Gearing up for FRSA's 102nd Convention & Expo - PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of a live interview with FRSA’s President Les Sims. You can read the interview below or listen to the podcast. 

Megan Ellsworth: 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.

Hello, everyone. My name is Megan Ellsworth here at rooferscoffeeshop.com. And I am so excited. I am back again for a Roofing Road Trip episode. And we are tripping down to Florida to talk all things the FRSA Expo coming up this June with Les Sims. Hi, Les. How are you?

Les Sims: I'm doing good today. How are you today?

Megan Ellsworth: I'm doing great. I'm super excited to hear everything you guys have cooking over there at FRSA. So I'll just have you start off by introducing yourself and your role with the association.

Les Sims: Okay, great. First I'd like to say thank you for this opportunity. We really appreciate it. And for those of you out there in this world that do not know me, my name is Les Sims. I'm a CPRC, and I am the owner of Armstrong Roofing, located in San Mateo, Florida. And I'm the FRSA president this year.

Megan Ellsworth: Amazing. Amazing. Congratulations on being president. That's exciting.

Les Sims: Thank you.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. So how would you say roofing contractors benefit from attending industry events like FRSA, like the expo this June?

Les Sims: Well, I'd say the convention and the expo present contractors with two unique opportunities. Educational training with industry-specific seminars and walking the expo floor, speaking with exhibitors to learn about new products and services. Both areas are constantly evolving and provide educational opportunities for contractors interested in learning more about the trade.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, absolutely. And there's always really great classes. You all host some really great educational resources there. So what are some new technologies or advancements in roofing materials that are going to be showcased at the show this year?

Les Sims: Well, there's been an increase in exhibitors that offer services based on technology to increase efficiency in your business services for contractors. These include website development, estimating, business management software, smartphone apps that can track project cost and timelines and cloud-based apps. There's also exhibitors out there that assist with the company branding and marketing, something many small contractors don't have the time, the staff or the budget to do themselves. And locally with the ASCE 7 pressures and underlayment requirements becoming more stringent in the state, many of the manufacturers are being proactive in using these new technologies to meet those wind speed requirements.

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, that's amazing. And I heard that this is your biggest show yet. So that's exciting. Lots of new-

Les Sims: We will see. Barring a hurricane the week before like we had several years back, but yes, it should be.

Megan Ellsworth: What are any memorable stories or experiences from the trade show floor in years past?

Les Sims: Wow. So some of these we can't talk about according to my statute of limitations from council. Well, I have so many memories. I have been coming to FRSA I think right around 20 years now, as far as the convention goes, when I first stepped into this world. And of course, you have the parties and the mingling.

But one thing that always sticks out in my mind, I remember, I think it was my second convention, I was told to attend a certain seminar, not knowing much about the roofing world. I know I wanted to get into it, but other than laying a few shingles and stuff like that, I didn't know anything about the management side of things.

So I'm sitting in a seminar, looking around at all these people around me. I don't know who they are. And in hindsight, I know exactly who they are. They are the titans of the industry, the Steve Sutters, the Bowens, the Jim Cheshires, the people that I look up to, obviously, for the last 15 years and the people that mentored me. And it told me ... I said, "Look, I'm sitting here with these titans and they're wanting to teach me the ways of what they do," and we had some great conversations really for the last 15 years, but it started right there in that seminar, with me not really knowing what I was being exposed to. You can't buy that. There's not a dollar amount on that. There's not enough money you could spend to get that kind of information anywhere else, in my opinion. So that's probably one of my greatest memories, looking back now.

Megan Ellsworth: That is so great. It's always so heartwarming to look back on moments like that and realize that all the people you've been looking up to this entire time have been there the entire time and supporting you from the start. That's such a great feeling.

Les Sims: Yes, absolutely. And everyone says they want you to do good. They want you to be successful, and then you maybe don't find that to be true. But that's not the case. Everybody at FRSA over the years has really wanted me to do better. Why? It's because it makes it an even playing field. As you get a little older, you figure all this out, but it makes it an even playing field in the competitive market in the roofing world. And so yeah. No, it is really awesome to see what FRSA has done, and not just in my short 20 years. Really for the last 102 years, that's what's been going on around here.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, absolutely. So what are some additional key takeaways or lessons you've learned from seminars you've attended at FRSA? And maybe what are some seminars that are happening this year?

Les Sims: When I first started in the industry, I was interested in learning all I could and I found the seminars not only provided important information on roofing-specific topics, but also focused on other areas that affect businesses such as the workers' comp, the laws and rules and safety. Education has always been an interest to me. To this day, I still believe in the benefits of training and education, obviously.

Megan Ellsworth: Awesome. Amazing. Do you know any of the classes or seminars or workshops that are being held this year? Anything exciting?

Les Sims: Well, I'd have to look at exactly what we have on our palette, but we always have the standards. What I found most valuable over the years is the workers' comp laws, because it's ever-changing. And any roofer out there, whether you're exempt or not, you need to know what's going on if you have an employee or two. So you need to be on top of that. And so we have the ASCE 7 courses with the underlayment and the pressures. Mike Silvers is going to be teaching that. That's invaluable. If you're a roofer, you have got to have that information, for sure. But they could look on our website to get a complete list of all the seminars that we have presented this year.

Megan Ellsworth: Amazing. Yeah. And everyone out there listening, you can also find that information on the FRSA directory on rooferscoffeeshop.com as well. So how would you say FRSA and trade shows in this industry foster networking and collaboration among roofing professionals?

