Bitec LIVE at IRE 2024!

By Jonny Suchor. 

Bitec's transition to leadership and expansion shown at IRE. 

At the 2024 International Roofing Expo, Karen Edwards from RoofersCoffeeShop® sat down with Bitec's dynamic duo, Shane Milwood and Joel Shey, to discuss the company's latest advancements and offerings in the roofing industry.  

Joel, the new president of Bitec, shared his enthusiasm for the company's growth and expansion. "We've been making modified bitumen roofing membranes since 1986. In the last couple of years, we've really expanded, added coatings,insulation, fasteners, coverboards and adhesives,” says Joel. 

Shane, the Eastern manager for Bitec, emphasized the company's commitment to providing comprehensive solutions. And part of that is thanks to their merger with Viking Products Group this year. "Viking specialized in some niche repair products, restoration systems and a lot of service oriented products,” Shane shared. In doing this, it’s allowed them to build out their solutions and their offerings.  

The conversation highlighted Bitec's dedication to innovation and service, catering to the needs of the modern roofer with a variety of new products. Joel shared, "Adding Viking let us add repair products, like Greenslope for ponding water and Leadax as a lead replacement for anywhere you can use lead. And it's also brought in some other cool things that they had. We've now got a single ply in our line up with a PVC and a KEE membrane. Additionally, they had a line with coal tar products and we're one of the last out there with coal tar products." 

Shane and Joel also discussed the company's efforts to support contractors to help them understand how to use their products and install the systems properly. While they have  instructional materials and technical data sheets on their website, they also pride themselves on relationship-based sales. “We’ve got our sales staff that really goes coast to coast. We have people who cover 95% of the U.S. these days. That’s probably our biggest thing, we still want to sell on who we are and in a relationship basis, not how big we can be,” Joel shared. 

Bitec's participation at the International Roofing Expo helps  them ensure they remain at the forefront of the roofing industry's ever-evolving landscape and highlights their ongoing commitment to innovation, quality and customer service. 

Watch the video here to learn more about Bitec and its latest advancements in the roofing industry.