Bringing Passion and Engagement to the Roofing Industry

By Dani Sheehan. 

Don’t miss this industry update to learn more about what’s coming in the next year and how we’re elevating roofing as a professional trade. 

We’re back for another season and what better time to sit down with the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) and the International Roofing Expo (IRE) as we enter tradeshow season this fall! In this episode of Coffee Conversations sponsored by Beacon Building Products, Heidi J. Ellsworth sits down with industry experts Jared Ribble, Brandi McElhaney and Rich Russo to discuss what’s hot and what’s coming for next year. They discuss the much-anticipated plans for IRE 2024 and how to ensure you’re involved with our guiding force in the roofing industry, the NRCA. 

It’s no surprise that one of the biggest problems facing the industry today is attracting and keeping talent to work on the roofs. NRCA is committed to workforce development, and Jared shares a little bit about what this commitment looks like and the why behind it. He shares a story of growing up when his brother decided to push his dad’s buttons by telling him, “Well, you’re just a roofer.” We all know how cutting that one word can be. Jared explains, “My dad didn’t have a college degree. He was a roofer...but he had nothing to stand up and say the proof and the evidence that he’s a true and real professional. So [programs like], SkillsUSA, Roofing Day and ProCertification®, all point to the fact that we need quality, qualified workers, but we need to have evidence that they are in fact professional, true, skilled craftsmen.” 

With ProCertification, the roofing industry does have certificates and assessments to make them competitive with other trade industries. This ties into the workforce issue, because as Jared continues, “Now that we have this end goal certification, we are having trade school educators come along and say, ‘Okay, now that you have that, we can start adding this curriculum into our trade schools.’” Representation of roofing at SkillsUSA now has helped improve visibility into the industry and is getting high school kids excited about pursuing a trade. 

It all comes down to getting involved if you’re a contractor. And IRE is one of the best ways to do that. As Rich describes it, “IRE just represents a sliver of the overall roofing industry...[But] we’re the ones that have the ability to reach a lot of people in a short period of time.” He continues, “Our goal is really to bring the industry together, to have a focal point throughout the year where people can connect, they can learn, they can educate, and they can be involved.”  

It’s already looking bigger and better than last year. Already almost 90% sold out, they are preparing for over 600 exhibitors and the exhibitor floor will take up space equivalent to around nine football fields. Make sure to plan your accommodation early as it coincides with Superbowl Sunday!  

Watch the webinar, listen to the podcast or read the transcript to hear all the details of IRE 2024’s lineup!