A Comprehensive Approach to Roofing Solutions - PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of a live interview with Joe Shealey of Bitec. You can read the interview below or listen to the full podcast.

Intro: Welcome to Roofing Road Trips, the podcast that takes you on a thrilling journey across the world of roofing. From fascinating interviews with roofing experts to on-the-Road adventures, we'll uncover the stories, innovations and challenges that shape the rooftops over our heads. So fasten your seat belts and join us as we embark on this exciting roofing road trip.

Karen Edwards: Hello and welcome to this episode of Roofing Road Trips. I am your guest host Karen Edwards, and I'm really excited to welcome Joel Shealey from Bitec. Joel, thanks for being here.

Joel Shealey: Thank you for having me. It's wonderful to be here.

Karen Edwards: Yeah. Wow, there are so many, we chatted a little bit recently at the International Roofing Expo, and you guys at Bitec have really had a lot of cool stuff happening, and so I want to dive in and just talk about everything that's going on and the changes and the new product introductions. But before I do that, could you introduce yourself and just say what you do there?

Joel Shealey: So I'm Joel Shealey. I am the president of Bitec now, so took over that title at the beginning of the year, so really do a little bit of everything is probably the best way of saying it. But I've been working to spearhead our sales and marketing efforts as well as some operational improvements, and then we've got a really good team that we've been assembling to help with all those efforts we've been undertaking.

Karen Edwards: Right. So give me just a little bit of background with the company and how you got your start in the roofing industry.

Joel Shealey: So Bitec was started in 1986. My dad actually started the business, so he got it going from day one. Actually, when I was a kid, came up here and actually helped a brief little bit in some of the construction and stuff that was going on, but we grew to be a big presence coast to coast in the modified bitumen space, and in the end of 2019, I came in to the business from an outside industry and took it over to start trying to grow the Bitec brand further and to really enhance our offerings and our lineups and to get us to the tier status I think we ought to be on.

Karen Edwards: Yeah. Oh, that's really exciting. Did you always know you were going to end up back at the company?

Joel Shealey: I did not. No. And I've told people, and it doesn't hurt anybody's feelings. Honestly, I was at a company that was really wonderful and was in a really nice place, and then we were acquired twice within 18 months, and so it changed the trajectories a lot for me. So that's ultimately how I wound up back here.

Karen Edwards: Wow. Yeah. When companies get acquired, things change, good or bad, and people come and go. So we're really happy that you landed here at Bitec because you guys have been just having so much happening and it seems like you are really committed to providing the solutions that the industry is asking for. Can you talk a little bit about that commitment?

Joel Shealey: We have. I mean, I joked, I think in the very first interview we did where we said it was going to be Bitec 2.0, and so as version 2.0, we've added a tremendous amount of products and offerings to our lineup. Of course, we've still got our world-leading modified bitumens out there, but then we've added a full coating line now where we've got SEBS and silicone acrylics and even urethanes into our lineup. We've also gone and added insulation and fasteners and cover boards and just about everything that goes edge to edge on a roof. And then this, well, at the beginning of this year, we closed on the acquisition of Viking Products group, which brought in the PVC and the single-plys to our lineup along with a lot of other unique products.

Karen Edwards: So you're really evolving, I would say-

Joel Shealey: We are.

Karen Edwards: ... as a company and been known for years for the modified bitumen products, but you're kind of turning more into a one-stop, right? Whatever you need.

Joel Shealey: We are, we are, and that's what we wanted to do when, when I came in was be able to provide the full system and from the deck up, be the supplier. And it doesn't matter if it's adhesives or the coating, we can provide it to anybody and everybody.

Karen Edwards: That's fantastic. So one of your new solutions that has come out is Stronghold. Can you tell our listeners what that is?

Joel Shealey: So that was a product line that Viking had. So we offer a Stronghold PVC and a KE membrane, so single-ply membrane that we've been really excited to offer and seen some really great reception from the marketplace. And honestly, we all know that the mod bit is still a large portion of the world, but single-plys are today a larger portion of that world. So being able to play into that space was also key for us in our 2.0 version and growth that we've got going out there.

Karen Edwards: Yeah. So tell me more about the PVC, the Stronghold, some of the features, some of the benefits. Why Stronghold?

Joel Shealey: Well, PVC is a very good single-ply membrane. It's got one of the best fire ratings out there, so it's very easy to get class A assemblies with PVC because it won't burn. Obviously, it's very chemical resistant, UV resistant. It's one of those products that fills a lot of needs, and additionally, you can get pretty good wind uplifts, even just regardless of method of attachment on it. So it's a product that we're proud to offer it. It's a product that can be used in conjunction, even with modifieds, you can make a really, really good roof system with a modified base sheet and a PVC cap sheet.

