Meet MVP Winner Corey Morris

By Kate Edwards.

There’s something special about him.

Every year, the Roofing Alliance’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award program recognizes and celebrates workers who are nominated by their coworkers in two categories: 1) Workers who exemplify dedication to their work, employees, and company; demonstrate a strong work ethic; and practice excellent leadership, initiative, and resourcefulness.  2) Workers who show compassion for others outside the workplace and volunteer their time with their communities, churches, families, and friends.

MVPs are dedicated to their work and to helping others, going above and beyond to get the job done and ensure everyone feels valued for what they do.  Seven winners were selected for 2020. At RoofersCoffeeShop® we live by our motto of Roofing Respect® and are highlighting each of the MVP award winners. Keep reading to understand how these devoted individuals add value to their workplace and contribute to the world around them.

Upon meeting someone new, we are often unaware of the effect they will come to have on our lives. There are some individuals, however, whose impact is evident from the start; there is something special about them. Corey Morris is one of those individuals. Corey is a foreman at Spann Roofing & Sheet Metal, Inc., an NRCA member company in Conway, South Carolina where he has worked for 10 years. Among the many qualities that contribute to that special something in Corey are his effective communication, extreme thoroughness, a dedication to his crew and a strong leadership style defined by his willingness to step up to challenges. A testament to his character, Corey has also completed a number of certifications and training courses including NRCA’s CERTA and Pro Foreman, OSHA 30, and the CARE (Center for the Advancement of Roofing Excellence) 3-Day TPO Training.

J. Benjamin Griffith, president at Spann, was happy to talk about Corey’s journey to the company. Specifically, Griffith said, “I want to tell you how unique Corey Morris is as a person.” After first meeting in 2004 when Corey was working at Dargan Construction Company, they reconnected after the 2008 recession when Griffith reached out to Corey, who was attending nursing school at the time and was first in his class. It was his reconnection to Griffith that led Corey to find his calling in the roofing industry.

Griffith described Corey’s excellent first impression and the way it carried into his career at Spann. He said, “His communication skills, respect of others, genuine appreciation of people and level of professionalism as a young man in his 20’s was very impressive in an environment controlled and run by older tradesman. It just showed that Corey had a gift.”

He explained, “Corey Morris began working with Spann Roofing in 2010 and has not looked back. Within two years in the roofing industry, he became a job foreman. He knows and understands all aspects of low slope membrane roofing and time management. He gets the most difficult jobs and typically completes them with no punch list and within budget. The thing that sets Corey apart is his communication. He understands what you are explaining to him and he explains things very concisely. Because of this, our customers love when Corey is on their projects.”

Brice Harry, who worked with Corey both at Dargan and at Spann, shares Griffith’s sentiment for Corey’s character and described an experience he had working with Corey in which it was demonstrated. Harry explained, “While on the Grand Atlantic Condominium Tower project, a $30,000,000 oceanfront high-rise, the general superintendent had emergency back surgery, leaving him unable to work for eight weeks. Corey and two other foremen on the project insisted that they could provide the leadership to manage the project in the superintendent’s absence. I have found few in this business that would accept such a challenge. Their management efforts resulted in the successful and safe completion of the project.”

Michael Toemmes, project manager at Coastal Structures Corporation, spent three years working with Corey on various projects at a local hospital, some of which posed unique challenges. He discussed one of their more complex jobs of replacing a dated roofing system with a new TPO system on the entire hospital. Michael said, “Corey was invaluable as the foreman of this project. We were in constant communication as areas of the building were above procedure rooms, near isolation roof exhaust fans, or above patient rooms and scheduling was critical. Corey met every deadline even if it meant they had to work late or start early. Weekends were worked a lot of this time also.”

In describing Corey’s leadership style, Michael said the following: “Corey is not a “Truck Foreman,” he is right there with his guys the entire time and it is easy to see in their quality of work. I never saw him get angry with his crew if something wasn’t going right or problems occurred. Corey handled every situation with a cool head and in a professional manner.”

The stories told by those who have had the opportunity to work with Corey on large-scale projects not only describe the type of person he is, but how those special traits manifest as a passion for his work and his crew. Some of Corey’s coworkers at Spann explained how their experiences working with him on a daily basis are no different. Corey is known for his incomparable knowledge of roofing systems, the ways in which he inspires not only his crew but those around him as a father figure/mentor, and for his overall concern for the company’s wellbeing and workers’ safety in which he consistently goes above and beyond.

Carlos Wingate, Sr., project manager and safety director at Spann, says that working with Corey regularly makes his job easier, specifically noting his dedication to increasing efficiency and his impeccable safety record. In describing his overall experience of being Corey’s coworker, Wingate said, “Bottom line is this guy stays on top of his game. He is a rare gem in this business.”

Spann’s president J. Benjamin Griffith says that Corey makes everyone at the company better, as they strongly value his commitment and dedication to the profession. Kristin Zushma, project manager at Spann, perhaps said it best, “You could tell instantly that Corey had something special.”

For more information on the MVP awards and nomination visit the Roofing Alliance’s MVP Program webpage.