If you had to make a tough decision this year due to the economy (lay-offs, selling equipment, getting back on the roof, etc.), do you see this decision benefitting your company in the long run also?

Our sales are actually up this year which is kind of a surprise. We have put two of our major competitors out of business so I'm sure that helps our volume numbers. We're advertising more which comes right off the top and getting more "tire kickers" instead of buyers but all in all we're fine. As long as the rain comes daily, which it does here in FL from June to November, there will be leaky roofs. I've always said that buying a new roof was like going to the dentist, you never do it until you have to.

JET>>>

Right now we have 3 guys laid off. If yesterdays mail had not brought in 2 jobs, 2 more were going to be laid off. Even with the new contractor registration here in PA, we are still running into unlicensed, uninsured jacklegs that are bidding bare bones. Several have been convincing people that it is SOP to put a second or third layer of shingles over a crumbly roof. "Better Insulation", they say. We have cut our profit margin down (yes I know that is suicide) and have branched out into areas other than roofing. Fortunately we have 2 excellent carpenters who have been building porches and decks and we have service contracts that are helping us keep afloat.

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Tough times foster ingenuity, and every angle of necessity that we analyze and implement in these times is only going the survivors stronger. So far we've managed to hold on with no lay-offs or fire sales, but it's definitely made us look at ways to become more competitive.>>>