LIVE from IRE 2025 with Wryker! - PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

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

Megan Ellsworth: And welcome back to the Coffee Shop Sound stage. My name is Megan Ellsworth. I am so excited 'cause I'm here with my friend from Wryker <laugh>. Hello. How are you? Hi. I'm good. Thanks for having me Megan. I'm so glad you're here. Um, can you tell the people out there who you are and give us a little bit of a history about Wryker? 

Julia Farrell: Yeah, I'm happy to. Thank you. Um, so my name's Julia Farrell. I am one of the founders of Wryker Construction Supply. Uh, we're a distributor based in North Carolina and we service mostly the East Coast and also Texas. And we're a distributor of a pretty big variety of items. Anything from safety, PPE, fall protection, guardrail systems. We're starting to get into materials, um, and lots of tools. Um, so pretty much everything, uh, surrounds roofing and what roofers use. Amazing, 

Megan Ellsworth: Amazing. Lots of safety equipment. 

Julia Farrell: Yeah. 

Megan Ellsworth: Love it. Um, we did a video last year with your mannequins. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. And it was, it was a huge hit 

Julia Farrell: With Rex the 

Megan Ellsworth: Tank. With Rex the Tank, AKA, the mannequin <laugh>. Um, love him <laugh>. Um, okay. So how has the show been? 

Julia Farrell: The show has been amazing. Um, so the IRA's of course an amazing event. It's super fun to be here in San Antonio. Um, there's been a lot of traffic at the booth and it's just fun to get to see everybody, see some of our customers, meet some new people. Uh, we've been having a really good time so far and we're excited to have two more days of this. 

Megan Ellsworth: That's amazing. Awesome. So you went to Nashville Roofing Day for the first time. Did you go both days? 

Julia Farrell: I only went on Monday. 

Megan Ellsworth: Okay, perfect. 

Julia Farrell: And it was such a good day. Um, can't recommend it enough if you're a woman in roofing or even if you're a man supporting women in roofing. 

Megan Ellsworth: Mm-hmm <affirmative>. 

Julia Farrell: Um, the classes were really exceptional. 

Megan Ellsworth: Amazing. Which ones did you go to? 

Julia Farrell: I think the one that stood out in my mind the most as a female owner in the roofing space was the owner's round table. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yes. 

Julia Farrell: And it was just a room full of women who owned companies talking about the common struggles that we face and how we deal with challenges. Um, it got a lot out of that. It was really nice. 

Megan Ellsworth: That's beautiful. Oh, I know Lee Lip NICUs was on that one. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. So And she's the best. Yeah. And the best. Sage. Sage. 

Julia Farrell: Sage was excellent. Yeah. Oh, it was super fun. 

Megan Ellsworth: I love it. I'm so glad you were there. 

Julia Farrell: Yeah, me too. Amazing. 

Megan Ellsworth: Okay, so I hear you have a show special. We do. Just give us a little information but don't give it away 

Julia Farrell: <laugh>. Yeah. So we have a show special, uh, just for people who stop by our booth. Uh, we're gonna do for orders on our website. If you spend $150, you actually get a hundred dollars off your order. Uh, so it's a really good deal. It's so good that we're not blasting it out. Uh, 'cause we don't wanna give it to just anybody. Um, so if you're interested in some new shoes, some nice work pants, something like that, um, stop by our booth. Snap a picture of that code and um, yeah, you can get a really good deal. It's good through the end of February. 

Megan Ellsworth: Absolutely. Okay. End of February. Um, if you're here at the show or you're on your way, make sure you stop by the Ryer booth. Do you know your booth number? 

Julia Farrell: Yes. We're 3007. Our, our beacon is, is Beacon. Uh, we're very close to the Beacon Booth <laugh>. Our beacon is Beacon <laugh> as it go to Beacon And turn left. Uh, we're, we're over that way. 

Megan Ellsworth: Perfect. Perfect. So what would you say is the most important safety gear item that you sell? 

Julia Farrell: Ooh, that's tough. 

Megan Ellsworth: I know. Kind of they're all, all 

Julia Farrell: Important. Yeah, no, that's a good question. Um, I would say probably the most commonly purchased items mm-hmm <affirmative>. Fall into the personal fall arrest system category. 

Megan Ellsworth: Okay. 

Julia Farrell: So it's a combination of a couple items. Uh, we've got a bunch of styles of harnesses, um, different lanyards and anchor points. Um, so really everything that makes up that fall arrest system mm-hmm <affirmative>. Um, is, is very important. 

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah. 

Julia Farrell: And something that not everybody knows about is a trauma strap, um, which you connect to your harness. So in the event of a fall, there's different styles. Some of them are just like a, you kind of jump rope shape that you can stand on. And then there's some that are like a strip with some loops on the side that's more like a ladder. Um, but the idea is if you fall, your circulation can get cut off. So by standing you can reduce the pressure and it gives you extra time to get down from the fall. Um, 

Megan Ellsworth: I see. 

Julia Farrell: Yeah. And it can save your legs if, if it gets that dire. Um, so it's relatively inexpensive and it can make a really big 

Megan Ellsworth: Difference. Wow. Wow. That is huge. 

Julia Farrell: Yeah. 

Megan Ellsworth: Super important. 

Julia Farrell: Yeah. 

Megan Ellsworth: Um, well this has been amazing. Lot of thanks. Is there anything else that the people out there in internet land should know about Wryker and, and what you all sell and what you do? 

Julia Farrell: Hmm. I would say that we're a growing company, so we're expanding what we do all the time. Definitely keep an eye out for new items on our website. Not everything that we have, um, in our catalog is on the website and we're adding stuff all the time. Um, so that's something to keep an eye out for. And I'm also working on a thank you video for orders placed on our website that will be coming soon. Oh, I love it. That's featuring my dog, <laugh>. Oh my God. Incredible news. So it's not there yet for orders placed now, but uh, at some point you'll get a little dog in your inbox. Um, anytime you place an order. <laugh>. 

Megan Ellsworth: So Awesome. I'm a huge dog person too. 

Julia Farrell: <laugh>. I am literally a huge dog person. My dog is a great Dane. Oh, 

Megan Ellsworth: Literally. I love it. <laugh>. Oh my gosh. Well this has been absolutely amazing. Thank you Julia. 

Julia Farrell: Thank you Megan. This was really fun. Yay. I appreciate 

Megan Ellsworth: It. Yay. Everyone go check out the Wryker directory on roofers coffee shop.com to learn more. You can go find their socials, their website, go buy some stuff, and if you're here at the show, go to the their booth so you can get the show special. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. And buy even more stuff then <laugh>. So everyone go check it out. Um, we have lots of interviews yet to come throughout the day. And don't forget coffee conversations at 2:00 PM Central. Thank you again, Julia. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you everyone. Stay tuned for more. Bye.