Les Sims: Well, the expo gives contractors and industry suppliers a chance to meet in one location and discuss items of importance to that industry. Discussions are held on the show floor, at the bar, at social events. It often provides one-on-one time where you can speak directly with a person and get an immediate result. That's where you build those bonds, especially as a young contractor or a new contractor getting into this world. You have so many questions, I mean, and you never know if you're doing it right or not. But when you go to convention, you're able to sit there and just build these bonds for these people that really want to see you successful because it's going to make them successful. So that's the place to do it, for sure.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. It really is, especially after the trade show, after the floor is closed and everyone's going out for the night or getting dinner, that's the time to really sidle up to the people you want to talk to and pick their brain.

Les Sims: Absolutely.

Megan Ellsworth: Okay. So in what ways does FRSA support the growth and development of the roofing industry? Which I know there are a lot of ways.

Les Sims: Sure, sure. That's a pretty broad question there. FRSA has been around for 102 years and has always placed importance on doing what's best for the industry. We've shown that time and time again. We achieve this through active legislation, participation and engagement, meeting with our state legislatures yearly and really even more often than that. We're actively engaged in the Florida Building Code process, ensuring that code modifications are reviewed and submitted that are in the best interest of the contractors and the consumers. After all, contractors need to be able to stand behind their work. We are constantly fighting contractors who not follow the rules or the laws and are only looking for the easiest way to make money. It's a constant battle, and these companies often give the industry a bad name. We've seen that time and time again.

And as association, we provide services that contractors need, whether it be workers' comp, credit union for loans, the education foundation for seminars and industry research and obviously the monthly magazine, which is a big benefit to more people than what you would think. Even in today's environment with a digital world, that magazine's a pretty cool thing. It helps to disperse information, important information to the Florida contractors, for sure.

FRSA members receive additional benefits like access to our technical director for code support and assistance with the building officials, being Mike Silvers right now. And that's another thing that's invaluable to your base, having somebody to call and say, "Hey, what's the latest code thing? Because I have these inspectors telling me this or I have a homeowner telling me that or another contractor." Outside of FRSA, where do you get that? Who do you call when you're in a bind? An attorney? That's not relevant. So our technical director is one of our biggest assets at this point, in my opinion, anyway.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. And Mike Silvers, I mean, talk about another titan in the industry.

Les Sims: Yeah. I mean, he's not much to look at. Poor fella, but hey, that's okay. But the guy's got a brain on him and he sure has the history, that's for sure.

Megan Ellsworth: He sure does. He's got that going for him. Okay. So I know that you all will be holding an auction. You do this every year during the trade show. What are some of the things you're auctioning off, and where do the funds go that are donated?

Les Sims: All right. The auction is an online event now. For years, we just did a live auction and a silent auction, which was pretty cool to watch the live auction go down, to close out the show every year. But we figured out that the online auctions could bring in more revenue for the foundation, almost 25, 30% more revenue because people have access from ... If they're in their hotel room or at their house or wherever they're at, they could still bid on products. 100% of the funds raised support the foundation and help us to develop and provide seminars, industry-specific research and of course scholarships, which has been huge in my short tenure at the FRSA. I'm a big proponent of the scholarships. Each year, there's a variety of items that are donated, anywhere from vacation packages to sporting event tickets, gift baskets and of course roofing products. So we will have plethora of items to choose from.

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, that's exciting. I always love the auction. It's fun to see people gathering their silent auction wins at the end of the trade show. And I know my dad actually won a car, little car racetrack and he gave it to our neighbor kids. So cute.

Les Sims: Oh, yeah. Yeah. I've gone home with all kinds of stuff over the years. Stuff I did need and stuff I really didn't need, but I thought it was cool to buy, for sure.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, exactly. And it goes to a good cause, so it's all good.

Les Sims: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. Yep.

Megan Ellsworth: So lastly, the trade show, June 5th through the 7th, Gaylord Palms and Resort in Kissimmee, Florida.

Les Sims: Absolutely.

Megan Ellsworth: What else do people need to know? How do they apply or register for the event, and where can they find all this info?

Les Sims: Go to our website. I believe that's floridaroof.com or just Google. Anybody does that these days. Just Google FRSA, Florida FRSA. And we have a direct link right there where they can sign up and register for any seminars or we have a complete convention package. For those that have never gone or especially your newer contractors, I cannot tell you how much you have to gain. And I cannot recall how much it costs for a complete convention package these days, but it's worth every penny. You will surround yourself with so much information. And when you leave there, you'll say, "Wow, that little bit of money was worth every penny. I'll be back next year, and then I want to get involved." And that's the goal, is get more contractors involved.

Megan Ellsworth: Absolutely. Absolutely. Again, go to floridaroof.com, you said?

Les Sims: I think so. Yep.

Megan Ellsworth: Perfect. And then you can also go to rooferscoffeeshop.com to the FRSA directory. Les, thank you so much for this great podcast and information.

Les Sims: No, thank you. I appreciate what you all are doing over there, because my first 10 or 12 years in this industry, we didn't even have anything like this. And so now we have another voice, another avenue to get some of this information out to everybody at their convenience. So appreciate everything y'all are doing.

Megan Ellsworth: It's our pleasure, for real.

Les Sims: Great.

Megan Ellsworth: Thank you so much. And for everyone out there listening, please come to FRSA. It's such a great show. It's so fun, so educational, lots of great exhibitors and all sorts of great information. So come on out and we'll see you in Kissimmee in June.

Les Sims: We'll see you there.

Megan Ellsworth: Awesome. Make sure you subscribe and follow along for all episodes, updated weekly, for Roofing Road Trips, and we'll be seeing you next time.

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.