Karen Edwards: Interesting. Yeah, never thought about that. Hybrid, right?

Joel Shealey: Yes.

Karen Edwards: So how does Stronghold help a building meet energy efficiency? How does that help?

Joel Shealey: So the nice thing about the Stronghold line is all of the white membranes, be it the PVC or the KEE, have an SRI of 109. So that greatly reduces the cooling load on those buildings. We saw that ourselves even in a metal roofed warehouse that we coated with one of our coatings, and it was just, wow, the temperature difference was incredible. So you can see some, if you've got a dark roof up there and you go back with a white roof, it's going to greatly reduce that cooling load. Additionally, with everything we're offering today, if you couple the Stronghold PVC line with our elastotherm insulation and fasteners and those sorts of items, you can get some really huge savings, both heating and cooling load by doing that on a reroof situation.

One thing that we're very proud of is Imperfast, our fastener lineup that we've got has some of the highest pull outs that are in the industry, and it's our viewpoint because of that, even if you put down the PVC today and you put down new insulation and cover board, when you go to reroof, if there's not any sort of damage, there's a high likelihood you can let that material, the insulation and everything stay behind because those fasteners aren't going to be pulling out of the decking.

Karen Edwards: Oh, that's nice. So then you would just basically be replacing the membrane?

Joel Shealey: Correct.

Karen Edwards: Wow. Okay. Yeah, that's fantastic. I was just going to say, what advantages does it offer for these reroofing projects? And I mean, you said yourself with the fasteners, that's huge.

Joel Shealey: It is. I mean, on a reroof, on just a traditional maybe recover application, it's really nice to deal with something like a PVC because it's very low weight. So I think it's, I'm going to look at notes, 6.55 ounces per square foot, so you, you're not adding any real loading to the roof deck when you go back with that product. So that obviously saves landfill wastes as well, and it is sustainable. PVC is recyclable, so it's a pretty special product. And then obviously we can offer warranties up to 30 years with that system or with any of our systems.

Karen Edwards: Wow. And you said it's in multiple colors?

Joel Shealey: It is. There's a tan and a gray that are fairly standard as well. So you do see a few of those. You get some northern climates where that SRI is not as desirable. You might want a little winter heat in there.

Karen Edwards: Yeah, definitely. Definitely. Okay. And now you offer a version that has the fleece backing on there. What are the advantages to that?

Joel Shealey: So the fleece back, well, it's multiple, I guess is the right way of saying it. So the fleece bag provides an extra layer of cushioning. So if you're going over, say a modded deck with granules and stuff, you've got the kind of little extra layer of protection on there. It also allows multiple methods of attachment with the fleece back. You could go in a chemical adhesive, you could go in and hot asphalt. And probably the biggest advantages of the fleece back is the incredible wind uplifts that are created or generated from that. I mean, you've got some systems out there that exceed an FM 1-735 on structural concrete, and even over 270 on lightweight concrete. So it really serves well in those high velocity wind zones, your hurricane areas and can survive the storm, if you will.

Karen Edwards: Yeah. Is it a little more hail resistant as well? Does that have any effect?

Joel Shealey: I got to be honest, it's probably going to depend on the assembly and what's underneath as well as anything, and don't know that date off the top of my head.

Karen Edwards: Well, that's okay. But I mean, let's talk about that because there could be contractors that are like, gosh, they want a PVC roofing system, but I'm not really sure what kind of insulation I should use, what type of fasteners. What kind of assistance do you have for contractors to help them put the right system together?

Joel Shealey: So our sales team are trained to assist in that. Then we've also got a great technical department that they can really help put together the assemblies and look at what, from the deck up, truly put together something that's going to survive the worst situations. So yeah, I mean, be it hail, be it high winds or class A's for fire assemblies, we've got a wonderful team in place that can do so much for the contractors and building owners out there as well. So I would just ask, give us a call. We'll help you out.

Karen Edwards: Yeah, you don't have to figure it out on your own, right?

Joel Shealey: That's correct.

Karen Edwards: I would love to hear feedback. What are people saying? We were just at the international Roofing Expo last month, and you had a chance to talk to a lot of people. How are they feeling about 2.0?

Joel Shealey: There's a lot of energy right now, and I can tell you our first quarter is incredible. So maybe that's the best answer to that question, is the results are in what's going out the door. So the feedback has been incredible. Our sales team has been doing a tremendous job out there and beating on doors and generating new leads and putting us into specs and getting us into places that it's been a while for us to have been in. So it's nice to get back out there. I think the feedback that, or the 2.0 Version we've put out is that we didn't want to sacrifice quality. We wanted to remain one of the top quality producers in the industry. And so we partnered and we've worked with some friends and things to make sure that everything we're offering is of the highest quality, and that we are that quality producer and quality supplier of products for the industry.

