to help building owners who are looking into solar power. Headquartered in Los Gatos, Calif., Akeena Solar has been designing and installing solar systems since 2001, and Jose Tengco, Director of Communications at Akeena, says the company has been an innovator since its inception.