A few years ago it seemed like something out of science fiction, but now roofing contractors around the country are routinely using cameras that detect infrared (IR) radiation to conduct roof inspections and pinpoint roof leaks.

When times are tough, it’s often imperative to invest in your business. Of course, that’s also when cash flow might be tightest, so it makes investing difficult. I’ve read numerous studies that assert that drastically cutting marketing dollars in a downturn is a mistake, as keeping jobs coming in is more important than ever.

Mark Santacrose, President and CEO of Tecta America Corp., knows the benefits of teamwork. Tecta America is made up of 3,000 roofing professionals working in some 50 locations, reporting to a corporate headquarters in Skokie, Ill.

The concept is fascinating: you just type in the address of a residential or commercial building and receive an aerial photo and line drawings of the roof with length, pitch and area noted for easy and accurate estimates and professional presentations. That’s the concept behind EagleView Technologies, which supplies contractors with detailed reports of roof measurements based on its patented software.

The federal stimulus package has a lot of people in the mainstream media talking about upcoming federal projects, but experts will tell you there’s a lot of work involved in just getting on the list for U.S. General Services Administration contracts.

In June Tecta America Corp. announced the launch of Tecta Solar, a division of the company dedicated to the development of turnkey solar energy systems. Tecta America Corp., headquartered in Skokie, Ill., is the largest commercial roofing company in the country. It has more than 50 locations and more than 3,500 employees.

Whether the economy is booming or times are tough, contractors have a business partner that’s always ready to help out: their material supplier. Today’s distributors offer more than prompt, accurate deliveries and quality products.

Sometimes competitors can work together in a common cause, and there’s no cause more important in construction than worker safety.

As health care reform becomes a key focus of the Obama administration, the media has been flooded with reports on the rising costs of health care insurance.

Yesterday was the live presentation of our Architectural Roofing & Waterproofing webinar titled “Proper Drain Design,” conducted by ARW Editorial Director and Roofing Contractor technical columnist John D’Annunzio.