Karen Edwards: And you guys have that history behind you. You've been in the industry a long time. You know what the challenges are. So I think giving that high quality product and standing behind it is so important, not only for the building owner, but for the contractors too, because they don't want to install a product that's going to fail.

Joel Shealey: That's absolutely correct. And so it's funny when you talk to somebody and they come across a roof of ours that's been out there for, especially on the ModBit side at this point, that's been out there for 25 years and they're like, man, I went up thinking I was going to get a re-roof out of that. And it's like that roof's got more life in it. In fact sometimes the contractors are a little bit put off, but at the same time, they know that if they're putting down our product, they're not going to get the callbacks. It's not going to come back to hurt them in the end, just like it's not going to hurt us. We want to have zero warranty claims out there, so we want to make sure that everything we do, we do it right.

Karen Edwards: Yeah, definitely. Especially you're putting your name and your reputation behind it for your company, for the contractor and we want happy building owners and yeah, that's a funny story about the 25-year-old roofs, the roof that just keeps on going, right?

Joel Shealey: It does. We had one that was, I mean, it was a nice bulletproof assembly that I know it was redone at 30 years only because they felt they had to, not because of leaks or anything.

Karen Edwards: Wow. Yeah, that says a lot. So yeah. Wow. Lots of stuff happening. How does a contractor find out more about Stronghold and all the other solutions that you offer?

Joel Shealey: So obviously the website is out there. It's a great resource. We've got a lot of data on that. They certainly can give us a phone call as well, but I think the absolute best resource we've got out there is our sales team that's out in the field, so they're out there to visit you. And if you don't know who that person is for your area, if they do, contact us, we can certainly put them in touch with the right person.

Karen Edwards: So do you provide some of that out in the field support if, say someone's putting on a Stronghold roof for the first time and they want a little guidance or a little direction, do you have folks that will go out?

Joel Shealey: Yeah, we certainly will do some demos and some trainings and things so that we get some people comfortable with the systems. As a matter of fact, we like doing those. We've done quite a few, more than quite a few over the last couple years, and I know we'll be doing a lot more now that the spring season's kind of getting here and before it gets to the heat of summer, the calendar fills up. But providing people the resources and the education to do the job is something that we're very happy to do. In conjunction with that, we've actually been partnered with MRCA in providing some CERTA and hot training through various portions around the country. So we'll do that. Happy to provide that resource and training for people as well. So I would say if you're looking to do more hot work or torch work or hot welding work, reach out to, if you're somewhere in the MRCA region, reach out to those folks and see what we can do to help you get some training.

Karen Edwards: Yeah, yeah. That's fantastic. Training is so important because it doesn't matter how good the product is, if it's not installed properly, it's not going to perform.

Joel Shealey: Doesn't matter whose system it is. That's correct.

Karen Edwards: Right, right. Yeah. So just hearing that you have those resources, that you've partnered with the Midwest Roofing Contractors Association and have all that available for contractors, I think is really important and it's key to success for both you and the contractor and the building owner. Right?

Joel Shealey: It is. I mean, it's a complete system and we want everybody to be happy with what they're getting at the end, and at the same time, we want to make sure it's done the right way. So we want our partners and contractors to be, again, that quality contractor that wants to do systems the right way.

Karen Edwards: So what's on the horizon for Bitec?

Joel Shealey: There's a few more things that are out there.

Karen Edwards: You can't tell me, right?

Joel Shealey: Until things are ready. I don't like to get the cart in front of the horse, but now we do have a few more offerings that we're looking at. We are continuing to evaluate in things we can offer, systems we can offer, and what else is out there that would be good additions for our team and for the industry.

Karen Edwards: Excellent. Well, I'm excited. I can't wait to see what's next. I'm sure we'll be seeing you on the trade show circuit throughout the summer and the fall.

Joel Shealey: Yes.

Karen Edwards: Definitely. Yeah, so look for Bitec at a trade show near you. But in the meantime, you can learn more about Bitec. They have a full directory on Roofers Coffee Shop. We've got a lot of information out there and links to their website, social media and whatnot and how to contact them. So Joel, I just want to thank you for being here today and sharing all this exciting stuff that's happening with Bitec. It's really, really interesting.

Joel Shealey: Thank you. I appreciate the opportunity.

Karen Edwards: Yeah, so thank you all for listening. Be sure to follow us on social media. Tune in on your favorite podcast platform for future episodes of Roofing Road Trips.

Outro: If you've enjoyed the ride, don't forget to hit that subscribe button and join us on every roofing adventure. Make sure to visit RoofersCoffeeshop.com to learn more. Thanks for tuning in, and we'll catch you on the next Roofing Road Trip.