Elevating roofers’ expertise with educational seminars

By Emma Peterson. 

How TRA Snow & Sun is setting contractors up for success with free seminars! 

Being able to continually learn is a crucial factor in staying relevant and competitive in the roofing industry. In a recent interview, Dani Sheehan got to talk to Mindy Dahlquist from TRA Snow & Sun about how they are stepping up to help contractors keep up with their educational seminars. Their first session was a day-long event held in March 2024. They were able to work with the Associated General Contractors (AGC) in Utah to use their new training space, hosting 76 contractors. 

The day opened with an informational conversation about which situations require snow retention systems. This is really important information that is not widely available or standardized, as Mindy explained, “There's not really any code or standard for these people to be able to reference.” From there, the group dove into the different products that TRA carries and how to utilize each one. From the deck mount system to the clamp on and the bracket systems, they focused on helping the attendees understand all the different options available to them.  

Then, they got to enjoy some informal networking and learning through casual conversation. Afterwards, the group moved into the AGC’s new lab space, where they were able to try installing the different products discussed in earlier conversation. Mindy explained, “We had roofing areas set up so that everyone could install and ask questions they could visually see feel.” And the 76 attendees didn’t walk away empty-handed, they were each given a color chip sample from TRA. These samples include 50 pieces of metal that match with products available. Mindy explained, “The roofers were really excited to be able to walk out with those samples. They also got hats, pens, T-shirts and educational video brochures that play and teach you about snow retention.” 

This is just the first of many events like it that TRA wants to host. Mindy shared, “The Denver, Salt Lake City and the Lake Tahoe-Reno area are on our list. We want to offer these for free because we really care about our customers and our product being installed properly.” They are looking to Spring 2025 as the start of these events. And before that, they are also offering private trainings for suppliers who have requested them!

To learn more about snow retention, visit TRA Snow & Sun’s website!