LIVE From IRE 2025 with Jim From SOPREMA! - PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

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

Megan Ellsworth: Hello, everyone. Okay. This is our last interview of the 2025 International Roofing Expo, and I have Jim from Sima. Hello. How are you? 

Jim Hansen: Hello, Megan. I'm doing very well. Thank you. And I'm so glad we saved the best for last, 

Megan Ellsworth: Right? Absolutely. We did. 

Jim Hansen: Let's, let's roll with that 

Megan Ellsworth: Team. Yeah. Yes, absolutely. So, um, I'm so excited to chat with you about Sima, but before we get there, I'll just have you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your role at Sima. 

Jim Hansen: Great. Well, thank you for the opportunity. 

Megan Ellsworth: Absolutely. 

Jim Hansen: Love Roofer's Coffee Shop. Get a chance to do this pretty much at all the shows we attend. So, 

Megan Ellsworth: Yay. 

Jim Hansen: Uh, Jim Hansen, uh, with, as a business development manager for the Equipment and Services Department, uh, what we do in my department is we find ways to increase productivity in the installation processes of all the products that we sell. Whether it's spray applied application or heat welding, torch, applied application, whatever the application might be. We're always trying to find the efficiencies in installing the product 

Megan Ellsworth: Got it. 

Jim Hansen: To, to address the labor issues that we have in our industry. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. Which has been a hot topic this week at IRE. Yes. I've seen lots of classes and presentations on the labor shortage, and I know you all have a couple products that are geared towards that. Let's touch on those while we're here. Um, the Mini macin. 

Jim Hansen: Mini Macin is one of them. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. What is the, the difference between the mini macin and how many people need to run that in a regular crew size? 

Jim Hansen: That's a great question, Megan. Um, we get asked that a lot. Uh, it's kind of the showstopper at our booth. I mean, we, the past two and a half days, it's just been jam packed around the mini mackin in the conversations about the machine and what it does. Uh, basically we call it the force multiplier. Got it. And what I mean by that is we can take a crew of four and do the same production as 12 

Megan Ellsworth: <laugh>. Wow. 

Jim Hansen: So you think about the labor saving dynamics in that. Um, it, it's just not the efficiency of the installation process, the mini Macon offers. It's also about the quality of installation. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. 

Jim Hansen: Uh, 'cause along with the, the, the labor shortages that we have, we also, we're losing, we've, we've lost a lot of qualified skilled workers. 

Megan Ellsworth: Right. 

Jim Hansen: So to train them up, you know, it, it takes time and the machine kind of takes a lot of that human error out of the application and addresses it. But the other thing is, it also, uh, lowers the seal, the carbon footprint, because we use 65% less propane during our installation process. 

Megan Ellsworth: That's awesome. 

Jim Hansen: You think about a contractor that has to buy 30, $40,000 or budget 30 to 40,000 into their budget for propane mm-hmm <affirmative>. And we're able to do it now, the same installation for 10 to 15,000. It's not just the price, but it's also what we're, we're not emitting into the air. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. That is huge. I mean, 65%, 

Jim Hansen: 65%, that's a 

Megan Ellsworth: Big number. 

Jim Hansen: Yeah, it is. It's a huge number. Wow. 

Megan Ellsworth: Wow. So when people have been coming up to the booth at IRE, what are they asking about the mini macin? What are they interested and maybe what else are they looking at? 

Jim Hansen: Uh, they, they're interested in, in the mini macin, you know, to my surprise, they're asking what is it? What does it do? 

Megan Ellsworth: Got it. 

Jim Hansen: And it, that's a surprise to me because we've had this out for over 20 years or approximately 20 years. Oh, I 

Megan Ellsworth: Forget. It's, you've had it out for so long. 

Jim Hansen: So it's, it's, it's one refreshing to find out that we still have an audience out there we can, we can pursue. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. 

Jim Hansen: Um, you know, but they're talking about, we're talking about the Mini Mac and what it can do, how it can address the labor shortages. But then we, we, we get into our SPS membranes, our a PP membranes, you know, the supreme group of companies. Right. 

Megan Ellsworth: Whether 

Jim Hansen: It's, you know, chem link, furbish, uh, resist o performance roof systems or, uh or REMA itself. I mean, 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. 

Jim Hansen: We have a pretty good selection of products 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. 

