Branching Out

Adding new products and services can be a great way to boost the bottom line. For some roofing contractors, that could mean entering segments of the market they aren’t currently involved in, such as low-slope roofing, roof coatings, or metal. The goal is to get more jobs — and also qualify for projects with multiple scopes of work. Executing work beyond the roof — including siding, wall panels, windows and solar panels — is another way to add profitability to each job.

There is a learning curve, however. When adding new products and services, training is crucial. Setting aside time to educate crews on how to install new products and systems is critical. That can be hard to do — especially when it’s hard enough to keep up with day-to-day aspects of running a business.

I spoke with a few contractors recently who have managed to do just that, and they all say it has paid off, pointing to manufacturers and industry trade shows such as the International Roofing Expo (IRE) as great sources of training.

At Mule-Hide Products Co.’s regional training center in Beloit, Wisconsin, I spoke with Justin Hirschfield, sales manager with XL Contracting, which has offices in Roscoe, Illinois and Madison, Wisconsin. Hirschfield stressed the importance of training for both new and existing employees. He believes manufacturers can help contractors expand their skill set. “People don’t necessarily set out to become residential shingle experts or flat roof specialists — sometimes you just get sucked into it,” Hirschfield noted. “It’s a good idea to expose people to educational opportunities because you never know which avenue is going to be there.”

Parker Alleman, owner and CEO of Shingle Solutions in Lafayette, Louisiana, used to specialize in steep-slope work, and he credits Mule-Hide for helping his company successfully enter the low-slope market. Alleman recognizes the importance of training at every level of his company. “Having a well-trained staff inside and outside makes the sales part of it a lot more valuable to the customer because you actually know what you’re talking about,” he says. “And with the crews, if they’re not trained and you have a catastrophic failure, you don’t just lose the money from that job — you lose your company.”

I also interviewed Tony Blue, owner of Squared Away Contracting in Greenwich, New York, for a residential case study in this issue. Blue, whose company once specialized in roofing, now handles all phases of residential remodeling. His company has tapped into a growing segment of the market: metal accent roofs on residential homes. Quality metal work has made the company a hot commodity in the area, especially when many competitors can’t tackle that portion of the project.

Blue’s advice for steep-slope contractors looking to expand into metal? “Take one of my seminars at IRE.”

— Chris King