LIVE From IIBEC 2025 with Soprema! - PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of a live interview with Greg Williams. You can read the interview below or watch the recording.

Heidi Ellsworth: Hello and welcome back to IEC 2025 in Orlando, Florida. My name is Heidi Ellsworth, and we're starting out this live sound stage sponsored by IB Roof Systems with our friends from Saima. I am so excited. Greg. Welcome. 

Greg Williams: Thank you, Heidi. 

Heidi Ellsworth: I'm, I'm 

Greg Williams: Happy to be here. 

Heidi Ellsworth: You are just the perfect one to kick us off. 

Greg Williams: Oh, I hope so's I'm telling. Yeah, let's, let's, even if we get this thing rocking, 

Heidi Ellsworth: That's okay. Well, let's start with some introductions. Okay. Can you introduce yourself and tell us what you do with sma? 

Greg Williams: Sure. You know, thanks. Thanks for the, the brief intro. I'm Greg Williams. I'm the National Sales Manager for, um, REMA and Performance Free Systems. Um, you know, Sima's been making modified bitch of 'em for about 117 years. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yes, 

Greg Williams: They have. And we have taken that, the experience and the technology and we now really feel we're a global producer of building envelope material. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Definitely 

Greg Williams: For the roof, for the walls below grade. Yeah. Blindside waterproofing. So we really think we've evolved. 

Heidi Ellsworth: You, you know, I've watched it, I've watched the Prima 

Greg Williams: Over years. You haven't been around 117 years? 

Heidi Ellsworth: Not 117. Okay. Maybe over 30, 30 years. Okay. And, um, I'll tell you. Yeah. And I, I love what I've watched with the Prima brand. It's always been about quality, it's always been about durability, but you have really taken that to the full building and closure, the building envelope and being here at the IEC show. What does that mean to really be able to get all of your amazing products for the whole building envelope in front of these con um, 

Greg Williams: Consultants? Well, it's, it's really important to us because we feel out, we focus on more than just making roofing materials. We focus, we want focus on solutions and the resilience side of it. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yes. 

Greg Williams: You know, we have focused, you know, we have solutions for IC 500, which is your storm shelter protection. Yeah. We have solutions for very, very severe hail. Oh. You know, that with FM approvals that we achieve, you know, organically, you know, without any enhancements. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah. 

Greg Williams: Um, it's just, it's a real, real focus for us on that. And we like to get it out in front of the architects in the consultant world to, to, to, to continue to, um, promote that. 

Heidi Ellsworth: And this is where the consultants come to get their information. Percent. I know we just had IRE two weeks ago. 

Greg Williams: Yes. 

Heidi Ellsworth: But I really feel this is the show where you get in front of that specifying community. 

Greg Williams: Yeah. Most of the other shows we attend are so broad. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yes. 

Greg Williams: It's such a broad range. You know, you have contractors, you have vendors, you have vendors from outside the country that are trying to get into, you know, introduced to the country. Yeah. And this is a, a place where all of us, both consultants and manufacturers can get education. We can share ideas and we can share best practices. And there's nothing, nothing like it. 

Heidi Ellsworth: No. There isn't. There, there, there isn't anything like it. So tell us a little bit about new products and in initiatives. You talked about resiliency. Yep. But what are some of the products and initiatives that you're talking about in your booth? 

Greg Williams: Well, we we're really focusing on providing solutions for seamless tie-ins. You know, how do you tie into another roof? But the thing is, we take a practical approach to it. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. You know, how do we make it easier for the contractor? And we don't wanna over overcomplicate things. 

Heidi Ellsworth: No. You 

Greg Williams: Know, who wants. No. You know, you know, the, the other thing that we're, we're, we're, we're, we're promoting is the, we're paying very close attention to how buildings are constructed now. Oh. You know, um, the, the life cycle of a new construction building is a very long 

Heidi Ellsworth: Time. Yes, 

Greg Williams: It is. And we've got to be able to protect that building through the, through the whole cycle of construction. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah. 

Greg Williams: So we really, um, are promoting, um, materials that allow a contractor to do phase construction, sequence construction, you know, whatever your, whatever your term you like to use, but to, to carry it through the whole life of the construction phase. 

Heidi Ellsworth: That's really interesting. 

Greg Williams: Yeah. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Wow. What, and what a great conversation to be able to have. Yeah, exactly. While you're 

Greg Williams: Here. Absolutely. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Um, so, okay. I know the show hasn't started. It's just getting ready. I think they're just starting maybe soon. We got you a little bit before the show 

Greg Williams: Opened. That's 

Heidi Ellsworth: Okay. I like it. So, but what have you, um, seen so far? I mean, yesterday we had continuing education mm-hmm <affirmative>. And this morning keynote. What are some of the things that you've seen and what are some things you're excited about that's gonna be happening? 