Jim Hansen: That cover all six sides of the building 

Megan Ellsworth: Mm-hmm <affirmative>. 

Jim Hansen: So, 

Megan Ellsworth: It's so true. It's so true. And how has the booth been this year at IRE? Very busy. Lots of, lots of interested people, 

Jim Hansen: Lots of interest, interested people. The, the big thing is we have a brand new booth this year. I don't know if you were able to see it or not. 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, just glimpses. 

Jim Hansen: Yeah, just glimpses. But it is a brand new, uh, uh, image. Uh, it looks kind of like a corporate headquarters. Yeah. 

Megan Ellsworth: It's 

Jim Hansen: A huge footprint. And we have a lot of digital marketing going on inside the booth to really pull the customers in. Amazing. And it's interactive with touchscreens, so, um, it, it's been good for us. 

Megan Ellsworth: Wow. That is super cool. Um, that in touchscreens, who doesn't love touch and stuff. 

Jim Hansen: Yeah. <laugh> a little more interaction so people don't feel like, you know, we have to go and talk to them. Right. 

Megan Ellsworth: That 

Jim Hansen: We're trying to sell 'em something. It's, it's, it was very relaxed this year. Nice. With this new style booth was nice. It was nice. 

Megan Ellsworth: That is nice. Okay, so with all of the thema companies that are under Thema umbrella, who all was represented here? Um, everybody. 

Jim Hansen: Everyone. 

Megan Ellsworth: Amazing. 

Jim Hansen: Everyone. Yeah. We had, we had a pretty good coverage for all the companies. 

Megan Ellsworth: Amazing. 

Jim Hansen: And our booth reflected all the different companies that we have under our umbrella. 

Megan Ellsworth: That's 

Jim Hansen: Incredible. So it was, it was really good. 

Megan Ellsworth: Incredible. So what's come, what's up next for Suprema? What, what's coming down the pipeline? 

Jim Hansen: We're, we're expanding. I mean, we're just looking to grow business. We're in a, we're in a, a really fast paced hiring mode. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. Wow. 

Jim Hansen: I've seen a lot of new faces come into the company. I saw a lot of new faces at our national sales meeting. Awesome. 

Megan Ellsworth: Which 

Jim Hansen: Is refreshing. Um, and and we're just looking to continue our growth that we've been enjoying for, I've been there for five years now. Wow. So, and it's been amazing to watch this growth and it's amazing to watch our owner of the company. We're a privately owned company. 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, I did not realize that. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. So it's, you know, we established and I believe 1908, don't shoot me if I got that wrong guys, but I believe 1908. Wow. So we're over a hundred years old. 

Megan Ellsworth: Wow. 

Jim Hansen: Old, second generation family owned business or third generation family owned business. 

Megan Ellsworth: Wow. And 

Jim Hansen: We have over a hundred locations across the globe. Employ over 10,000 employees have r and d facilities throughout the globe. 

Megan Ellsworth: Wow. 

Jim Hansen: Um, and like I said, we're just, we are expanding and and and bringing on more locations throughout the United States. 

Megan Ellsworth: Wow. That's incredible. 

Jim Hansen: Yeah. 

Megan Ellsworth: That's incredible. Congratulations. 

Jim Hansen: I had nothing to do with it. <laugh>. I'm just enjoying the ride. There's much smarter people than me, than and and have a better vision than I do that are, are making this happen. 

Megan Ellsworth: Absolutely. 

Jim Hansen: It's a great team. 

Megan Ellsworth: It is. It really is. And I love working with you all. You make, you make, um, our jobs really easy creating with you and in partnership with Sima. Um, we have a couple rws and podcasts coming up, so everyone stay tuned for that. Yes. Um, and make sure you check out the Sima directory. Yes. On roofers coffee shop.com, find all their socials, all the other chem link and all the different companies that are under Sima. Really, really great brands. So, um, Jim, thank you so much for chatting with me. 

Jim Hansen: It's always a pleasure. 

Megan Ellsworth: Oh, thank 

Jim Hansen: You Megan. 

Megan Ellsworth: Likewise. Thank you. And oh my gosh, IRE is coming to an end. I cannot believe it. Yes. It's been a great show. Thank you all for sticking with us through these three days of great interviews. Um, I'd like to thank SRS distribution one more time for sponsoring our sound stage. And I will see you next on our recap of the show. See you then. Great job.