Being a Member of an Association is a Commitment to Your Business

RCS Influencer Mike Pickel says that associations lend to the credibility of your business and demonstrate your willingness to always be learning and improving.

Our business is located in Texas – a state that does not require licensing of roofing contractors. Anybody with a truck and a ladder can put up a website, show up in a neighborhood and start soliciting business. There are so many unscrupulous contractors in Texas that it really is hard to gain the trust of our potential customers that we are one of the good guys. In fact, we feel so strongly about it that we made it our business tagline: “A Tradition of Trust.”

My co-founder and I have spent many years in construction and running businesses. When we opened our doors five years ago, we wanted to run our business on trust, integrity and good old-fashioned Texas values. Sure, anyone can say that they are trustworthy and have integrity, but with the roofing climate in our area, we knew we needed to prove it.

In order to do that one of the first things we did was get involved with the Roofing Contractors Association of Texas. They offer a voluntary licensing program that requires contractors meet certain educational hours, be in business for a minimum number of years and demonstrate their knowledge by passing tests. Being licensed by RCAT demonstrates to our customers that we are a legitimate, respectable roofing contractor and not a fly-by-night company that will be gone in a month.

RCAT also offers educational sessions through their annual conference and a vendor show that allows us to stay on top of the latest products and services that we can offer to our customers.

We are also members of the National Roofing Contractors Association which has been a valuable resource for our business. They provide many educational opportunities, technical support and more importantly represent the interests of our entire industry in Washington, D.C. We are excited to learn more about the new ProCertification™ programs that they have developed the elevate the professionalism of the industry.

We believe that being part of local, regional and national associations goes a long way to advancing the industry overall. If you aren’t taking advantage of the support and opportunities that they offer, you’re missing out.

Mike Pickel is co-founder of Texas Traditions Roofing. See his full bio here.