Greg Williams: You know, I was really intrigued by the sessions. You know, we're focusing on resilient roofing mm-hmm. And resilient solutions. They had some sessions that focused on that. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Nice. 

Greg Williams: Um, you know, our, our technical, um, director and and his team of have focused on, you know, being very compliant with, um, you know, our storm shelter systems. I, I, I really was impressed the way we're on the same page. That's great with I bet that's so cool. And other players. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah. You know, that isn't that nice. Its, when you think about that, what's going on in the industry, it sometimes I feel in the past we may not have been kind of up with what's going, but that's not the case anymore. We are, the roofing industry is at the forefront of protection and resiliency. Sustainability. You are. Yep. Your company, Sima is leads the way 

Greg Williams: You, it's a, it's a global initiative for us. Yeah. And we all, we all participate. It's all part of our, of our culture. It's part of our seven star service. It's part of, of how we go to work every day and how we live at home. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah. If 

Greg Williams: You don't have good practices at home, you're not gonna take and work with you and vice versa. Right. So you It's gotta be a 

Heidi Ellsworth: Lifestyle. It's gotta be a lifestyle. Yeah. I agree so much. Um, okay. Um, well, you talked about the resiliency in the sessions and I guess one of the things and we kind of talked about this at the beginning, but I wanna touch on it one more time. 

Greg Williams: No, go for it. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Just really what the, um, consultant community means year round to you and to Saima and really working hand in hand with them and your contractors. We've actually had in the past some great coffee conversations with Supima and a consultant benchmark and a contractor K post 

Greg Williams: Yep. 

Heidi Ellsworth: On how important that triangle is. Talk a little bit about that. 

Greg Williams: Well, your relationship with a consultant gives you credibility with the owner. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yes. 

Greg Williams: You know, and that's, that's how the triangle really works. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah. 

Greg Williams: Consultant, contractor and ownership. Right. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah. 

Greg Williams: So I think having that, that year over year and that year round relationship with the consultant, it benefits all three parties. 

Heidi Ellsworth: I do too. 

Greg Williams: Yeah. Um, and it's so important when you're, you're dealing with owners, they wanna know where you're getting your, your instructions from. Yes. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Where you're 

Greg Williams: Getting your, um, your scope of work from. It's not coming from the manufacturer. We don't own that part of it. Yeah. It, it needs to come from the consultants. So we place so much responsibility and so much ownership on the consultant. If you don't have those relationships, you're destined to fail. 

Heidi Ellsworth: And the other thing that I appreciate and that I see out there is you provide all the tools. The consultants need 

Greg Williams: 100% 

Heidi Ellsworth: From EPDs to HPDs, HPDs, everything that's out there now that's being demanded, um, for specifications. You're just right in the forefront of that. 

Greg Williams: Yeah. You know, that's one thing that we pride ourselves in. We've, we've really have focused on in the last three years. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Yeah. 

Greg Williams: Um, you know, understanding what EPDs are and, you know, not a lot of people do. It's not, it's not, it's not an easy one to get your hands around. 

Heidi Ellsworth: No. 

Greg Williams: But we really focused on that. We have a a, a team that's, that's their primary duties is to, um, to define those and make sure we stay up to date with them also. 

Heidi Ellsworth: And put it together. 

Greg Williams: Yeah. You gotta put it together. And, you know, we say that we're a manufacturer of roofing components. We don't build roofs. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Okay. 

Greg Williams: We manufacture components. The contractor build the roof, builds the roof. The consultant designs the 

Heidi Ellsworth: Roof. Right. 

Greg Williams: We manufacture everything they need. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Again, what a great partnership. 

Greg Williams: Yep. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Absolutely. Across the board. Yep. Across the board. Well, um, Hey, it looks like we have folks coming 

Greg Williams: In. It's starting to pile in. 

Heidi Ellsworth: I know. Here's all the consultants coming in. This is pretty exciting. 

Greg Williams: It is exciting. They're right on top of us 

Heidi Ellsworth: Too. I know. I love it. I love it. Well, Greg, thank you so much. You're welcome. Thanks for starting us out. 

Greg Williams: Thanks for having me. This kind of gets me, 

Heidi Ellsworth: I ready to go, 

Greg Williams: Jazz. I'm jazzed. 

Heidi Ellsworth: Get back to that booth. You gotta get there before the consultants. Absolutely. I'll, they're, they're walking that way really quick right now. 

Greg Williams: Thank 

Heidi Ellsworth: You. But thank you so much. 

Greg Williams: Thank you for having 

Heidi Ellsworth: And thank you all. We have more coming. Stay tuned.